the little things make you go uh ok

[celestial1]

so here is a short and sweet one. i was still in school when this happened. my patient had just come to me in pacu and we were going down the myriad of questions. when we got to allergies it went like this. do you have any allergies? she says "pepper" and we asked and what happens when you eat it or get around it? this i swear was her response "it makes me sneeze". i thought i was going to fall in the floor. i really was worthless for the next few minutes while i gathered up every ounce of energy that i had to not laugh.

[MSRN80]

I had a pt about two weeks ago tell me that he was allergic to plavix, when I asked what kind of reaction he said it made him bleed. I had to show that one to my fellow nusing buddies it was a good laugh.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

Had a patient in ER once who said he was allergic to Advil but he could take ibuprofen. Explained that Advil is ibuprofen, not sure it sunk in. Doc gave him a script for ibuprofen and he went away happy.:lol_hitti

I just wanted to add: I was once given a script for doxycycline, took it for a couple of rounds and was fine. Got another script for doxycycline not too long after the initial therapy and got a horrid allergic reaction to it. The doc realized that although the actual med in doxy didn't trigger an allergy in me, something else in did.

Also realized that the first few times I took it, the pharmacy gave me ABC companys version of doxy, the time I had a reaction to it, the pharmacy gave me XYZ companys version of it. Narrowing it down, the pharmasist and doc seem to think I had an allergy to the dye used for the color of the med. So I was advised to alert all medical personal when asked about allergies, that doxycycline is an allergy for me. Thus saving me from a potential reaction should I be given the doxy from the company that uses the dye that I am allergic to.

[rph3664]

As a pharmacist, I hear these kinds of things all the time. When I worked in retail, a woman told me she was "allergic" to diabetic candy because it gave her diarrhea.

Well, yeah, it will, because they sweeten it with sorbitol which is laxative, and you're not supposed to eat the whole package in one sitting.

:trout:

The strangest "allergy" I've seen? Enemas.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I just wanted to add: I was once given a script for doxycycline, took it for a couple of rounds and was fine. Got another script for doxycycline not too long after the initial therapy and got a horrid allergic reaction to it. The doc realized that although the actual med in doxy didn't trigger an allergy in me, something else in did.

Also realized that the first few times I took it, the pharmacy gave me ABC companys version of doxy, the time I had a reaction to it, the pharmacy gave me XYZ companys version of it. Narrowing it down, the pharmasist and doc seem to think I had an allergy to the dye used for the color of the med. So I was advised to alert all medical personal when asked about allergies, that doxycycline is an allergy for me. Thus saving me from a potential reaction should I be given the doxy from the company that uses the dye that I am allergic to.

was thinking along similiar lines....on a pt oriented board i frequen t, there was a pt for whom a particular generic narcotic wouldnt work the same as the brand name...figured it may have been the "fillers"...

[TazziRN, RN]

The most common one I've heard is an allergy to codeine "because it makes me throw up." My MIL swears she's allergic because of this. I just roll my eyes at her and shake my head at the nurse asking her.

[rph3664]

was thinking along similiar lines....on a pt oriented board i frequen t, there was a pt for whom a particular generic narcotic wouldnt work the same as the brand name...figured it may have been the "fillers"...

I know a woman who has Parkinson's, and she has to use a certain generic amantadine because the others just don't work as well. Since it does, going "brand" isn't necessary. Once again, probably excipient ingredients.

I, too have encountered patients who were allergic to dye but not the drug itself.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

wish i had a nickel for every patient who swears they're allergic to codiene ("because it makes me throw up"), lasix ("because it makes me pee like a racehorse"), aspirin ("because if i take it every two hours, my stomach hurts,"), and every non-narcotic pain med there is ("because the only thing that works for my pain is dilaudid.") strange. that guy was allergic to hydromorphone, too -- or so he said.

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

sorry if I derail the thread but can I ask what the difference is between an allergy and an adverse reaction/side effects

[ukstudent]

sorry if I derail the thread but can I ask what the difference is between an allergy and an adverse reaction/side effects

An allergy is a histamine reaction that causes hives and swelling. Your throat can close up and is potentially lethal. A side effect is something that is a common reaction expected with the medication.

[peridotgirl]

sorry if I derail the thread but can I ask what the difference is between an allergy and an adverse reaction/side effects

also, an adverse reaction is an unexpected effect the occurs from medication. This too can be lethal.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

So, someone saying they're allergic to Ambien because it makes them sleepy....well, Ambien is sleeping pill, so of course it's going to make you sleepy. It's supposed to.

Another example would be someone saying they're allergic to Erythromycin (an antibiotic) because it makes them throw up. That's not an allergy. That's a very common well-known side effect of E-mycin. Most people just don't realize it. Frankly, if there's something I could give a patient besides Emycin, I'd just as soon give them something else. They probably don't want to puke, and I'm perfectly find if I don't have to clean up vomit. :)

Rash, hives, wheezing, swelling in your throat...now that's an allergic reaction.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

So

Another example would be someone saying they're allergic to Erythromycin (an antibiotic) because it makes them throw up. That's not an allergy. That's a very common well-known side effect of E-mycin. Most people just don't realize it. Frankly, if there's something I could give a patient besides Emycin, I'd just as soon give them something else. They probably don't want to puke, and I'm perfectly find if I don't have to clean up vomit. :)

Rash, hives, wheezing, swelling in your throat...now that's an allergic reaction.

I don't prescribe emycin because I've seen very few people able to tolerate it. My theory on that is that an antibiotic does little good if most of it ends up in the toilet or trash can.

It's important for patients to understand the difference. If a patient states an erythromycin allergy, I'm not likely to give Zithromax or Biaxin, either, since they're related. I will often ask the patient what happened with their allergic reaction, but a lot of providers don't.