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There are more and more doctors that look at your chart but not SEE it. I bring ALL prescriptions home and research them BEFORE I ever get them filled. I am Miss Side Effects Queen and whatever is the worst side effect you can have with a drug, I am going to have... I am not allergic to any drugs that I know of but the side effects are what knocks me down.
This sounds like me, my Mom always calls me and asks me to research anything she is going to take.
That was exactly how it happened for me when I became allergic to penicillin. 30 days prior..no reaction. 30 days later took it again and bingo....had to be rushed to the hospital.
Yes this can happen with any medication, Bactrim has sulfamethoxazole, you may be allergic to sulfur, there is no sure way to know except getting tested
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The doctor told me I had a reaction to this medicine, and never to take it again or other sulphur based Meds.
As I understand it, it is not actually sulfur that must be avoided, but a specific class of medications - often called sulfa drugs(sulfonamides). Just some clarification for others who have had reactions to sulfonamides.
The sulfa drugs are usually not allergenic by themselves, but when a sulfonamide molecule is metabolized in the body, it is capable of attaching to proteins, thus forming a larger molecule that could serve as an allergen. Thus, the allergy is not to the original drug, but to a drug-protein complex. It is estimated that a skin rash occurs in about 3.5% of hospitalized patients receiving sulfonamides, but people with HIV infection seem to have a considerably higher sensitivity to them.
A sulfanomide (see sample structure, below) does contain sulfur, but the sulfur atoms are imbedded in a complex molecule. The sulfur atom is not the allergenic agent and being allergic to sulfa drugs does not imply having a propensity to allergy to other sulfur compounds. Rather, it is a unique property of this kind of compound, namely that it can form proteins that are allergenic in some individuals.
I have always trusted the pharmacists more than the doctors. And they did ask me as the pharmacy but since I had never had a reaction before noone knew. All to often I think dr's don't research enough on the meds they prescribe. One example is Levaquin, it has been black boxed by the FDA for causing tendon ruptures, my hubby and I lift weights everyday and lift heavy, we go to a husband/wife doctor team, the husband told my hubby point blank to never let anyone prescribe any meds in this family to him, yet the wife tells me she has never had anyone have a tendon rupture that she prescribed it to. I told her point blank I would not take and don't bother prescribing it to me. I usually do alot of my own research when given new meds.
Funny you mentioned this Levaquin. I had to take it last month for 10 days, and I also workout and was worried about the Tendon injuries. I was dealing with several infections, and since I am a Diabetic I needed to take action fast. The doctor said Levaquin would be the best treatment so I took it. I did not have any tendon ruptures, and I tried not to think about it during the treatment period. Fortunately this med worked well, but yes there most certainly have been reports of tendon ruptures with it.
Funny you mentioned this Levaquin. I had to take it last month for 10 days, and I also workout and was worried about the Tendon injuries. I was dealing with several infections, and since I am a Diabetic I needed to take action fast. The doctor said Levaquin would be the best treatment so I took it. I did not have any tendon ruptures, and I tried not to think about it during the treatment period. Fortunately this med worked well, but yes there most certainly have been reports of tendon ruptures with it.
I know not everyone who takes it has problems but those that have they seem to be pretty bad. Most have had achilles ruptures and those are really hard to get over. If I had to take it because it was the med that would help I would but if I don't have to I won't. Of course cipro is in the same family as levaquin and doctors dispense that like candy. I know sometimes it is really easy to get all wrapped up in the reported side effects and think you are going to experience everyone of them.
Has anyone been able to safely take Bactrim and then the next time you took it had an allergic reaction?
Earlier in the week I was prescribed Bactrim DS for a UTI and within an hour of my first pill broke out in hives, severe itching, lips began to tingle and swell, required a trip to the ER and benadryl to calm it down. I have taken this drug before and never had an issue. Needless to say I won't be taking it again.
Bactrim Ds was also prescribed for my 16 yo niece, who developed blisters in her mouth and over her entire body. Her doctor said that he had no idea what was happening but, fortunately, he did rush her to the burn center in Sherman Oaks, CA. There, four surgeons removed her outer skin layer and applied cadaver skin. She was then wrapped like a mummy and spent several weeks recuperating. She recovered fully.
Bactrim Ds was also prescribed for my 16 yo niece, who developed blisters in her mouth and over her entire body. Her doctor said that he had no idea what was happening but, fortunately, he did rush her to the burn center in Sherman Oaks, CA. There, four surgeons removed her outer skin layer and applied cadaver skin. She was then wrapped like a mummy and spent several weeks recuperating. She recovered fully.
What your niece had is called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, essentially a burn. It happens with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim - which is also known as Septra) but is not nearly as common as the usual kind of allergy.
Bactrim Ds was also prescribed for my 16 yo niece, who developed blisters in her mouth and over her entire body. Her doctor said that he had no idea what was happening but, fortunately, he did rush her to the burn center in Sherman Oaks, CA. There, four surgeons removed her outer skin layer and applied cadaver skin. She was then wrapped like a mummy and spent several weeks recuperating. She recovered fully.
OMG I am so glad that I had the common sense to throw away the Bactrim I had instead of taking it. Now I keep hearing if I took it again I could be in really bad shape. I am grateful after reading these posts that I only had a mild reaction.
Has anyone been able to safely take Bactrim and then the next time you took it had an allergic reaction?
Earlier in the week I was prescribed Bactrim DS for a UTI and within an hour of my first pill broke out in hives, severe itching, lips began to tingle and swell, required a trip to the ER and benadryl to calm it down. I have taken this drug before and never had an issue. Needless to say I won't be taking it again.
Yes, I have taken Bactrim on several occasions but, I noticed when I took the first dose I felt kind of itchy. Then it seemed to go away. The next several times I took Bactrim it did the same thing. I mentioned it to my doctor and she told me if it went away then, I was ok to take it. She just gave it to me again. I came home and took the first pill, started itching pretty bad with a few hives. I immediately took two Benedryl, a cold shower and went to bed. It all went away. I will never take it again and I now have it on my allergy list.
Anyone who has had an allergic reaciton like these described in this thread should get a Medic Alert bracelet or necklace. It lists all the things you are allergic to and can literally save your life if you are not able to speak in an emergency.
I always tell any doctor, even the regular ones, that I am allergic to xxx whenever they start to give me something, jsut to be sure. Everyone makes mistakes!
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Allergic to Bactrim
