Member Advice on Medication Allergies

...decided to browse through the member advice section in the café as it is not an area that I have paid much attention to in the past. I came across a few areas of interest and then spotted this section – Member advice on Medication Allergies. I will begin by telling you my story and then give the advice.

Many people suffer from allergies and these can range from things such as various animals, foods, chemicals, dust, nuts etc. Some ...
...will cause is discomfort to the sufferer. However, some allergies can be life threatening and need to be dealt with quickly.



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My Story
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I have always suffered from various allergies, including hayfever and a severe allergy to cats (hence my immense dislike of them!)

I had never really considered being allergic to any medication ... more

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Medication allergies
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Whilst waiting for ciao to add some of my product suggestions (there seems to be a bit of a delay at the moment) I decided to browse through the member advice section in the café as it is not an area that I have paid much attention to in the past. I came across a few areas of interest and then spotted this section – Member advice on Medication Allergies. I will begin by telling you my story and then give the advice.

Many people suffer from allergies and these can range from things such as various animals, foods, chemicals, dust, nuts etc. Some allergies are quite minor and the only real harm they will cause is discomfort to the sufferer. However, some allergies can be life threatening and need to be dealt with quickly.

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My Story
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I have always suffered from various allergies, including hayfever and a severe allergy to cats (hence my immense dislike of them!)

I had never really considered being allergic to any medication as I knew I wasn’t allergic to penicillin which is the one that you are most often asked when visiting the doctor or the hospital and so I just assumed that medications were fine for me.
However this all changed which about a year and a half ago I developed a nasty urine infection. I made a doctors appointment with a doctor (not my own doctor as he was of ill! Typical!) and I was tested and then given some antibiotics to clear up the infection. I have to take quite a few various medications anyway so taking tablets is almost just routine for me now, so I got home and took the first dose of my antibiotics which were called Trimethoprim.

Within about a minute my legs, arms and tummy were itching quite badly but I just assumed it was one of my usual allergies as they flare up quite often for no reason, so I trundled down stairs to take some antihistamines to give me some relief from the itching. But by the time I got downstairs the itching was really intense and my throat, ears, nose, mouth and eyes were all itching unbearably. I still did not link the reaction to the antibiotics and took double the dose of antihistamine that I would normally take as I wanted it to kick in fast. I should just say here that it is really not advisable to take more than the recommended dose of any medication but fortunately in this situation it was what saved me life as my allergy was so severe.

Anyway, about another 30 seconds later (around 3-4 minutes after first taking the antibiotic) my legs, arms and tummy were covered in red raised spots and breathing was becoming difficult as my throat and tongue were swelling up quite rapidly. By now I was panicking as the sight of all the spots and the fear of stopping breathing were terrifying. My dad called the hospital to ask for advice and they said to get me to accident and emergency as fast as possible and to keep my airway open. They told my dad to drive me to the hospital as it would be faster than waiting for an ambulance.

After this things are a bit of a blur but I remember taking dose after dose of my ventolin inhaler to keep my airway open on the way to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital my whole body was shaking, partly due to shock and partly due to the huge dose of ventolin in my system. I was rushed through into triage and within seconds put on a bed with an oxygen mask on my face. They explained that I was having a bad allergic reaction to the antibiotic and I remember saying “duh” as it was pretty clear to me by then! They gave me some more antihistamines and kept me on the oxygen for a couple of hours, although seeing as I still had the urine infection I kept getting up to go to the toilet much to their and my annoyance!

After I had recovered, the spots had gone down and my breathing was easier the doctor told me that by taking the large dose of antihistamine as well as the ventolin it has basically saved my life as I would most likely have stopped breathing before I go to the hospital if I had not acted so quickly and taken the correct things. After staying in the hospital for a bit longer they said I could go home if I wanted but I had to take high dose antihistamines for the next three days and have someone keeping an eye on me.

It was a terrifying experience and something that I still have nightmares and panic attacks about a year and a half later. Even as I write this I can feel my anxiety levels rising.

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So here comes the advice:
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- Whenever you are given a new medication it is always advisable to make sure someone is with you when you take it and that you are not alone for a couple of hours after taking it so that if you do react badly, there is someone there to help.

- If you feel that you are having an allergic reaction to a medication, tell someone immediately and get to the nearest hospital. Since my bad reaction I have developed a paranoia that I am going to be allergic to other medications so I quite often thing I am having an allergic reaction when it is in fact just my anxiety but it is always best to make sure.

- Always have antihistamines in the house, car, and your bag. If someone is having an allergic reaction they could well be the thing that saves their life. I always carry around a strip of piriton tablets now – just in case.

- Be aware of the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Itching, a rash, sneezing, difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat are all symptoms.

- If you or someone else is having an allergic reaction to a medication – take the box or bottle and the remaining tablets to the hospital with you and show the doctor what the allergy is to.

- Try to keep the sufferer calm and act quickly by getting them to hospital. If they stop breathing perform mouth to mouth resuscitation.

- If you are allergic to any medications that you know of always keep a note of what they are on your person. Special bands and neck chains can be used for recording details of what you are allergic to. This could save your life if you were in an accident and unable to tell the doctors what you are allergic to.

- Make an appointment with your GP and make sure they record your allergies on your medical file.

- If you find that you are allergic to a medication, dispose safely of the remaining tablets by handing them over at your chemist. Keeping them in the house could be dangerous if they were accidentally taken again. But it is a good idea to keep the box or information leaflet that came with the medication and clearly write on it the words “allergic to” so that you can refer to it in the future if you think you have been given that medication again.

- Make sure people are aware of your allergy, by letting your family and friends know it may well save your life if you were administered the medication again during an accident.

- Most importantly – if you are in any doubt about the effects of a medication – always consult your doctor or the hospital as soon as possible. Its better to be safe than sorry.

I hope this has helped in some way.
Take care.

Em x
 

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