allergic/sensitive to meds ??? else

[Guest guest]

I am highly sensitive to medications and even some herbals. I was

prescribed 3 different blood pressure meds for my

Raynauds/antiphospholipd antibody syndrome and each of the three

meds gave me horrible side effects - namely my heart beating rapid,

skipping beats and sleep apnea. Also horrific nightmares.

Antibiotics usually produce a skin rash and PCN anaphalactic shock.

I'm allergic to wellbutrin and a whole laundry list of foods. For

over the counter stuff I take childrens doses. Whatever the doc

prescribes I stress my sensitivity and for prescribed pain pills I

generally only need a 1/2 dose.

Since allergic reactions are an auto immune response and connective

tissue disease is immune system related how many others experience

this with meds and what do you do?

The doc wants me to take another kind of blood pressure med and I'm

scared to death cuz the last one he prescribed I only took 1/4 of

what I was supposed to and had major reactions. I got the

prescription filled but haven't had the courage to pop one.

[Guest guest]

I have always had horrible reactions to drugs.. even as a child. It got

to the point that I could not take any antibiotic without having an

asthma attack.

I finally went to an allergy specialist and he found that it wasn't the

antibiotic agent I was allergic to ..but the fillers and dyes that make

up the rest of the pill.

I too .. like you .. take smaller doses until I know I can tolerate the

drug. Sometimes it can be a pain in the butt .. when a doctor orders a

new medication .. the first thing I ask .. is it yellow? I am very very

allergic to yellow dye #5 .. tartrazine .. it is a chemical that is a

known allergen and because of that the FDA says it MUST be listed on the

list of ingredients and cannot be listed simply as food coloring. (yes

... I read labels carefully .. you would be surprised what kinds of foods

use tartrazine to color the food)

[Guest guest]

I am also very sensitive, and I believe this to be common among Lupus patients. With our immune

systems so screwed up, it isn't surprising. My docs make me take the first dose in the office, and

have me stay for the amount of time it takes for it to usually start to work. If I'm going to have

a bad reaction, then they have the necessary equipment to help me. We discovered most of my

antibiotic allergies while I was in hospital the last time, so help was available right away, then, too.

In fact, they were using Cipro in IV, and had just left the room after putting the bag up. I started

getting a red flush in that arm, and it was moving up my arm to my shoulder when I happened to

look at my arm. Boy! I pressed the button for the nurse, she came running, and took one look and

jerked that bag right out of the IV set up. The flush started to retreat almost immediately. Very

scary.

I also react badly to oral meds, sometimes with gastric upset, sometimes with rashes, and often with

anything that has a remote possibility of sedating me, a quarter dose will put me away for 48+ hours.

I have had docs disbelieve me when I say, no, I won't take something because of that. But, I have

learned the hard way to insist that they not force me to take anything without checking with my

primary care doc. He knows all. LOL

You just have to be vigilant, make sure you keep a list of these allergic reactions on your person

for ER purposes, and keep it updated all the time. Good luck. Hope this is helpful info. hugs, MM