Severe Penicillin Allergy and What to Do

[tcmgpt13]

Hey there Niecy, I read your post about your recent hospital experiences on the other thread. I am so glad that nothing happened to you! I was so sorry to hear about your allergic reaction to an antibiotic which can be related to a penicillin allergy.

I am also allergic to antibiotics, especially the one you mention, penicillin. Doctors, I am convinced, either do not believe you have these allergies (more than one has challenged me and said I only have a sensitivity to them without really knowing my history) or else cannot read what additional drugs may trigger an allergic reaction, as happened in your case. Either scenario is pretty scary.

Something to keep in mind in case you ever have a similar reaction is to get a shot to bring the allergic reaction down more quickly. I once had a severe reaction to prescription strength benzyl peroxide (I also know now that benzyl peroxide causes allergies in me even if it is OTC) and liquid erythromycin. My ears swelled shut and I was dizzy for five days after (not to mention the rash I had). I was so dizzy I could not get out of bed. I was stubborn and would not go see the doctor about my symptoms as my spouse advised (my thoughts were that the ignorant doctor caused the problem so how could he possibly know anything about what to do about it). I thought OTC benadryl was the only solution, but I was wrong about that and would not suffer through that prolonged reaction again.

You are so right though. You have to be your own advocate about drugs when you have allergy problems to prevent problems like this. It also helps to have other close friends/family know your allergies so they can make sure you are not given drugs which can be life threatening if you are not conscious enough to speak for yourself.

Additional suggestions for handling this type of severe allergic reaction are in this next link:


Penicillin Allergy-Topic Overview

What is penicillin allergy?

A penicillin allergy is an allergic reaction that occurs when your body's immune system overreacts to penicillin antibiotics.
What are the symptoms of penicillin allergy?

Common allergic reactions to penicillin include rashes, hives, itchy eyes, and swollen lips, tongue, or face.

In rare cases, an allergy to penicillin can cause an anaphylactic reaction, which can be deadly. This type of reaction usually develops within an hour after you take penicillin. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, hives, wheezing, dizziness, loss of consciousness, rapid or weak pulse, skin turning blue, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If you think you are having an anaphylactic reaction, call911immediately.
What makes you more likely to have a severe allergic reaction to penicillin?

Severe allergic reactions to penicillin can be dangerous and life-threatening. You may be more likely to have this type of reaction if you have had:

* A positive skin test for penicillin allergy.
* Hives that appeared quickly after you took the penicillin.
* A previous anaphylactic reaction to penicillin.

If any of these apply to you, you should receive another antibiotic or undergo desensitization therapy. In this type of therapy, you start taking small amounts of the penicillin and gradually increase how much you take. This lets your immune system "get used to" the medicine, and you may no longer have an allergic reaction. Desensitization may have to be repeated if you have to use the antibiotic again in the future (desensitization doesn't last long).

You are not likely to develop an anaphylactic reaction to penicillin if you have had a rash that looks like measles that appeared from a few hours to days after you took penicillin.
Is penicillin allergy common?

Penicillin antibiotics are the most common cause of drug allergies. Some people who are allergic to penicillin are also allergic to other closely related antibiotics, including cephalosporins, such as cephalexin, cefprozil, and cefuroxime. Ask your pharmacist or doctor about these antibiotics.

Many people who believe that they have an allergy to penicillin do not. They currently may be less sensitive to penicillin than they once were, or they may have had an adverse reaction, such as a side effect, rather than an allergic reaction. A skin test is the best way to find out whether you have a penicillin allergy.
How is an allergic reaction to penicillin treated?

If you use penicillin and then develop hives and trouble breathing or other symptoms of anaphylaxis, call911or other emergency services immediately.

For emergency treatment, people typically get an epinephrine shot. If symptoms do not go away, you may need more shots. You may also have antihistamines and corticosteroids put directly into a vein (intravenously).

If you have a mild allergic reaction, you may control your symptoms with antihistamines that you can buy without a prescription. But you may need prescription medicine if those over-the-counter medicines don't help or if they cause bothersome side effects, such as drowsiness. If you have had a previous serious reaction to penicillin, you should carry and know how to use an allergy kit, which contains a shot of epinephrine.

If you need an antibiotic, your doctor will find another type for you.

[Baraka Obam]

The reason Doctors are sceptical about a allergy to penicillin is, in the early days of use ANY reaction that appeared affter penicillin use was labeled allergy. Then doctors became accostomed to the words (PENNICILLIN ALLERGY) it was the first thing out of their mouths. The same as (its your nerves) you have stress, DOP. I was one of the children diagnosed allergic to penicillian, without testing, I do not have an allergy.

[niecy]

TC,
Thank you for all of this information!! It is so important for we that DO have a true allergy to penicillin to pay very close attention!!

This is not the first time that I have had a doctor that had it in his notes of my allergy to penicillin to prescribe penicillin based drugs to me.

My reaction is respiratory.......and that is the most dangerous one.

Baraka....it is a very good thing that you aren't allergic, as it is used in so very many antibiotics. BUT........when you are allergic, it ain't no walk in the park when you get just a tiny bit of it in your system.

I don't trust doctors.......and that's that. This ordeal with Morgellon's has made me a much more informed person. The problem this time was, as TC mentions in her post above, I wasn't in any shape to be watching out for myself. Sadly my children didn't know at the time to be watchful. They do now, and I am sure it has changed their way of thinking about medical professionals for life. At least I hope it has....

But I will tell you, it was a fellow forum member that found the information when I suspected it was the antibiotic, and if they hadn't of helped me then, it could have still been very bad. Thanks!!!

Thanks again for making a thread about this TC. It is something that could possibly save someone's life. If any of you recall when I went on the Vanderbilt Protocol, they prescribed Penicillimine(cuprimine)....probably spelled that wrong.....but I had to have some special help before I felt comfy taking that, as it was, it worked and I had no reaction. It has a cheleating factor in it....I'm no scientist, but that's the reason it doesn't cause the reaction, but it could have, it was still a very iffy thing to do, and I had an epinephrin pen handy when I took it.

TC I would also like to say that it is VERY nice to see you posting again, as I love to read your posts!!! BTW....I have read about the fungus before killing the palms, and have been searching diligently for the information, but can't find any either. But I ain't don't yet LOL!!

Niecy
xoxoxoxo

[Baraka Obam]

The simple thing to do is to be tested for penicillian allergy reaction. If you were told when you were young that you had an allergy, you need to be tested as THINKING you have an allergy leaves out a wide variety of the basic antibiotics. All my life I was telling hospitals and doctors I was allergic to it and later found out I was not.

[niecy]

That is fine and good for people who "think" they have an allergy to penicillin. I don't think it, I KNOW I have one, and I am not going to have to have a penicillin allergy test at every single doctors office I go to to prove it.

They can damn well take my word for it. And I will tell ya something else, I am about to get involved with a patient advocacy program locally. I am sick to death of the freaking protection of these worthless assholes!!!

If the person in question has just been "told" all their life they have an allergy to penicillin, then that would be a good thing to do, as there are alot of antibiotics that contain penicillin.

But if that patient has TOLD every physician they have been to what their reaction to it is.....they have a duty and an obligation to LISTEN to their patient. They have no right to "assume" that the patient is wrong about their own health. That is no different than being diagnosed by a doctor as having DOP, when the doctor does NO testing to make that diagnoses.

I am pissed, and I have every right to be. I have children and grandchildren, and family and friends that need me.....as well as I need them. No person has a right to take my life in their hands, God is my maker, and he is the only one that I won't fight to the death with about taking me outta here!

Niecy

[Baraka Obam]

I am on your side, the medical practice as it is is driven by GREED and foolish thinking. The doctors, MOST of them are criminals. I have seen them kill with their drugs and actually stopped them from killing two people, me and my mother. The drugs were pileing up with no end in site, did they stop any of them to see the results, NO. Just kept prescribing them. I really hope you do get on board with an advocacy group. These monsters with drugs have to go. Isn't it funny how drugs that are on the street are considered BAD, but NO AMOUNT of new drugs, symptom drugs, or (BLACK BOX DRUGS) the KNOWN killers, these are accepted with the kiss of death from OUR GOVERNMENT and the the drug companys conspirators, ( the good doctors). The warning labels on these drugs are all shown to aggravate the symptoms of disease. These poisons will take a pimple off your nose, maybe, but will ruin your liver,lungs,kidneys give you TB, stop you from seeing and flat out kill you, but don't worry about them, worry about the natural treatments that have killed nobody. I am with you, never against you.

[tcmgpt13]

Hey there Niecy,

Glad to see you posting again too after you were so sick.

If you can find out about what is killing the palms, fungus wise, I know Carla will be interested and I will be too. So far I just found the fungus call phytophthora palmivora which has been around and causes bud rot in coconut palms. Maybe there has been an outbreak of this fungus in places which grow coconuts in some major way. I haven't really looked to see if there might be some articles in that direction. So far as I can currently find the phytophthora ramorum is mostly found in other plant varieties, with the exception of a mention that this variety has been found in some ornamental palms in nurseries. Nursery stock is the major problem with the spread of this disease to other parts of the country and world. That and the fact that man and animals can spread it from plant to plant outside just by walking around after having encountered one plant which does have it. Also some planst are carrier while remaining uneffected themselves.

To return to the subject of the thread though, you are absolutely right abou antibiotic allergies, especially to penicillin. If you have an allergy to penicillin doctors should listen to the patient and not prescribe this drug or ones which are related to them. I, too, am sick of all the medical mistakes which pass as good doctoring today. I still remember my dad questioning some medication a doctor had prescribed (because it was refrigerated), but then giving it to me anyway. To his horror and mine as a child I immediately had trouble breathing and swelled up all over which included huge welts. It is a terrifying feeling to suffer like that because a dumb doctor decided he knew better than my parents who had observed this reaction in the past and had told him not to prescribe it.

In my case I am allergic to mold in general, so being tested to see if I am still allergic to a drug I have not had since childhood is not something I want to do. Unless there is no other drug I would not want to try building up a resistance to it (temporary at best) by using allergy protocols. I am against antibiotics in general unless absolutely necessary to save the life of a patient. IMHO it is the overuse of antibiotics which has many of us in the mess we call morgellons (along with the other new "diseases" such as MRSA), as it has changed the germs to which we are exposed, causing numerous and more difficult to treat infections. As someone else here has mentioned recently this includes the over use of drugs on animals which are used for foods or on pets.

I now rely on herbs for cold, flu, and some other problems. It is always a last resort for me to take a drug and I only do so after careful consideration. Even the fillers in drugs are suspect to me, as I believe they, too, can cause discomfort and sensitivity over time.

[niecy]

Bo.......thank you!! I'm sorry for getting so worked up, it just all really makes me very angry. I know you know what's going on, and has been for years. You are correct in your statement that most doctors are criminals.

I don't know if you have read my post on the "medical mistakes" thread that kmar started, but there is one way we can fight back, and it doesn't cost US a dime. If we start hurting their pockets a little, it could be beneficial to us as patients.

Niecy

Originally Posted by Baraka Obam

I am on your side, the medical practice as it is is driven by GREED and foolish thinking. The doctors, MOST of them are criminals. I have seen them kill with their drugs and actually stopped them from killing two people, me and my mother. The drugs were pileing up with no end in site, did they stop any of them to see the results, NO. Just kept prescribing them. I really hope you do get on board with an advocacy group. These monsters with drugs have to go. Isn't it funny how drugs that are on the street are considered BAD, but NO AMOUNT of new drugs, symptom drugs, or (BLACK BOX DRUGS) the KNOWN killers, these are accepted with the kiss of death from OUR GOVERNMENT and the the drug companys conspirators, ( the good doctors). The warning labels on these drugs are all shown to aggravate the symptoms of disease. These poisons will take a pimple off your nose, maybe, but will ruin your liver,lungs,kidneys give you TB, stop you from seeing and flat out kill you, but don't worry about them, worry about the natural treatments that have killed nobody. I am with you, never against you.

[Baraka Obam]

I had a woman next door, healthy and chipper, she was a wonderful person. About 10 years ago she became ill, at first it was flu like, 3 bottles of meds, then it was fatigue, more drugs, chronic arthritis, then she began to have problems chokeing, more drugs. This went on for about 3 months when she could no longer walk, I went to her house and she complained about the shear amount of drugs she had to take, the table was covered with them, her color normally tan and nice turned to grey. I should have taken more time and attention but I did not realize then how bad the over use of drugs were. She was 62 or so when she died, 6 months of seeing a doctor, starting with a flue like condition. It was so fast her family never really knew what was wrong.

[Dove]

I remember a solution from when I was a kid and my mother had a severe reaction to penicillin, temporary blindness, swelling, etc., etc. I also remember that alcohol, booze, like scotch high proof will kill the penicillin. That is what saved her.