Allergies to antibiotics - Interstitial Cystitis Network Support Forum

luvsterriers · 08-24-2009, 03:02 AM

Penicilins, Sulfa, Septra and now macrobid. All of the meds causes me to get a rash or my whole body itching. Macrobid for example, I just took it for 3 days. My whole body is now itching. I took a shower thinking the itchy would go away. I use shampoo for dry itchy scalp and body wash meant for dry itchy skin. It didn't make itching go away! I'm also very nauseous and very sleepy. I feel so bad! Whenever I get a UTI, doctor usually gives me Macrobid 100MG twice a day for 7 days. So either the MG is too strong or I'm allergic to Macrobid. First 2 days I got itchy down there, but not anymore. I started taking Macrobid Fri night, and by Sun morning that's when my whole body was itching. I was uncomfortable in church Sun morning too. I thought I was going to throw up in the pews. I have no redness or rash on my body. I'm just itching. Plus it's making my face feel so hot. I see that I'm getting little bumps on my face. I do have mild acne and rosacea. I'm on meds for rosacea, but it's cream based. UGH! So many problems at my age!! My entire 20s has been ruined!! Anyone else has been on antibiotic, then few days later get a terrible side effect, then have to call doctor, then doctor has to prescribe another antibiotic? I feel as though I'm one annoying patient!

***ICNDonna*** · 08-24-2009, 03:28 AM

Please do not take even one more dose until you have talked with your doctor. I have some antibiotic allergies which cause itching and rash and was told to never take them again. I even have a medic alert bracelet so nobody will give them to me should I ever be in an accident.

There are other antibiotics you can take. So far I'm only allergic to penicillin and sulphonomides.

Hugs,
Donna

luvsterriers · 08-24-2009, 05:13 AM

The doctor told me to stop taking Macrobid. I have taken Macrobid numerous times in the past, but I just ignore the itching of my whole body including my head. I thought perhaps that is a side effect. But after talking to a pharmacist, she told me that itching of whole body is a allergic reaction. But I thought a true allergic reaction is when you have rashes all over your body. I'm still very nauseous and very itchy. I took the last done of Macrobid at 7pm last night. I don't know of any other antibiotics that are ok. I'm allergic to the main ones that are prescribed to patients.

***ICNDonna*** · 08-24-2009, 10:27 AM

There are lots of antibiotics available. I've taken many of them with no problem. Just tell your doctor which ones cause allergic reactions.

Donna

karenann52 · 09-22-2009, 01:03 PM

Your episodes of itching were like mine with Levaquin. The second time the reaction is worse, etc....STOP taking anything that causes such itching and tell your doctor or pharmacist. I called a 24-hr pharmacist when this happened to me the second time at 11pm and he advised me to take Benedryl. I started with 25mg, waited 30 min, then had to take another 25mg as the hives weren't going away. The pharmacist originally told me to take 50mg, but I was so leary to take too much of anything else I had not taken before. He also suggested that I take the second 25mg and drive to the emergency room and sit in the waiting room to see if it's working. I did that. Have a back up plan with a new med. I always have Benedryl available to me now. (for hive-type reactions, itching...)

I now pay attention to the first hour or so after taking any pill. A year ago I took something and didn't realize the reaction an hour later was a reaction. I had severe diarreah and vomiting, and thought it was something bad I had eaten. The second time it all happened worse and finally I thought it might be a reaction to meds. All of the meds I had used individually without any reaction previously. All I used in combination at times without any reaction, but the 4th one in my system caused the terrible reaction. It seems to take an hour for the reaction to begin, and it's about an hour later you're on to other things or asleep, not relating it all to the meds. The combination of these 4 meds are not listed anywhere as a reaction. I've been very aware since this reaction. I think the most offending one was pseudophed, but it was not the "trigger" to the reaction. One was an IC med, one an antihistamine, and another a migraine med (a tiny piece only). After years of using these, the newest one in my meds was the IC med, Enablex. They must all impact the same part of the brain?? I'll never take pseudophed again, a decongestant, as it's more expendable.

Skynard · 09-22-2009, 02:09 PM

PRAISE THE LORD!!! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE AND I'M NOT CRAZY!!!! Just last Wednesday, I took 1/2 a Levaquin and God help me, I thought I would remove my skin. I took a Benadryl and before it could take effect the itching was not only on my palms and feet, but then my ears and face. My husband threw me into an Oatmeal bath which helped tremendously. The doctor's don't want to believe this stuff happens, but you MUST listen to your body and stop taking it immediately. I have a list typed up of all my "problem" meds. I have it in three different places and also faxed it to my Urologist, my GP and my GYNO. No more mess ups for me. As far as the itching down south, my Uro has me using Crisco to stop the itching. She did not want me to take Metro gel or the pills due to the fact it would cause a flare. It works!

Wishing you well on your journey.

God Bless.

Goldfinch · 09-22-2009, 03:49 PM

Another vote for taking a cool oatmeal bath. For a period of several years I had a winter hive-like allergy that no one could diagnose. I took baths in the stuff used for kids with chicken pox. Can't remember the name of it, but it does feel good, at least for a while.

ICPrincess · 09-22-2009, 09:03 PM

People react differently to different drugs. Some say one is perfectly fine for them but for someone else it may as toxic as it can be.

Levaquin is of the Cipro family and after my third dose of Cipro, I thought I was dying literally I loved that I was able to kill a nasty UTI that no other antibiotic was able to touch in just three doses (could not handle more than this) but it wiped me out. I felt very ill, but felt even worse on macrobid in just one dose and within 30 minutes so I knew fast on that one, which is a sulfa related family (am allergic to Sulfa).

I am going to take (1) 250mg dose of Cipro after my periods as a preventive since that is when we are more likely to contract the infections as I think that will help me greatly as a preventative (and it's a really low, but effective dose). Bacteria is what hurts my bladder more than anything else. Even the smallest amount causes pain for me. There are new black box warnings on Levaquin and Cipro due to all the ruptured tendons out there that can be found in the summary sheet they give you from your pharmacy with all your prescriptions. Here is a medical article on Levaquin and Cipro (by the way I could only handle one dose of levaquin and stopped that right away). The following are all informative links with no association with sales or any nonsense like that. I found the last two links from Ask A Patient to be very interesting and a good read as well. Just passing it along if it can help someone. I think it's crucial that we are as informed as possible about the potential risks of these drugs and lets face it, doctors don't tell us these things (maybe in the day of Marcus Welby but that has long since passed). From my own experience, I have had to learn the hard way. By researching things for myself.

http://www.medicationsense.com/artic...cs_052205.html

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/.../ucm126085.htm

http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...537&name=CIPRO

http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...&name=LEVAQUIN

Stella1609 · 09-23-2009, 03:52 AM

I took Levaquin a few years ago and started having awful pain in my wrist. I called the doctor and was told it was nothing to worry about. I whined until I got something else . . . You'd think the doctor would want you to stop taking a med that warns against joint pain if you start having joint pain!

LithEruiel · 10-02-2009, 02:27 PM

Antibiotic allergies are the most common allergies. Don't worry about calling your doctor if you have a bad reaction - it's their job!

Chellethinques · 10-04-2009, 09:31 AM

Has anyone had skin testing to determine antibiotic allergies? I've been on so many antibiotics in my life (33 years of chronic UTIs) that I have three allergies listed because of reactions as a toddler. I took preventative abx for so long that I now have resistant bacteria to two different abx. I can take either Levaquin or Cipro, and not much else. As no one can figure out why I get so many infections, and as I already have kidney damage from them, it's pretty critical that I have something that works! Anyway, one Dr. suggested I get tested to see if I'm "really" allergic, as that would give us many more classes of meds to choose from for infections.