Allergic reaction experiences?

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Originally Posted by Pixiedust34

I'm allergic to penicillin, Zithromax, and sulfa medications. I'm prone to sinus and ear infections and am worried there will be nothing for me to take if/when I get sick. Is there an antibiotic out there that doesn't fall under the common allergy list?

My reactions were a rash, being itchy, and numb lips.

I'm allergic to many antibiotics including augmentin (it's the clavamox that gets me) Zithromax, certain and cefzil, and erythromycin. Reactions range from hives to swollen tongue and breathing problems. Lucky me also gets frequent sinus infections. Levaquin is my best friend when I get a bad sinus infection. Others I treat with decongestants and the squeeze-bottle version of the netipot.

Good luck to you.

[DisneyATlast]

Originally Posted by minkydog

I am really surprised that as a nurse you would save antibiotics from a previous infection, then take them because you suspected a UTI. Even a new nurse should know better than to do that. The reason the doctor gives you 5 or 7 or 10 days worth of antibiotics is because it takes that many to completely treat the infection. You should take every single dose. You know better. Incompletely treated infections can mutate into a bacteria that becomes immune to that antibiotic in the future.

I hope your suspected infection gets better. If you continue to have symptoms, i hope you will go to the doctor so you can get a real diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Let your doctor know you had a bad reaction to Cipro, too.

You're surprised that I'm human?

As a nurse, I also know how important it is to get enough sleep or to eat a well balanced diet. That doesn't mean you won't find me running on 3 hours sleep while chugging a red bull.

Would I ever suggest to a patient that they not take the full course of antibiotics or that they take them again later? Of course not. Me not finishing the full 14 days from before has no bearing on having an allergic reaction now. Besides, if I would've waited until I got to work and asked someone to write something then, chances are they would want to know if I've had a UTI before and what worked. Then, I would've paid to get Cipro filled and still the same outcome. Same thing if I would've made an appointment.

By the way, I have a degree in early childhood development too so if my judgment as a nurse shocks you then you'd have a field day watching me with my kids! Lol.

I actually wouldn't call that nursing judgment since I wasn't acting as a nurse. I was just acting as someone who has taken leftover meds tons of times in the past because I had no insurance. Get ready to ring the alarms...I've even taken amoxicillin that was prescribed to my husband!! Lol. It's really not that uncommon for providers to write extra if you have a family and strep has hit someone.

Yes, I do know better. I would never suggest to a patient that they do what I did. That's all that really matters.

[minkydog]

Originally Posted by DisneyATlast

You're surprised that I'm human?

As a nurse, I also know how important it is to get enough sleep or to eat a well balanced diet. That doesn't mean you won't find me running on 3 hours sleep while chugging a red bull.

Would I ever suggest to a patient that they not take the full course of antibiotics or that they take them again later? Of course not. Me not finishing the full 14 days from before has no bearing on having an allergic reaction now. Besides, if I would've waited until I got to work and asked someone to write something then, chances are they would want to know if I've had a UTI before and what worked. Then, I would've paid to get Cipro filled and still the same outcome. Same thing if I would've made an appointment.

By the way, I have a degree in early childhood development too so if my judgment as a nurse shocks you then you'd have a field day watching me with my kids! Lol.

I actually wouldn't call that nursing judgment since I wasn't acting as a nurse. I was just acting as someone who has taken leftover meds tons of times in the past because I had no insurance. Get ready to ring the alarms...I've even taken amoxicillin that was prescribed to my husband!! Lol. It's really not that uncommon for providers to write extra if you have a family and strep has hit someone.

Yes, I do know better. I would never suggest to a patient that they do what I did. That's all that really matters.

Well, bless your heart

[DisneyATlast]

Originally Posted by Christine

My GP has told me a number of times that the most "dangerous" medications he prescribes are antibiotics due to the number of adverse reactions and allergic reactions.

I've never had an allergic reaction appear that suddenly but I am allergic to some antibiotics. I am also allergic to a filler used in common OTC pain relievers. It's a mild reaction (usually a hive or two on my chest within about 30 minutes of ingestion) but I avoid them.

This is true. I didn't mean that I don't worry about oral antibiotics because reactions are uncommon. It's just that in the hospital setting where the population tends to be older, they "know" what they're allergic to usually and they're probably taking medications that are higher on the radar than an oral antibiotic. Hearing someone name off a list of meds they're allergic to and describe the reaction as "a rash" is a little different than seeing the reaction with your own eyes after you give them the med! Or even worse, experiencing the reaction yourself.

[LongLiveDisney]

I started a fruit allergy when I was 10. I was eating a peach, which I used to do everyday, and then within SECONDS (not exaggerating) my face looked like a beehive. There were hives ALL OVER, and when I went to the doctor she said that I've probably developed an allergy to peaches. A week later I ate a cherry, same reaction. I can't eat fruits now.

[disfan07]

Been there, done that with both medications and foods.

I was given dilaudid in the ER and within 5 minutes I was covered in hives and was having trouble breathing. I had just had dilaudid a couple of months earlier and was fine.

And last June, I had a severe reaction after eating something. Come to find out, my next allergy tests came back positive for wheat, oats and coconut. All three things I ate right before my reaction.

And looking back, I had felt funny after eating wheat, oats and coconut the entire week before but it went from being mild GI symptoms and stuffiness to full blown allergic reaction.

I've been allergic to peanuts my entire life.
At 14 I was diagnosed with an allergy to ceclor
At 18 I was diagnosed with an egg and shellfish allergy and my peanut allergy was determined to be anaphylaxis. I was also diagnosed with an allergy to parabens and lanolin.
At 22 I was diagnosed with a broccoli and dilaudid allergy
At 23 I was diagnosed with a treenut, coconut, wheat, oat, sesame and soy allergy. I was also diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome (all raw fruit and veggies except for grapes)

I also have an IgE of 2000 so I am high risk for allergies.

So yes, it's possible to suddenly develop an allergy like that. The first reaction can be severe and contrary to what a lot of allergists say, you can develop allergies at any age.

[jennyjinx3]

Weird...I have been on antibiotics for 2 days now, and last night and today my face is tingling and itchy. No blotches but a little red. DH thinks it is a new foundation I started wearing but I think it is the antibiotics.
It is amoxicillin mixed with ceva -something. My oldest DD is also allergic to peniccilin, as is my mom.

Do you think this is why my face is the way it is???

[jenjifer]

Originally Posted by minkydog

You may have something called "chronic urticaria"--urticaria means itching. It's caused by release of histamines into the bloodstream and the itching can be maddening. Usually the rashes move around, rather than staying always in one place. Often, allergy testing reveals no clear allergies. It may be treated with daily allergy meds and sometimes with Zantac, which is a histamine inhibitor sometimes used for acid reflux. (I've had chronic urticaria for over 10 years. it waxes and wanes. Sometimes I can hardly keep my hands from constantly scratching. I'm sure people think I have fleas!)

This. We determined mine was probably a latex reaction but no real way of knowing for certain. I had miserable hives from May until November. Some days were okay, but many were just downright awful. The low point came in October when my primary stepped in and said it was probably a food allergy and eliminated everything except chicken and rice from my diet. Not a lot of ways to cook chicken and rice when the only ingredients are chicken and rice. Fortunately after a week of that I found a better allergist who told me to go home and eat whatever I wanted because she was certain it wasn't food. She found the cocktail of drugs that kept it under control until I was eventually able to taper off the meds entirely. I don't wish chronic urticaria on anyone!!!

[DisneyATlast]

Originally Posted by LongLiveDisney

I started a fruit allergy when I was 10. I was eating a peach, which I used to do everyday, and then within SECONDS (not exaggerating) my face looked like a beehive. There were hives ALL OVER, and when I went to the doctor she said that I've probably developed an allergy to peaches. A week later I ate a cherry, same reaction. I can't eat fruits now.

THAT is a horrible allergy to have! How awful.

[disfan07]

Originally Posted by LongLiveDisney

I started a fruit allergy when I was 10. I was eating a peach, which I used to do everyday, and then within SECONDS (not exaggerating) my face looked like a beehive. There were hives ALL OVER, and when I went to the doctor she said that I've probably developed an allergy to peaches. A week later I ate a cherry, same reaction. I can't eat fruits now.

Are you sure that it's a true fruit allergy and not something called oral allergy syndrome?

I have severe oral allergy syndrome so when I eat raw fruits or veggies my face and throat itch and swell. But I can eat most fruits and veggies cooked or processed in some way because it eliminates the protein that causes the reaction.

If you have environmental allergies it is something to discuss with your allergist.

[mfd25wife]

Originally Posted by KimR

I've been getting rashes and itching now for about 9 months and still haven't figures out what is causing it. I suspect it's something I'm ingesting, but I've stopped all vitamins and have tried eliminating obvious foods (wheat, fruit, nuts, etc), but with no luck.

We had a friend who was getting rashes horribly bad. He thought it was something he was eating. You may be getting impatient on eliminating foods. He ate only foods made out of chicken or rice and bought only from Whole Foods. He did that for 6 months and had no more rashes. He slowly added back an item at a time to see if he reacted. It turned out he was allergic to tomatoes. So many foods are made using them.

When I gave up gluten, my stomach issues resolved within days. However, it took 2-3 months to see any improvement with migraines. I still have them but only about 1/2 as many.

[mfd25wife]

DD is allergic to ceclor. She got hives fairly quickly.

I am allergic to keflex. Fortunately, I was given steroids at the same time I was given the antibiotics. I didn't itch, but people at work kept telling me I looked sunburned. DH took me to my PCP, who walked in and said, "oh my g--. That's quite a reaction". He said the steroids were the reason I wasn't having problems breathing.

OP, first-I agree with PP who said you shouldnt have leftover antibiotics. You get the amount you need and no more. Second- for UTIs, you really not know what antibiotic to use. Yes, there are some that are prescribed just off a urie test. I always trusted that until we couldn't get rid of one after multiple rounds. It was FINALLY cultured and came back as caused by strep. The doctor herself called and apolgized saying no wonder it wasn't getting better. I was not getting the right antibiotics.

[LongLiveDisney]

Originally Posted by disfan07

Are you sure that it's a true fruit allergy and not something called oral allergy syndrome?

I have severe oral allergy syndrome so when I eat raw fruits or veggies my face and throat itch and swell. But I can eat most fruits and veggies cooked or processed in some way because it eliminates the protein that causes the reaction.

If you have environmental allergies it is something to discuss with your allergist.

You know, I never really thought of that. I'll be making an appointment with an allergist soon. I can also eat cooked fruits without much of an issue. I don't have a problem with veggies. Thanks for bringing that up. Being allergic to fruits stinks. :P

[disfan07]

Originally Posted by LongLiveDisney

You know, I never really thought of that. I'll be making an appointment with an allergist soon. I can also eat cooked fruits without much of an issue. I don't have a problem with veggies. Thanks for bringing that up. Being allergic to fruits stinks. :P

I agree that it stinks! The ony raw fruit I have had since July is grapes and I used to eat fruit salad all the time! Same with veggies. I have not had a single raw veggie since July. It drives me crazy especially since it limits my diet even more in addition to my dozen other allergies.

If it is oral allergy syndrome you could consider allergy shots. I started cluster allergy shots last spring but we had to stop because I had two anaphylaxis reactions. But we are going to start on the traditional allergy shot schedule again in the summer.

But if allergy shots work to reduce any environmental allergies, it should also in turn help with OAS symptoms if that is what it is.