The DIY Epi-Pencil

Up next:  Oral Rehydration THerapy

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available.  As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.

Here on the blog, I prefer presenting information that I have researched well and am thoroughly comfortable with or that comes recommended by sources I know and trust.  The following information I have not researched well and I'm not thoroughly comfortable with because it has not come recommended to me by anyone I know or trust.  However, I'm sharing it here today for the following reasons:

1. You should study anything regarding medicine I present here on your own.  This blog is just a springboard for further research on your part.
2. There is no alternative to epinephrine in a severe anaphylactic reaction.  No herb, no other drug.  Nothing.
3. Epi-pens can be very expensive without insurance.
4. In a collapsed society, some people will develop life-threatening allergies after the collapse and may not have access to an Epi-pen.

This information comes from Dr. Mixael Laufer at https://fourthievesvinegar.org/.  No, I have no idea whether he really is a physician, but he comes across that way.  He doesn't appear to be selling anything and the information on building an Epi-Pencil is free.  I recommend going to the site and watching his video.  I've tried to copy all the written information here.  There is a label to affix to your DIY Epi-Pencil that I could not copy.  The following are the written instructions from the site.


0) Print the label, and affix it to the autoinjector.

1) Remove the 22 gauge luer-lock needle from its associated syringe, if it is affixed to one.

2) Press-fit the needle onto the 1 milliliter luer-slip syringe.

3) Depress the plunger on the autoinjector using the barrel, until it clicks.

4) Set the depth adjuster between 7 and 15 millimeters depending on your subcutaneous layer, and how heavy your clothing tends to be.

5) Carefully remove the cap from the needle which is now affixed to the syringe.

6) Draw 0.3 milliliters of epinephrine into the syringe.

7) Inspect carefully to make sure there are no air bubbles, and remove them if present.

8) Being careful not to touch the needle to the sides, gently insert the syringe and needle into the barrel of the autoinjector.

9) Screw the handle onto the autoinjector.

The autoinjector is now loaded and complete. Store in a safe, sterile container, away from the sun, but not in the refrigerator. 

On the website, there are photographs.  There was a Youtube video showing the assembly, but naturally, Youtube removed it.  Following are descriptions and links for supplies used in making the DIY Epi-Pencil.  The autoinjector device itself is used by some diabetics for administering insulin.  The insulin is replaced with epinephrine for dealing with anaphylaxis.  Dr. Laufer also shows differences in some of the syringes and how they fit into the autoinjectors. 




Instruction packet
https://fourthievesvinegar.org/files/EpiPencil.zip

Instruction Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldFFJRdhVs8  --youtube removed it

Autoinject 2 non-fixed needle device #AJ1311: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/owen-mumford-autoject-2-non-fixed-needle_7753.htm?

1ml luer slip syringe (10-pack): https://www.amazon.com/Syringe-Luer-Slip-Sterile-Pack/dp/B000FMYDLU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474046866&sr=8-2&keywords=1ml+luer+slip+syringe --  website not available

1” 22G Luer Lock Hypodermic Needle (10-pack): https://www.healthykin.com//p-5048-bd-precisionglide-single-use-hypodermic-needles.aspx?gclid=CJ7v-dG2lM8CFUeBfgodMKYBxw


At the following address, Dr. Laufer answers some questions about the Epi-Pencil and obtaining epinephrine. 

https://archive.org/details/EpiPencilUpdate

These are some of the sources he recommends:

• Many tack and feed shops sell epinephrine (varies by state)
• Veterinary supply sources (everything I found required a prescription)
• Emergency medical suppliers (I couldn't find any that sold epinephrine)
• Chemical suppliers (I did find some, but they were expensive and I wasn't entirely confident that it was the right stuff)

Dr. Laufer advised against using homeopathic remedies.  He also noted that if DIYing the epinephrine from powder and injectable saline, that the shelf life was only about 60 days, because DIY epinephrine lacks preservatives and antibiotics to extend the shelf life.

Again, you have to do your own research on this.  This post is just a springboard that might point you in the right direction.

Links to related posts:
Epinephrine

References:
https://fourthievesvinegar.org/