Quote from: hezzier on August 28, 2017, 04:48:05 PM
We would have been told this in the 70's so maybe that information wasn't available at the time...who knows.  No one ever saw an allergist in our family until DS had a reaction in 2008-ish.

Quote from: rebekahc on August 28, 2017, 11:19:52 AM
The over reporting of PCN allergies is why my surgeon gave me an IV cephalosporin prior to surgery that resulted in anaphylaxis.  He told me, "If I had really thought you were allergic to penicillin, I wouldn't have given you the cephalosporin because 10% of people with penicillin allergy will also react to cephalosporins (and 90% of people with cephalosporin allergy are allergic to penicillin).  I guess you really are allergic to penicillin." 

I don't seem to react more than typical to molds, though.  Weird.  I knew PCN was derived from mold, but I have never been told the two allergies were related.  Maybe that's why I can't stand bleu and other moldy/stinky cheeses?

ETA:  Here's what I found with a quick search - haven't looked for any official sources...

QuoteDoes Penicillium Mold Allergy Mean You Have a Penicillin Allergy?

In short, no. While the antibiotic penicillin was originally developed from Penicillium, people with mold allergy are not at an increased risk of developing an allergy to this class of antibiotics.

Modern-day penicillin antibiotics are produced synthetically and are not contaminated with mold particles.

Quote from: hezzier on August 28, 2017, 11:50:09 AM
My father had a reaction to penicillin.  As kids, we were told never to have it...I've had it in a hospital setting (I think) and had no issue.  I don't know if my sister has ever had it.

QuoteDoes Penicillium Mold Allergy Mean You Have a Penicillin Allergy?

In short, no. While the antibiotic penicillin was originally developed from Penicillium, people with mold allergy are not at an increased risk of developing an allergy to this class of antibiotics.

Modern-day penicillin antibiotics are produced synthetically and are not contaminated with mold particles.

QuotePalmay and Leis said there are few reasons for the overestimate:

Allergic reactions can wane or disappear over time.
Patients have an intolerance to penicillin rather than a true allergy that automatically restricts use of the drug.
Something else was going on to cause the original reaction, such as a viral infection, that was mistaken for an allergic reaction.

QuoteMany people who are labelled as allergic to penicillin can safely take the important antibiotic, say doctors and pharmacists who brought testing to the bedside of patients in hospital.

The penicillin family of antibiotics remains a workhorse for infections ranging from urinary tract infections to pneumonia. They're often considered the safe, first choice. Infectious disease specialists increasingly want to preserve penicillin in the fight against antibiotic resistance — the arm's race between microbes and drugs to fight them.

Yet one in 10 Canadians report an allergy to penicillin, which doctors know is an overestimate. Now, investigators at three hospitals in Toronto who followed a rigorous testing protocol say they were successfully able to give penicillin to the vast majority of more than 600 people who had the allergy on their medical chart.