What would be the side effects, if a person used and epi pen and didn't need it? If you had allergies as a child could you out grow them? The allergies are to bee stings.
Thanks
N2

The Epi-Pen contains epinephrine, also known as adrenalin. This can be lifesaving because it counteracts the effects of anaphylactic shock induced by a severe allergic reaction.

Like any "adrenalin rush," the side effects are rapid and pounding heartbeat, a flushed feeling, and tremor or shakiness. People often experience these same effects when they get local anesthetic injected by a dentist (because the local contains epinephrine) and erroneously conclude that they are allergic to local anesthetic.

But I don't know whether allergy to insect venom can be "outgrown."

It may be the reverse with insect stings ! Somewhere I read that the very first time in your life that you are bitten you are not likely to notice. It's because your body 'learns' its response. So it is only on the second and later bites that you get the full itchy feeling and swelling.

Following on from that it sounds as though you don't outgrow the allergy. You certainly can outgrow other allergies. My own daughter has progressed from a marked reaction to strawberries, as a small child, to no response at all as an adult. Now at 17 she is keen to try crustacea, specifically crab and lobster, but remains reluctant to even start. When she was little even touching a utensil that had touched prawns or other crustacea produced instant reddening and swelling.

Professor, just as a side note, not all dental anesthetics contain epinephrine. For fillings, typically anesthetics do not contain epinephrine. Also, epinephrine is added not because it is erroneously assumed that a patient might be allergic to the anesthetic but because epinephrine reduces the blood flow and increases the affect of the local anesthetic. It is added to the local when used in dental surgeries, and specifically for root canal therapy.

You're description of the effects is correct, but only when the epinephrine enters directly into the blood stream.

N2, to answer your question about outgrowing allergies, a child can often times out-grow allergies to some food products such as peanuts and milk, but often times will always remain allergic to shellfish. In your case regarding bees, according to a John Hopkins Medicine Press Release, a great number of children do not outgrow insect sting allergies.

Georgia -- I guess I didn't make myself clear. I realize that when dentists & oral surgeons use local containing epi, it's for the reasons you mentioned. What I was trying to say is that many patients who feel the side effects of the added epinephrine think that they're experiencing some sort of reaction to the local anesthetic agent itself, when actually they are not.

I gotcha Professor. Re-reading your post I see that it is clear but I was just soooo excited to know an answer (due to having recent root canal therapy) that I misread.

Condolences. I've had root canals myself. Kids, don't forget to brush and floss!