Allergic to penicillin

[arieljasmine]

I have just got back from the doctors. I went yesterday and was given antibiotics for an eye infection. However, since last night most of my body feels as though it is covered in sunburn and is very red and hot. The doctor says it is an allergic reaction to the penicillin - even though I have been taking it with no problems for years. Just wondering if this had happened to anyone else, or if any of you medical peeps can shed any light for me? My dad and sister are both allergic to penicillin as well.

Meanwhile, I will be sat here burning and crackling...!

ArielJasmine

 

[pokemon_master]

Oh poor you..

I haven't had this happen before. Perhaps it's just the variety or perhaps it's a genetic thing that took years to devolop? While the Doctor finds out (I'm no doctor; Just stabbing in the dark here) I suggest you get a lot of ice packs, maybe a nice drink and sit back watching some old Doctor Who episodes on the telly (Maybe Torchwood if your feeling genorous)

 

[arieljasmine]

Oh poor you..

I haven't had this happen before. Perhaps it's just the variety or perhaps it's a genetic thing that took years to devolop? While the Doctor finds out (I'm no doctor; Just stabbing in the dark here) I suggest you get a lot of ice packs, maybe a nice drink and sit back watching some old Doctor Who episodes on the telly (Maybe Torchwood if your feeling genorous)

Aww, thanks Matt, that's really sweet. I think that's very good advice, and I hope I will get to watch Torchwood when Andy gets in later.

ArielJasmine

 

[Strommie]

I discovered I was allergic to penicillin earlier this year after taking antibiotics for a bad insect bite. I came out in the most horrendous rash all over my body, and it was really hot, red and itchy. My mum is allergic to it as well, and she found out at the same age I am now! The doctor says it can take years for your body to become allergic

 

[pokemon_master]

Aww, thanks Matt, that's really sweet. I think that's very good advice, and I hope I will get to watch Torchwood when Andy gets in later.

ArielJasmine

The Doctor can cure what ails ya...

Torchwood works too..

 

[jockey]

Laurs, hop you are felling better soon . We discovered a few months ago that DS is allergic too so I know what you are going through.

 

[arieljasmine]

I am so pleased to hear that I am not alone in not being diagnosed as allergic sooner, I was wondering whether I was a mystery to medical science! My rash sounds a lot like you described, Kathryn. I hope it goes down soon as I will have to show my face in work tomorrow.

ArielJasmine

 

[MazdaUK]

Last time DS(7) needed antibiotics the Dr told me that it said on his notes he is allergic to penicillin. This was a BIG surprise to me! The time before when he had antibiotics he did have a rash later in his illness, but very minor (both boys have had loads of these viral rashes, and even I had one once, apparently its a common thing with viruses), but the Dr put allergic to P on his notes. When I expressed my surprise (as she had saifd nothing at the time, and as a family we don't really suffer from allergies), he said the only way to check it was to give DS penicilin and if he died that would prove it. Thanks Doc! There is one sort DS can take, a horrible gritty white one that makes a yucky mess if he spills it.

It will work out of your system eventually, and then you'll feel better.

 

[mandymouse]

Aww Laur's, I hope you're feeling better soon and that it doesn't affect your Christmas

 

[saratogagirl]

poor you Laurs, I hope you start to feel better soon. I got an allergic rash to penicillin when I was about 12, it was just as you describe ..

Feel better soon xx

 

[Strommie]

I am so pleased to hear that I am not alone in not being diagnosed as allergic sooner, I was wondering whether I was a mystery to medical science! My rash sounds a lot like you described, Kathryn. I hope it goes down soon as I will have to show my face in work tomorrow.

ArielJasmine

The doctor prescribed some antihistamines, and the rash was almost gone by the next day I was in work with long sleeves etc as the only place I didn't have the rash was my face It was awful, so I can fully sympathise with how you feel

 

[pokemon_master]

I am so pleased to hear that I am not alone in not being diagnosed as allergic sooner, I was wondering whether I was a mystery to medical science! My rash sounds a lot like you described, Kathryn. I hope it goes down soon as I will have to show my face in work tomorrow.

ArielJasmine

I think that there is always someone who has it unless they say "OMG, I've never seen this before. Sorry I need to keep you.."

I hear Cold Cream is good for rashes I think..

 

[florida sun]

Hope you feel better soon

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Ive been allergic to penicillin all my life.
My dr give me some antibiotics related to penicillin.
Over the days my body became itchy,blotchy and very red, I didnt think it was the tablets,then one night I got in the bath and my complete body was covered in what seemed like a heat rash it was burning,blotchy everything.
I rushed to emergency Dr's where he give me Piriton tablets,I had to take a course of these over the days and it soon cleared.

Hope yours clears quickly,I know how painful and annoying it can be

 

[meryll83]

Maybe you're allergic to a certain type of penicillin.

I found out I was allergic to amoxycillin, and a nurse said "well if you're allergic to one you'll be allergic to all penicillin" but I know I've been fine with other types.

(I'm not saying the nurse didn't know what she was talking about, but same as you, it was the first time I'd had a reaction)

I got the rash all over my body, but none on my face which I found weird at the time, but my face started to swell a bit as well. I remember saying to my parents my face felt swollen but I think they thought I was trying to skive college at the time! Anyway my rash got worse so my Biology lecturer told me to go to the hospital. They had to give me antihistermines (sp. sorry!) as they said once your face swells it can be really dangerous as it can obstruct your breathing!

 

[jann1033]

Last time DS(7) needed antibiotics the Dr told me that it said on his notes he is allergic to penicillin. This was a BIG surprise to me! The time before when he had antibiotics he did have a rash later in his illness, but very minor (both boys have had loads of these viral rashes, and even I had one once, apparently its a common thing with viruses), but the Dr put allergic to P on his notes. When I expressed my surprise (as she had saifd nothing at the time, and as a family we don't really suffer from allergies), he said the only way to check it was to give DS penicilin and if he died that would prove it. Thanks Doc! There is one sort DS can take, a horrible gritty white one that makes a yucky mess if he spills it.

It will work out of your system eventually, and then you'll feel better.

i am not a doctor but i am allergic to penicillin and how they found out was how they find out any other allergy, they test for it...they gave me a small injection of it and saw what happened to the area...this was an allergist ( and well known one to boot) so imo he knew what he was doing. i tested mildly allergic so he said don't take it unless you'd die without it since you could die anyway.
it ended up my over the top reaction was due to a chronic illness i had developed ( at the time they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, i had had bronchitis, taken penicillin, got giant hives. rash then went downhill till within a few months i was literally bedridden for about 6 months...they initially thought "penicillin reaction" when the only part was the hives/rash, then serum sickness, then about a yr later figured out i had developed chronic fatigue syndrome so my immune system was totally out of whack at the rash time ... was not the only rash i ended up with ) so imo i really have more of an "intolerance" than "allergy" to many antibiotics(know of only 2 i can take cipro( sp) & keflex) as well as lots of other meds...

there are many meds they can use other than penicillin so just make sure you have it on any chart you have and i always mention it when i get an antibiotic to be on the safe side. like i said with me my system is messed up anyway but one Dr did give me something that is similar to penicillin ( ) and i didn't die from it...but I'd see if i could get tested just so you can know for sure.

edited cause
oops sorry didn't read this was the uk community...so a little advice from the US

 

[angel659]

Hi

Oh dear you poor thing.

Sounds like you are allergic to Pencillin. When we admit a patient who has any allergies to pencillin we tend not to presribe any medication that contains penicillin. They can do some tests and see how you react with some others i.e amoxiciilin. They are both within in the pencillin family. They may presribe you something like Erythromycin as an alternative. If patients has had an allergic reaction to any medication we presribe Piriton to calm down the rash. Some rashes has been from small rash to bee hive looking rash. It can take a few days to a week to calm down, pending on the severity of the rash.

Allergies can develop at any one time. You could be taking medicine or have a pet for years and all of a sudden you have an allergy to it. Perhaps you may have been allergic to it before, but had no symptons. This could be a warning and the next time it could be worse. Unfortunately everyone is different.

 

[cazzie]

I took pencillin for years whilst I was growing up and then whilst recovering from peritonitus I had a bad reaction to the pencillin and since then I have never been able to take it. I cannot take amoxycillin either.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[Minniespal]

Laur's hope you feel better soon

My mum is allergic to penicillin, almost died years ago from an injection for a throat infection. Since then I have never been prescribed penicillin. The only time you notice it is when you need antibiotics. Unfortunately penicillin does seem to be the best and it can take a while with other antibiotics to clear anything up. At the end of the day I would rather that than have a reaction.

 

[wickesy]

I found out I was allergic to penicillin when I was in hospital aged 12. I remember the doctor drawing a blue ring around the rash presumably so they could see if it was spreading or not.