Does epipen work underwater, through a nalprene suit?

Question

i have really bad allergies and always carry an epipen with me. i want to go scuba diving but am scared of jellyfish (abundant in the seas of my country).

it would be a comfort if i could bring my epi down into the water, and use it in case of an emergency. the epi literature says it can go through denim jeans.

so:

can i use epi under water?

will the epi go through nalprene?

Answer 1

Check with your doctor/pharmacist. I am a little unsure as to whether you can take the pen underwater. I am almost sure it will not work there.

Are you sure your allergies are safe for scuba?

Doctor, for sure!

Answer 2

I wouldn't use an epi underwater.  How it injects the adrenaline into your system is that it uses compressed air (or oxygen/nitrogen) to push the plunger down.  When you go under water, pressure increases, and gases become more dense.

This means that at depth, an epipen will inject you slower, and at some point not at all.

If you're worried about an allergic reaction to jellyfish, keep one on the boat.  Your buddy'll be able to get you back to there if something goes wrong.

Answer 3

if you have a spare needle or at least one that is the same gauge as the epipen, try sticking it through the nalprene and see if it will go in. I don't know how thick they are, but make sure the needle can get to the depth it needs to be at in the muscle

Answer 4

The epi pen would probably be able to go through the swimsuit, but I'm not sure how being submerged in water might affect it. You might want to keep it in some kind of watertight case, and only remove it if you need to use it.

Answer 5

I know for a fact it will work in the water, however, probably not at any depth. So if you are near the surface, yes, if not, then no.

And yes, it will go through neoprene.

Answer 6

Yes, it will work. It will go though neoprene like a hot knife through butter. But get to the surface before you use it and make sure someone else is with you incase it doesn't work. Check with you doctor to make sure epi will work for jellyfish first. Not any jellyfish where I grew up.