I'm allergic to.....(laundry list)!

I always ask what kind of reaction takes place with each allergy a patient lists. Then I educate them on the difference between allergy and side effect.

I have to do this with just about every patient I triage who lists an allergy.

A lot of people will list as an "allergy" a medication they don't want as a way to get the medication they do want. For instance, it's not uncommon for a seeker to be allergic to every pain medication except for...what was it called? Diluted? Dil-a-did?

I too see the seekers who are allergic to everything except Dill-did. lol

The strangest one was an allergy to.............potassium. Pt. was ordered K supplement and the pharmacy refused to dispense it until the doctor wrote an order stating it was OK to administered despite the allergy. He did too, and it read like this:

OK to administer potassium despite pt's claim to being allergic AS THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ALLERGY TO POTASSIUM

Nice. I don't think I've heard anyone claim to have an allergy that would be incompatible with life....yet.

I do hear this all the time, and it grates on me like nails on a chalkboard:

Me: Do you have any allergies?

Them: Yeah, I'm allergic to pain. har har har har hehehe..um, and it's a 10/10.

/facepalm

Oh, I had a lady with a lasix allergy. It made her pee too much.

I think this is a great point. I'm sure many don't know the difference. Any unpleasant side effect probably make many assume they have an allergy.

My husband is allergic to all of the Beta Lactam antibiotics. He had such a severe allergic reaction to many meds in this category that they just don't want to take the risk.

Penicillins

Penems

Carbapenems

Cephalosporins

Monobactams

He carries a card with these allergies until his MedicAlert ID comes in.

Know where you are coming from there. This one really grinds my gears:

"Are you allergic to anything"

"Yes. Hospitals"

Loses will to live.

During one of my clinicals I had a chance to shadow a nurse in the PACU. The nurse asked the patient if she had any drug allergies, she said that she was allergic to ACE-Is; the nursed asked what happened when she took them and the pt said “they make me cough.” The nurse said immediately that was a typical reaction to an ACE-I, the pt’s response was “Well I told my doctor and he said I shouldn’t take it anymore.” I don’t know if there was a different reason for the pt to stop taking the med, but it was very eye opening to me as a student to see the need to educate pts on the meds they are taking and teach them the difference between an allergic reaction and a side-effect.

I agree, if every side effect is counted as an “allergy” then real allergies may be over looked.

Certain medical conditions make people suceptible to having allergic type reactions. I have multiple allergies. Some serious (anaphylactic) and some just hives (with no breathing issues) I don't know about anyone else, but having hives for 3 or 4 Days is not too much fun. I would like to see pt's allergies treated just like pain, it is what the patient says it is. Patients know their own bodies and their own reactions better than any nurse or doctor treating them. Also many meds have added coloring, which patients can also react to just the coloring. If i have listed an allergy to a medication, I don't want it given to me ever!

I'm currently dealing with one such soul allergic to Nsaids, and wants vicodin and dill... dillotit. Now wants Ultram despite stating she was allergic to tramadol.

I just spent 2 days in the hospital - I listed my allergies as Sulfa drugs ( turned bright red and swelled up last time I took Bactrim), Versed (actually adverse effect, but please don't ever give it to me again) and eggs (bad headaches from RAW eggs, can't take flu shots).

I was served eggs both mornings -even after I called dietary the first day, and they LISTED it on my menu!!!

Talk about your poor communication.

And, yes, I have seen people allergic to benadryl, most pain meds, strange food items and many other things. And even though a side effect is not a true allergy, if they shouldn't be given the med ever again, then allergy it is!

My husband will never be given Versed again - he became combative during a procedure, and was trying to hit everyone. Not a good scene, they were unable to complete the procedure.