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Drug allergy

Drug allergy is a very common affliction which can affect the liver, lymph system and the kidney. If left untreated, drug allergy can be fatal. When drug allergy occurs, the patient should immediately discontinue the drugs and seek medical attention.  The symptoms can vary between very serious, life-threatening and very mild reactions.

 What are the symptoms that you should watch out for in case you suspect drug allergy?

• The skin develops hives, swelling (bumps), rashes, blisters or becomes red. This can happen within an hour form ingesting (of having been injected) the drug or it can come up a few days afterwards. In case you have these symptoms and you have started any new drug within the span of 10 days, then check yourself for drug allergy and inform your medical practitioner urgently.
• You may develop acute respiratory problems, which start with coughing, running nose, and wheezing breath.
• You may experience mild to acute stomach cramping, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
• The most serious of all the symptoms is anaphylaxis. This usually happens within maximum one hour from taking the drug. The reaction will include acute respiratory distress, hives and going into shock, which if it is not immediately treated, can result in death.

Besides the above symptoms, there are other side effects and affliction that can be caused by drug allergy:

• Serum sickness – this is a rare reaction which starts some 6-21 days  from the time you take the drug. There will be fever alternated with chills with or without skin rash. This will immediately reverse – usually within 48 hours – after you stop the drug.
• Auto immune disorder – This is a rare development of drug allergy. Some of the autoimmune disorders caused by this type of allergy are vasculitis, lupus, and myasthenia gravis.
• Red blood cells destruction – sometimes the drug allergy will turn upon the red blood platelets which results in thrombocytopenia. The symptoms to this affliction are nose bleeds, easy bruising, red spots on the ankles, and so on. If left untreated, this can lead to hemolytic anemia and death.

Drug allergy could be very serious if left untreated. Hence, whenever you are about to take a new drug ensure that you ask the doctor about the common symptoms that will point to a drug allergy. Ensure that you know how to reach your medical practitioner if any urgency occurs, or how to get medical attention at the earliest.  Ensure that you have an antidote at hand – though you should not self-medicate yourself without the doctor’s advice lest you will aggravate your conditions instead of helping it.

Let your family know what to watch out for so they could get you medical help if you go into shock or anything as serious. In case you live alone, ensure that someone checks on you at regular intervals when you are not well or have someone sleep over at your place.

You will have to immediately visit a doctor if:

• you find that your face, lips, and/or tongue are swelling – do not wait for an other development if you have this symptom, but immediately inform the doctor and see him/her. Sometimes, this symptom will progress very fast into shock and breathing distress; so do not wait.
• you observe skin redness, develop itching or feel enveloped by warmth.
• you break into hives or red patches. 

A word of caution – do not attempt to treat such symptoms at home. When you suspect that you have a drug allergy the best thing that you can do is to get in touch with a doctor and immediately discontinue the drug.

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