Advertisement Even physicians will say, “It only happens in 1 to 3 percent of cases.” But what if you’re in that 1 percent to 3 percent?
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, about 5 percent to 10 percent of adverse reactions to commonly used medications are allergic reactions. That means a person’s immune system overreacts to the drug and causes an allergic response.
These reactions can be life-threatening, such as in the case of anaphylaxis. The academy projects an estimated 106,000 deaths each year are related to serious drug reactions.
Most drugs can trigger an allergic response at times, but some medications are more likely to produce allergic reactions than others, due to their chemical structure, according to the academy.
These medications include:
Antibiotics, such as penicillin.
Anticonvulsants and hormones, such as insulin.
Certain medicines used in anesthesia, such as neuromuscular blockers.
Vaccines and biotechnology-produced proteins, such as Herceptin.
The academy says the most frequent types of allergic symptoms to medications include:
Skin rashes, particularly hives.
Itching.
Respiratory problems, such as wheezing.
Swelling of areas of the body that have fat tissue, such as the face.
When an adverse reaction is minor, you can stop using that drug. But if there is a more severe, ongoing reaction, an allergist/immunologist may provide antihistamines, corticosteroids and other medications, including an EpiPen (epinephrine) for emergency situations.
According to the academy, people should see an allergist/immunologist if they:
Have had a severe allergic reaction that could have been due to a medication (anaphylaxis without an obvious or previously defined trigger).
Have a history of penicillin allergy and likely will need antibiotics in the future. Or if they have an infection with no effective alternative therapeutic options, except for a penicillin class antibiotic.
Have a history of many drug allergies or intolerance.
May be allergic to protein based bio-therapeutics and require uses of these materials.
Have a history of an adverse reaction to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and require aspirin or other NSAID.
Require chemotherapy medication for cancer or other severe conditions and have experienced a prior hypersensitivity reaction to those medications.
Have a history of possible allergic reactions to local anesthetics.
Are HIV-infected with a history of adverse reactions to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TM-S) and need this therapy.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at (608) 791-8227.
