allergic to most antibiotics - Allergies Message Board

irys · 06-03-2005, 10:42 AM

Everytime I go to a new doctor for something and they ask "do you have any allergies to medicines?" I always have to laugh.

The only thing my doctors and I have found I can take are sulfa drugs. erythromycin, terramycin, penicillin, tetracycline, .. I even think there's another. The looks I get from doctors is pretty priceless. Most of them resort to scratching their heads and saying "Let me go get my prescription book - be right back."

Each of these medicines cause me to break out in hives all over, and usually put me right to sleep. Needless to say, I fight most infections/colds and stuff on my own.

Anyone have any idea what might have caused this? Am I just hypersensitive?
Thanks

ladychecotah · 06-04-2005, 05:59 AM

I am allergic to a lot of antibiotics as well. In my case, I took a lot of antibiotics all my life and often. I think that is why I became sensitive. It is a potentially dangerous situation. Presently I have 3 that I can take and the Dr rotates them. I also have a mitral valve prolaspe and have to take an antibiotic before dental work. My allergist told me that if I got a critial infection, he could de-sensitize me in the hospital in a 24 hour procedure by giving me little doses and increasing them and trying to control the reaction. I hope that never happens.

Titchou · 06-04-2005, 08:36 AM

Interesting! That is the list of ones I CAN'T take! And my dcotor just threw up his hands when I reported my reaction to a Z-pak...which I had succesfully taken many times before! I also was sick a lot when young and took massive doses of antibitotics which is why I'm allergic to so many today. As for desensitizing you to them, I'm not sure that flies. My doctor, an immunologist, said that they can test you to see if you are still allergic to a drug but that you run the risk that the allergy will return. Of course, a lot of it depends on the allergic reaction you have to it. If it is just hives or something along those lines, it wouldn't be that bad. Anaphalactic shock is another thing altogether and I wouldn't - and won't - even consider those drugs.

irys · 06-06-2005, 02:17 PM

I don't think I took more antibotics than the next guy, as I was growing up - I think I just am overly sensitive to them.. I wish I knew why. I wondered if it had something to do with my hypothyroidism (it IS an autoimmune disease, which is why I wonder), but I haven't found anything connecting the two.

They all make me break out in hives - which I guess my doctors consider bad enough. Thank goodness it's not anaphlactic shock, but still, they took me off them immediatley, and advised me not to take them again.

jrzgirl1 · 06-16-2005, 03:27 PM

the only antibiotic I can take is Floxin, for pain I can only take darvocet and NO antihistimes, they make me stop breathing, :

you should see the looks I get, I even have the list taped inside my wallet, I am having thyroid surgery 7/7. they don't know what to give me, I have had surgery in the past, the last was 2000, I am trying to get my medical records from that surgery so I can tell the surgeon what the other dr. gave me.

the records are archived so now what do I do, they expect me to find them, I am not allowed to have them