New EpiPen Ad is Dangerous for Food Allergy Families
Update 4/21/2012: The makers of EpiPen have agreed to remove the commercial below. I want to thank the makers of EpiPen for listening and responding.
More info from Allergic Living Magazine here.
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EpiPen, a brand-named epinephrine auto-injector that delivers a shot of adrenaline into the system of a food allergic individual having a severe, life threatening reaction, has released a commercial that has the food allergy community up in arms.
The quality of the video below isn’t great, but it’s the only video that I have found. If you have a better quality video or know where I can find one, please let me know.
If it’s hard for you to hear what the mother says, it goes like this:
Excited for Max’s birthday party? Even with your peanut allergy and a cake made with who knows what. Because we’re prepared, right Jake? With EpiPen!
Hold the phone!
Sorry to say, but if this was a real food allergy mom, and I met her, I would give her a piece of my mind. Epinephrine is not like putting aloe on a sunburn when you forget to put sunscreen on and spend more time in the sun than you expected. Epinephrine is a last resort medication. It’s a rescue medication for emergencies for accidental ingestion of a potential allergen.
It’s not an excuse to just eat whatever you want, without looking at the ingredients or knowing what’s in it, because you can just get a shot of adrenaline to save your life. It doesn’t work like that.
Doctors agree that PREVENTION is the key. AVOIDANCE of allergens is the safest way to prevent a life threatening allergic reaction to any food a person may be allergic to.
And here’s a bit of information that you may not have known:
Even WITH an EpiPen, you can STILL DIE.
Yeah, didn’t know that, did you? Or maybe you did, and you’re screaming, “That’s what I said!” at the computer screen right now, because you know that I know what I’m talking about.
It also says right on the box that, if you use the EpiPen, call 911 and/or go to the emergency room right after.
Do you really want to take a trip to the ER after every meal? Really? REALLY?! Do you really want to go to the ER after your EpiPen fails at a birthday party because, “Ah, what the hell. Go ahead and eat the cake even though it probably has nuts in it. We’ll just save your life afterward with your EpiPen!”
[Comments related to diabetes were removed upon request from families living with diabetes. My comments were misinformed, and I hope the diabetes community will accept my sincerest apologies for my spreading of misinformation regarding the condition.]
I once saw a woman in the store who was looking for some diphenhydramine (or Benadryl, as it is commonly known as). When her daughter asked her why, she said, “Because I want fish tonight.”
Girl: But, Mom. You’re allergic to fish.
Mom: But I want fish. I will take the benadryl before I eat.
Girl: Mom, just don’t eat the fish!
What kind of a world are we living in when a teen daughter has more sense than her own mother? Seriously.
EpiPen needs to stop airing this commercial for several reasons:
First, it is dangerous for families who deal with food allergies. It’s misleading and wreaks of profit gaining tactics. Are you not making enough sales, EpiPen? Do you want people using their EpiPens more often so that they’ll buy more? If so, shame on you.
Second, it paints a nasty picture of food allergy families to those who don’t have food allergies. “What do you mean he can’t eat the pizza? Can’t you just use your EpiPen?”
Grrr!!
Many thanks to Arizona Food Allergy for bringing this information to light.
Question: What are your thoughts about the EpiPen commercial?
Related articles
- This is why we need epi-pens in schools! (aixelsyd13.wordpress.com)
- What Does a Severe Allergic Reaction Look Like? (myallergysupport.wordpress.com)
- Epi-Pen Accident (itchylittleworld.wordpress.com)
Comments
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WOW! That just set us back 10 years.
How did this get approved? How absolutely irresponsible and ridiculous.
I don’t know. They should’ve known better. Real food allergy moms don’t take a kid to a birthday party not knowing what’s in the cake. And if they do, they bring backup that they know is safe. That’s what we do.
If they don’t remove the commercial or explain themselves, I’ll request only the generic epinephrine from now on. This is disgusting.
My daughter is PA as well as a type 1 diabetec. First of all i think the video is bad. Clearly it misinforms people about allergies by giving people the idea that allergies are no big deal. We alrwady have enough idiots who don’t take our/our children’s allergies seriously and this coming from a drug company is irresponsible.
Next I would like to point out that i don’t understand why the person who wrote this feels the need to use diabetes as an example. As a mother of a type 1 diabetic it is equally frustrating to hear ignorant comments people make about the disease. For the record not all people with diabetes are on restricted diets. My daughter has an autoimmune form of diabetes which is not diet related and she CAN eat candy bars with insulin and it has no ill effect on her health any more than eating any other carbohydrate. So you see as frustrating as it is to have to deal with food allergy ignorance We also have to deal with diabetes ignorance..ughh
This commercial is entirely reckless. I agree that it makes it seem like epinephrine is a no-worry treatment for a non-life threatening condition. It’s shameful that the makers of EpiPen didn’t fire the marketing company for even proposing the idea in the first place. Sadly, as you’ve pointed out, there are adults out there who don’t take food allergies seriously.
Look, I think this commercial is lame. But really — for a mother with a child who has a special need to be soooooo ignorant about others is astounding. A candy bar and diabetes and insulin? Candy bars don’t kill, like nut allergies to. EVERYONE needs insulin to eat. When your child has a candy bar (or something heathier) his or her pancreas secretes insulin. My daughter’s does not. So I have to have her put it in manually. There is NO COMPARISON to nut allergies and epipens here. You need to remove that part of your blog. It’s beyond offensive, and totally incorrect. And I hope you approve my comment. As a blogger I believe in approving ALL (other than spam). Don’t be hurtful. You know what it feels like when people are ignorant about nut allergies. That’s how this feels to those of us in the Type 1 diabetes world. THank you
“It’s like a diabetic eating candy bars because he can just use his insulin afterward. Can we say, “Stupid?” Seriously. Say it with me.
STUPID!”
Please understand type 1 diabetes before you say something like this. As upset as you are with this commerical. Is how upset you just made a ton of D Moms!
You are comparing the use of insulin to an epipen? Really? The epipen is an emergency device, whereas a person with T1D has to take insulin several times per day for ANY carbohydrate. Yes, even an apple. Just because they are both injectibles does NOT make them remotely the same. Please stick with allergies since you obviously know about them and leave the diabetes comments to us “mommy experts” before you make yourself look ignorant again. Thanks.
I am offended by your comment about candy bars and diabetics. My son has Type 1 Diabetes. He requires insulin for almost everything he eats. Is he never suppose to have candy again? I find it interesting that that in your blog you are upset that people can be so uneducated, but clearly you are the uneducated one. You might want to take the time to educate yourself before you start throwing stones at others. While I can appreciate why you upset in your blog, you only make yourself look ignorant with that thoughtless remark. I hope you remove the comment.
I understand your problem with the commercial,but must you make the SAME mistake.My son is type 1,and he eats candy…THERE IS NO CORRELATION between taking insulin to eat a candy bar…My son takes insulin to live,period.I am offended by your misuse of information.If you don’t like people misusing information you should get your facts straight before printing!!!
I find it pretty amazing that you want acceptance and to change the minds of the misinformed public about allergies but you refuse to allow comments on your misinformed, unaccepting and stereotypical comment about diabetics. A person with type 1 (like my little boy) can most certainly eat candy with the proper amount of insulin. It is roughly about the same amount as he needs for an apple. Yes, he needs insulin for every carbohydrate that enters his body. Having a candy is perfectly ok. He is NOT STUPID for enjoying a treat. I wish I could say the same for this blog entry.
The verbiage in the Epipen ad is concerning, especially since it implies a child can just eat carefree without regard to potential allergens and use Epipen to cover. Fully agree the company did not do a great job w/ this ad. However, I am equally disturbed by the ignorance of your blog’s comments regarding a child with diabetes eating a candy bar followed by an insulin injection, and comparing it to the info in this ad. For your information, people with diabetes do not always require restrictive diets. Depending on their treatment regimen, a candy bar can be consumed by a person with diabetes with no more ill-effects than a person without diabetes. And yes, the appropriate treatment is typically to inject insulin at the time they eat the candy bar, just as they must inject insulin for every bite of other carbohydrate-containing foods, healthy or not-so-healthy. So I am saying it with you–STUPID!!! But I must say that what I found stupid and irritating when I read your blog is commenting on other medical issues which you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. I recommend you stick to subject matters for which you have some knowledge base so you do not spread inaccurate and offensive messages that make the lives of people with diabetes a little more difficult to bear. I ask this as both a registered dietitian, and a mom to a child with Type 1 diabetes. Thank you!
My daughter has food allergies and TYPE 1 DIABETES. Did you know that type 1 diabetics must inject insulin just to live and that it doesn’t matter WHAT they eat? It could be a banana, apply, salad, sandwich or a candy bar and because thier body makes no insulin so every day the balance food and they can eat most all things in moderation – they count carbs and balance it all. Thier lives consist of constant blood sugar checks and injections and most of type 1s are children that deal with multiple auto immune diseases and it NEVER goes away. So before you place judgments about diabetes- you should know the difference. Their lives are hard enough without having to be judged and put down with false information as if they do this to themselves and deserve to be called STUPID? If you only knew how much STUPID things they have to hear then you wouldn’t say it. So kindly, I pass this along because I do beleive most people just don’t understand but from now on you have at least been informed. When you choose to use your voice /blog it’s only fair that you share all sides and comments back to the readers who have had to read something that wasn’t accurate. If there was incorrect info about allergies that you stumbled upon I bet you would want to set the record straight.
What I think is stupid is that you said its like a diabetic eating candy just because they can have insulin… Well guess what lady my kid is hooked up to an insulin pump, that’s right she gets it 24/7 or SHE’LL DIE!!!! If she eats an apple she needs more insulin, if she has a cup of milk, more insulin!!! So she should never eat again because she’ll need to take more insulin???
Please educate yourself about ALL kinds of diabetes before you post something for the whole world to read!
Thanks!
I agree that this severely lightens the battle people have with allergies and it is not right. BUT it is not ok to make an analogy with another person’s battle as you do with diabetes.
There is nothing stupid about someone with diabetes taking insulin to eat a candy bar. Just like someone without diabetes, everything in moderation.
I will refrain from comparing the battle in my life to yours, if you will promise the same.
I totally agree with you about the ad, but your analogy with Diabetes is completely wrong.
Stupid is right! Your comment about diabetes is stupid. For the record, not all people with diabetes are on restricted diets. Type 1 diabetics CAN eat candy bars with insulin and it has no ill effect on his or her health any more than eating any other carbohydrate. Its ironic that you fault others for making assumptions or post incorrect info, and then you do the same.
I so understand your rant and totally agree with everything but the diabetic comment. You just did what that commercial did. Just like you comment about you don’t take a kid to a birthday party not knowing what in the cake. Us Diabetic mothers just don’t let our kids go to a party and not know that carbohydrate count for the cake. If our child had to much insulin we also have to give a shot called glucogon. It also a last resort. Please educate your self before posting something again.
Hi there! I completely agree about the commercial. I have 2 kids with severe food allergies: A 10 year old daughter with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and allergies to tree nuts and mango, and a 3 year old son allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and strawberries.
One thing I don’t agree with is your comparison of using the epipen as a way of taking risks, to a diabetic using insulin to have a candy bar.
My 10 y/o DD also has had type one diabetes since she was 2. It wasn’t because she had too much sugar, or too little exercise. She was still breastfeeding, and eating a vegetarian organic diet (she has never had meat and very very rarely eats sugar). We have no family history. It wasn’t something any of us did or didn’t do while I was pregnant…It just happened. Kind of like food allergies can just happen.
But the thing is…insulin is very unlike an Epipen. A candy bar WILL NOT kill her. My daughter likes sweets and can and DOES take insulin for what she eats. it’s simply a myth that diabetics can’t eat sugar. She can and it’s only a matter of covering the carbohydrates with the proper amount of insulin–Not because she’s not supposed to have it, but because it’s what her body needs to use that food (be it an apple or a cookie) for energy to stay ALIVE.
I understand you probably weren’t trying to be offensive, but it did offend me. And that comment is just as misleading about diabetes as the video is about food allergies. Education is key, just like it is with food allergies or any other disorder
Thanks for listening/reading.
Libby
hello there,
Just wanted to let u know your comment about diabetic with candy bar and insulin is incredibly offensive not to mention plain wrong to anyone with type 1 diabetes.
I agree with you on the ad. But you should have educated yourself prior to your diabetic comment. A type 1 diabetic can have a candy bar and would take insulin BEFORE eating it to cover the carbs. Education on all types of health issues is very important.
This blog is ridiculous. you cannot EVER get upset again when the public is stupid about peanut allergies because you are STUPID about diabetes. You have shared with the world your ignorance. Whether or not you choose to publish my response matters not.
Just like you are outraged by misinformation in a commercial on an epi-pen, many parents of children with diabetes are outraged by your comment regard our childrens’ disease – Diabetes. I’m sure you must see the irony here. Your comments are WAY off base . We’d ask that you would remove that line about diabetes. I realize you are not approving any of the comments about diabetes, because many have left them, but I’m must plead to you that you know what it feels to have your child’s disease misrepresented. You are doing the same thing.
Thanks.
I can understand your frustration with their commercial. It is the same frustration I have with your comment about diabetes. My son can have that candy bar and give himself insulin afterwards. When I have a candy bar(or any other carbohydrate), my pancreas releases insulin to keep my blood sugar from rising. My son has to be his own pancreas because his doesn’t work. Even if he never ate another carb(which is dangerous because even your brain needs carbs to work), he would still have to have insulin because the body requires background insulin. He has to give insulin whether he eats a candy bar or corn because both have carbs.
Please help out the mom’s of children with a different, yet still misunderstood, heath situation than your own by correcting your analogy.
I don’t understand your comment relating to the person with diabetes. Just like you don’t want this situation setting back the nut allergy awareness, with kindness, please see what you are perpetuating with the diabetes comment. I wish you and your family well.
“t’s like a diabetic eating candy bars because he can just use his insulin afterward. Can we say, “Stupid?” Seriously. Say it with me.
STUPID!”
Type 1 diabetics need insulin coverage for ALL carbs, not just the ones from candy bars, but also the ones in whole wheat pasta, red peppers, bananas, milk…….Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, resulting from the brain mistaking attacking a person’s pancreas, killing the islet cells which produce insulin. It is not diet-related, and just as any body needs carbs to grow and thrive, so do the bodies of Type 1 diabetics.
You’re goal is to stop ignorance about the challenges your child faces due to a sever allergy. Please extend the same courtesy–to not pass on uninformed and misleading information–to children with other medical conditions.
My sincerest apologies to all of the diabetes moms who have been offended by my comments. I was attempting a comparison between the two, and as I understand it from those who live with diabetes in their families, my comparison wasn’t far off for certain individuals. But I can understand that there are several different forms of diabetes and that different people live with diabetes differently.
I wish to apologize to all of you. As you can see, I have approved all of the comments. I only just logged in and saw all of these, read through them all, and understand your frustration.
My comments about diabetes were misinformed and I will remove them promptly.
Again, my sincerest apologies.
Faithe Soler – thank you for bringing up the glucogon. Obviously, my knowledge of diabetes is extremely limited. From those who I have known with diabetes, the insulin was a just in case type of situation, not an all the time thing. I didn’t know some people required it for every meal. I guess that glucogon is the emergency medication, as you mentioned.
Please understand that my intention wasn’t to spread misinformation. If I had known that I had been misinformed, I wouldn’t have included that comment. I deeply regret my comment and the offense and pain it has caused. As a mother of children on restrictive diets, I understand your frustration on a deep level as you well know. I am horrified that my comments were so misinformed that I stirred up a response such as this.
Again, my sincerest apologies.
THANK YOU for your retraction. Here are more comments here (we were all pretty upset!) Means a lot that you listened. I’ll update on my blog!
http://despitediabetes.com/2012/04/21/blogger-insults-diabetes-world-and-refuses-to-respond-time-to-send-a-message/
Moira – absolutely. I honestly wasn’t ignoring anyone. I just never logged in yesterday. I’m glad I logged in today, as I almost didn’t…I was supposed to go somewhere this morning, but that fell through. Glad it did, or I wouldn’t have seen this until tonight or tomorrow. Not good at all.
I also posted an apology on my twitter and facebook for anyone who is interested. Anyone who emailed me got a personal response as well. Again, I’m so so so sorry, and it wasn’t my intention to be offensive. I have a grandmother with diabetes, and she doesn’t require her insulin except under rare circumstances. That is what I was basing my knowledge on, was my own experience, which as it stands is extremely limited as I don’t see my grandmother very often.
My belief about insulin (and since I was accused of perpetuating a stereotype means that I’m not alone in this, and so I totally understand the frustration everyone felt), was that insulin was there as a “just in case things got bad” situation. I had no knowledge that some people need insulin after every single meal. And since so many different people with diabetes have their own experience and special requirements, my statement was overly generalized (understatement) and incredibly insensitive and rude.
Can’t say it enough. So so sorry.
Thank you for hearing us.
One of the best things for us to use in the treatment process for our daughter when she has low blood sugar is peanut butter. It helps to prevent a follow on low. When we moved (military), we learned of the PA in her school and promptly took the PB crackers home and made a substitution.
No matter the fight we have in our life, we have to stick together and not work against each other.
Again, from this mom to you, thank you.