allergic reaction - Allergies Message Board

sg1112 · 05-22-2008, 03:53 PM

i was wondering how long after taking a medication will it usually take to have an allergic reaction if u are going to have one? and when can you stop worrying about the possibility of it happening? what are the symptoms?

TEdds83 · 05-22-2008, 04:47 PM

I just had this happen to me a couple of days ago. So I can answer from my own perspective. I would say depending on what you take, it could be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. I took some Imodium AD and within 30 to 45minutes I broke out in huge red splotches and hives all over my whole body. It was horrific. I ran to the clinic and was given benadryl and a steroid shot. I even had to go back the next day for another steroid shot. Everytime the benadryl wore off my hands, face and body would turn red and blister again. I had to re medicate. I felt like my skin was on fire. It has been one of the scariest things I can remember going through. Thank God it didn't attack my throat and cut off my breathing. That is worse case senario. Believe me, if it is something you ingest you would know if a fairly short amount of time. If it is an antibiotic, sometimes it may take a couple of doses or days as it builds up in your system. This is just from my own personal experience. Good luck! You will be fine I am sure.

Titchou · 05-22-2008, 05:41 PM

That is an awfully broad question. Without knowing what drug, it's hard to answer. I would look to the list of side effects in the literature with the medication as an indication of what that particular drug may do. And it can take several days for something to show up. Also, you may take the drug one time and then several years later have a reaction when you take it again. That happened with me on a Z Pack. I have several antibiotic allergies but never had a problem with that one. Several years ago I took one for a sinus infection. On the 5th and last day of the Pak I spiked a fever and my lips blistered. So, no more of those drugs now. With penicillin, I went into anaphactic shock. Sulfa drugs and tetracycline have their own set of side effects with me. So, there are a multitude of possible answers to your questions.

moejoe39 · 05-23-2008, 12:16 PM

It took 2 weeks before I broke out with hives on wellbutrin. The same thing happened when I tried zyban (they are the same medicine)

Good luck

TEdds83 · 05-23-2008, 03:39 PM

I never knew that you could be allergic to anti depressants but I imagine it's possible. Nobody could believe that I am allergic to Imodium AD. The doctors and nurses at our clinic had never heard of it. I was the first case. There is always a first, and I guess reaction for some meds could come days and weeks later.