hmmmmmmmmmmm

barbiedoll

Anyone who (like me and my DS) has allergies to food, animal fur, plants, perfumes etc etc, should at the very least, carry antihistamine tablets at all times. If your breathing may be affected, you should carry an inhaler. Allergies can strike at any time but having itchy arms is not a medical emergency. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and is certainly a good reason for an A&E visit, where you would be seen straight away.

You can buy generic antihistamines for less than £1. You should be prescribed inhalers by your GP initially but you can buy them from Asda at around £7 for two. Stop cluttering up a busy A&E department with your minor ailment which you really should be able to manage yourself. Take some responsibility for your own health and make sure that you carry your medication with you at all times, especially if you are eating out.

No, they weren't "harsh"!

shortdog

How can a fully grown adult forget their potentially life saving medication? My 6 year old son hasn't forgotten his medication in about 2 years, and never goes anywhere without it.
Any 24 hour supermarket will have antihistamines available on the shelf, which will do the exact same thing as an injection, just slightly slower.

A&E, as the name suggests, is for emergencies only, and I think they did the exact right thing. If, next time you have a reaction, it develops into anaphylaxis, and you turn up in an ambulance to be told you have to wait to be seen because someone has itchy arms, would you think they were being fair? Didn't think so. And, TBH, whenever we are at A&E, and listen to the grumbles about waiting time, it seems to be the ones who could easily have self managed, or visited a GP or pharmacist who grumble the loudest. If none of them turned up, waiting times would be a lot shorter.

rachbc

The clue is in the name

ACCIDENT

EMERGENCY

A skin reaction however unpleasant is neither of these. You'd have been better get your taxi to take you to Asda and buying some otc anti-histamines.

Fire_Fox

gettingbetter wrote: »

thanks fire fox

i have bought more tablets and now have some in car
and hand bag

i thought it was bit off
NHS 24 said there was no one to give injection

but hay ho we live and learn

in end had cold shower
i couldnt wait the 4 or 5 hours to be seen

kas xx

Sorry but that suggests their assessment was correct, that you were not an emergency case and didn't need an antihistamine injection. I honestly don't understand what you thought was off, there clearly wasn't anyone to give you an injection unless you waited several hours. :huh:

cutestkids

You had hives a simple antihistamine tablet or even a cream would be all you need, I have suffered hives through allergic reaction since I was 4 years old I am now 40, I have never been to A&E even when my entire body is covered.

If you had gone to the nearest all night supermarket you could have got something to relieve the itching for a few pounds.

I am amazed that anyone would go to A&E for this.

ciderwithrosie_2

My son suffers from hives, showering or running around/playing sports sets it off - sometimes his skin looks like pebbledash he's that bumpy and his hands swell up - he takes an antihistamine and sits quietly for a bit til it calms down. Maybe you had a bad reaction to the alcohol, it makes me a bit hot and itchy sometimes.

Poppie68

I suffer from urticaria, it covers my entire body somedays. I take fexofenadine and my gp recently tried me with Alphderm cream..The cream has been a life saver, it should'nt be used liberly or on a none itchy rash as it can thin the skin after prolonged use. I try and ride the itchiness out until i can no longer stand it. I always carry a tube of it with me.

Tygermoth

I will preface this with the statement that what I mention below happened 20 yrs (plus) ago – but I don’t think attitudes have changed much since.

I was working in the Majors end of A&E and we were having a humdinger of an early summer Sunday morning shift. There had been a car accident with a young family (no seat belts) who did not speak English, at all. Trying to communicate with a very frightened and confused mother while whisking her children away for a variety of tests was terrible.

The young lad in the other car had a very nasty head injury (non seatbelt also) and was in the process of being sent up to ICU.

We had a elderly man whom had been knocked off his bike in a hit and run and was in a very bad way.

A further call went out and we had another ambulance come in with lights going for a young lady who was suffering with PND had overdosed and had stopped breathing.

Then we had the call that another was coming in under lights – for a non breathing baby – everyone’s worst nightmare. After the baby was brought in the team were going full guns to give the best care and I was dashing up from majors through minors with an urgent sample to go get some blood gas results.

In the corridor I was grabbed by a lady who was very obviously angry. She had decided to go round the back and into the treatment area to find a member of staff because she was fed up of waiting. She then decided to refuse to let go of me because she was disgusted by the three hour wait for someone.........

to see the pain she had in her big toe.

It was a bloody nightmare, she was full of righteous indignation about how she paid her taxes and we worked for her and she had not seen a member of staff for hours because we were all obviously lazy moos sat on our rears drinking tea somewhere.

I calmly apologised and explained we were very busy with very unwell people and she needed to let go of me immediately as the blood gas syringe in my hand was very very urgent. Her answer was:

I don’t care, that’s them and this is me and I Will be seen now.

To this day that woman makes me mad, but I bet if you asked her she did nothing wrong, we were all rude lazy and lying about how busy we were. I had to yell for help and interrupt other patients care to get someone release me from her. She especially disliked the male nurse who eventually pried her off of me (she had stuck to her promise not to let go making me frantic at the delay to the critically ill child)

A and E is a bit like a swan, it’s all looks serene from the waiting room but believe me behind the doors of the treatment room the legs are paddling furiously.

You are assessed on arrival - if you are made to wait I am sorry to say it reflects on how serious your illness or injury is in the grand scheme of things

Marisco

You've got more patience than me Tygermoth!! She'd have got either an elbow in the middle, a stamp on her instep or a "Kirby Kiss", she really would have needed A & E then!!

Tygermoth

Sadly the Trust frowned on assaulting members of the public - whatever the reason (Not to say I didn’t briefly flirt with the idea of pinching the underside skin up nearer her armpit than elbow - hurts like hell that does ) Tends to make people move away quickly :rotfl:

Though if it was the other way (the nurses getting beaten up) you were told to lump it as it just was part of the role.

I am glad to see that attitude has changed these days.