Scary day yestersay after allergy shots (skin, dental, swollen, arm)

[KylieEve]

Yesterday I went to the clinic to get allergy shots I have been getting them since June and never had a problem. I'm allergic to pollen, ragweed, trees, grass, dust mites, mould, cats and dogs. I have been getting these shots at an allergist since June. I decided to have the serum transferred to a clinic that was closer. I have had 2 shots at that clinic. Yesterday a new guy gave me the shots and he wasn't dressed like a nurse, he wasn't wearing scrubs, he was wearing regular clothes. I often see him answering the phones so I thought he was a receptionist.
He gave me the shot yesterday. Before the shot I had this weird feeling and was going to ask him if he was a nurse but then decided not to offend him. I have never had a bad reaction to the shots. I left the clinic and my hands started itching. I assumed my skin was just dry. Within an hour my hands started itching intensely form the inside and I was getting the chills. Then my neck and face turned red and I broke out in hives on my hands and they began to swell.
I went back to the clininc and they had a Dr. look at me right away. They gave me a shot of bendryl adn checked my vitals. They were going to give me epinephrine but I didn't need it.
My question is why did this happen. Could the guy who was giving me the needle have given it in the wrong area of my arm? They checked the dose and supposedly it was right. I'm wondering if I should stop the shots altogether?
I really didn't expect to get an almost anaphylactic reaction to seasonal allergens or cat and dog. Any idea?
By the way my arms are still swollen and they hurts when I lift them and it hurts to open and close my hands. My left index finger hurts to the touch it feels like arthritis.

[AnonChick]

It happened because you let a receptionist give you a shot, rather than hurt his feelings by insisting that a qualified licensed person do the job.

[KylieEve]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

It happened because you let a receptionist give you a shot, rather than hurt his feelings by insisting that a qualified licensed person do the job.

Some people never have anything nice to say. I'm not sure he's not a nurse. I would ASSUME that if he's giving shots he must be qualified. I guess its just me I CARE about other people's feelings. That concept is foreign to some people I guess.

[AnonChick]

Hm, reading your original post, it seems pretty evident that you assumed he was -not- qualified, but didn't want to hurt his feelings by verifying your suspicion.

This part here:

I often see him answering the phones so I thought he was a receptionist.
He gave me the shot yesterday. Before the shot I had this weird feeling and was going to ask him if he was a nurse but then decided not to offend him.

Is there some reason I should have interpreted this to mean you assumed he was qualified? Or, do you just not quite grasp that your own words indicate that you thought he was a receptionist - since you say, and I quote again:

I often see him answering the phones so I thought he was a receptionist.

Or do you usually make the assumption that receptionists are qualified to give shots? Though - you do indicate that you weren't assuming any such thing, since you state - once again:

Before the shot I had this weird feeling and was going to ask him if he was a nurse but then decided not to offend him.

Usually, one doesn't need to make assumptions, because the caregiver will identify himself before sticking needles in your arm.

[KylieEve]

I was looking for some answers from people who may have had this happen to them or who are actually knowledgeable. I was not intending to have a debate over whether the guy was a nurse or not. I will be asking him next time I go. The intention of your reply was to start a debate and I'm not playing that game dear.
To others who may actually care I asked a registered nurse at another office what would happen if they put the needle in the wrong place. She said a reaction would have started wirthin 2 minutes if they put it in a vessel. That's not what happened with me. The reaction began an hour later.
Oh and thanks for the compassion AC.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

In spite of what he charted, he probably gave you a bigger dose than you should have recieved. Or possibly, if they have the next bottle already, he gave you a dose out of the stronger bottle.

Whatever, you need to stay at the clinic after your next injection to make sure your reaction isn't worse. Both my and my daughter's clinics made us stay every time we changed bottles and also when we began the whole process, to make sure nothing went wrong.

[NCInMyMind]

It is absolutely possible to have a reaction, even several months after starting immunotherapy. That is why most physicians/clinics require that you sit in the waiting room afterwards for 15-30 minutes. Most severe reactions i.e. (anaphylactic shock) happen quickly.

It is also possible that the vial was mislabeled and you accidentally received another patient's vial. Even if the dose and patient name were indeed correct, the components of the vial could have been mismeasured. Immunotherapy is not an exact science.

I would insist that your current vial be discarded and another "batch" be created. I would also verify with your doctor that the person who provides you with your next injection is actually qualified as you have concerns. Your doctor will likely require that you "step down" the dose the next time(s) to ensure that you don't react.

If you are very concerned, I would change physicians.

Try massaging the injection site several times a day and using a warm compress. This should hopefully help alleviate the discomfort that you are experiencing.

Good Luck!

[DewDropInn]

lisalan, I got allergy shots once a week for YEARS so I consider myself a bit of an expert.

I had one nurse who would say, "It's a new bottle, so you might get a reaction that's a little stronger than usual." And sometimes I did. Also I always thought that I reacted differently depending on where in my arm the shot went. Sometimes a "different" nurse would inject in a location that bothered me.

Even after years of getting shots, there were some days I had a reaction hours later. So yes that does happen. I always carry Benadryl in my purse. Always.

Anytime you have a concern about who is giving you the shot, do not be afraid to speak up. I had some nurses who were great and others who were so dang lazy they wouldn't even clean the injection site first. It's YOUR health and body. Don't be afraid to take charge.

[KylieEve]

Thank-you for all the replies especially yours dewdropinn....very helpful as always. I wish everyone was as helpful.

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by lisalan

Thank-you for all the replies especially yours dewdropinn....very helpful as always. I wish everyone was as helpful.

And to think we were once at each other's throats.

I got allergy shots for over 20 years. Horrendous allergies. Any questions just shoot me a PM.