: >Question #1: do I need a prescription to get an Epipen?
: yes
: >#2: The next time I get stung by a yellow jacket, will the reaction be any
: >different?
: yes, you could very possibly die

Speaking of which, I was just re-reading the last chapter of _The_Hive_
_and_the_Honey_Bee_ last night (the chapter that talks about sting
reactions and allergies). One of the things that was pointed
out was that, in the U. S., only about 40 people die every year from
insect sting allergies (which is far less than the 300 or so who die
every year from penicillin allergies, for example).  This number
incidentally includes wasp, hornet, and ant stings, as well as
honeybees.  This is out of the estimated 0.4% of the population (about
1 to 2 million people) that has a potentially life-threatening
reaction to stings.  So, it sounds like even the serious reactions
are more frightening than anything else, and not really that likely
to kill, particularly if the victim gets reasonably timely treatment.

That isn't to say that you shouldn't get an epi-pen, and get treatment
if you are having a generalized reaction (as opposed to a large local
reaction, or a skin-only reaction), but it sounds like it isn't anything
to get terrorized about, either.

This chapter had a lot of other interesting information in it, I recommend
that everyone interested in these things read it.  If nothing else,
it will make you less likely to blindly accept it when somebody tells
you, "I'm terribly allergic to beestings, if I'm stung, I might
die."  It turns out a lot of people have been very misled about these
things.

Tim Eisele
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