Drug allergies

[maeve]

I got prescribed Doxycycline today for a sinus infection and bronchitis.  That's what got me thinking about my drug allergies.

Maeve, what's in Doxycycline to which you're allergic?

I imagine the medication itself. That one is an odd one as I took tetracycline in high school without problems.  Having all these antibiotics that I'm allergic to coupled with that I refuse to take clindamycin now because I had to be tested for C-diff 1.5 years ago while taking it after a root canal. I also will avoid Biaxin if at all possible because I'll have to just live on the potty for the entire course of medication (sorry TMI).

Honestly, I avoid antibiotics if at all possible. I tend to get a sinus infection/sinusitis during allergy season but unless I have a fever, I just ride it out with saline nasal rinse and staying hydrated.

[Mookie86]

Agreed that Biaxin is evil.  There are few infections worth taking that one.

Honestly, I avoid antibiotics if at all possible. I tend to get a sinus infection/sinusitis during allergy season but unless I have a fever, I just ride it out with saline nasal rinse and staying hydrated.

That's exactly what I do.  I'm prone to sinus issues, but they usually clear out on their own within 3-4 days of the crud becoming colored and thick.  After 12 days of coughing up really green, thick congestion, it was clear that it wouldn't be clearing out on its own this time.  Also, fever was getting higher and the amount of vomiting was increasing.  I was swimming in congestion that couldn't drain out my nose.

[Macabre]

Oh Mookie. Yikes. That sounds miserable!  Yeah, sometimes you just really need to take abx. 

I was able to get through my last bout of bronchitis without it (in November), but that is so rare.  Without it, I can develop pneumonia--have a history of that. 

Sometimes your body needs the help.

[guess]

Need some S.O.A.K.

I don't have a lot of antibiotics experience with the kids.  This is the first time for the little one allergic to nearly everything.  We got back from urgent care it's a really bad ear infection, really the first for either kid.  The fever is reaching 103 even with a good dose of ibuprofen so I have to take a chance and shove the antibiotic down him tonight.

I scoured the list of inactive ingredients nothing easily identified.  If I remember correctly usually reactions to antibiotics aren't until subsequent doses.  This is amoxicillin.  If he wasn't so badly off I'd wait until morning but at this point if I don't start I think it may at the very least turn into a hospitalization.  So I guess if he has a severe reaction and goes to the ER we were heading that way anyhow.  I may have an old canister of Neocate somewhere.

What's the reaction like on antiobiotics? First dose ever?  Window of time?

Thx

[CMdeux]

Well, first---    to your little cutie pie.


Yes, subsequent doses, but anything from 20 minutes to 12 hours is a possible window-- sorry, that's not great news, I know.

[GoingNuts]

Guess, I hope you guys had a peaceful night.  For my DS the first reaction took an hour or so (I think - this was about 15 years ago!) but subsequent reactions to other meds were almost immediate - 5-10 minutes, like a FA. 

FWIW, DS developed his abx allergies after several years - I think he was only a few months old when he had his first dose.   

[guess]

okeydoke so kiddo developed a rash necessitating a call to his doc who is an antibiotics guru.  even dermatographic ds should be okay because numbers are in his favor.  sensitizing is likely to happen in adults or as the kids age.  then again this child has distinguished himself as an outlier before.  but he's very confident that it's not likely to be anaphylactic this time.

should we start a pool? 

[Mookie86]

Sorry to hear there is yet another allergy. 

[guess]

Oh no, I meant doc says it's unlikely to develop into a bad reaction based on his age.  The rashiness could be a number of things including a typical non-allergy reaction or related to illness or just eczema.  We're going to treat it like eczema until or unless it starts getting weird.

[Mookie86]

Ah, thanks for clarifying.  Good news!  I thought you meant he's allergic, but it's not anaphylactic.  Glad to hear the rash is being attributed to something else.