30 January 2015
A grandfather of four who nearly lost his life after suffering allergic reactions to wasp venom has thanked the Sheffield Unit that changed his life.
68-year-old Ian Peake, from Broomhill in Sheffield’s way of life was severely restricted for decades through his fear of getting stung by wasps after suffering two near fatal reactions.
The first sting occurred in 2000 while Ian was cutting his garden hedge. This resulted in a massive reaction and anaphylactic shock. Luckily, Ian’s neighbor, who happened to be a doctor, was on hand to treat him at the scene before he was taken to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where he required emergency resuscitation.
The second sting happened exactly 10 years later and caused the same alarmingly severe reaction.
Ian, who is a Professor of Molecular Medicine, said: “From the first sting in 2000, my life style was restricted enormously. While I always carried an epipen (adrenaline injection) I knew this would be difficult to administer whilst on my own and unconscious! So throughout the 2000s, I spent much of the summers staying indoors with my family checking for wasps. Spending time outdoors, particularly on my own, was just not an option.’
However, Ian’s life was transformed after he received innovative treatment at the Clinical Immunology and Allergy Unit at the Northern General Hospital.
The Unit, which is a Centre of Excellence in investigating and managing hay fever, insect sting allergies, food allergies and drug allergies, performed a three year programme of ‘desensitisation’, to cure Ian of his allergy.
Dr Ravi Sargur, Consultant in Immunology at the unit, explained the procedure: “Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is one of the very few hospitals in the UK which has a dedicated Allergy unit to provide this kind of treatment which teaches the immune system to behave differently and not to react the way it did previously. It involves a total of 31 injections, giving tiny amounts of wasp venom below the skin to start with and slowly increasing it with each injection over 3 years to a venom strength equivalent to 2 wasp stings. This treatment is available for people with severe allergy to bee stings, wasp stings, severe hay fever and house dust mite allergy.”
Last year, the thing that Ian feared most happened – he suffered another wasp sting. But thanks to the treatment he had received, his body did not react as before.
Ian said: “I was very, very relieved. I am extremely grateful for the help I received from the team at the unit. Life for myself and my family has returned to normal, I am able to eat outside and go out in garden in the summer, without fear. I can just get on with my life. Now I am retired, Wendy and I love to travel. We can now do so without the additional worry of more life-threatening stings”.
For more information see: http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/what-is-anaphylaxis/knowledgebase/insect-stings-allergy-factsheet