I just wanted to thank all the patients that list Tylenol, NSAIDS, Tramadol, etc. as allergies. It tells me volumes about about you.
I have considered telling pt's the red flags this silliness raises, but figured having those allergies listed will help other more fully understand them.
I suppose it is theoretically possible to to be allergic to multiple unrelated non-narcotic pain medications, and have the incredible misfortune to have a condition that often causes pain. But, the odds have got to be 1,000,000-1. And I just don't think you are the one.
Often the space for listing allergies is not very big and room is not provided for patients to list medications they may experience sensitivity reactions to (as opposed to actual allergic reactions), so I can understand why some patients would write in the allergy space any medication (even non-narcotics) they have responses to that they consider unwanted, whether true allergy, i.e. anaphylactic reaction, or allergic reaction that has proved problematic in the past and could become an anaphylactic response with repeated exposure, or sensitivity reactions of various kinds which may be severe.
Do you ask the patients their reasons for listing the medications they specify under allergies? Another possibility I can think of is that patients are indicating that their doctor has told them certain medications, such as the ones you mentioned, are contraindicated for them, and writing their name in the allergy space is the best way they can think of to communicate this to their doctors and nurses. For example, I have a family member for whom Ibuprofen and Aspirin are contraindicated, and Tylenol to a lesser extent.
My personal favorite is when patients list acetaminophen as an allergy but then request dilaudid and Percocet in between dilaudid doses.
If you have anaphylaxis from acetaminophen, I'm probably not going to give you Percocet.....
These are the kinds if people this thread is discussing. Not the people with genuine sensitivity or allergy. Just because nurses can be frustrated with seeing these things doesn't mean they don't ask about allergies and the reaction the patient has.
If your family members have an allergy or sensitivity, I suggest having them carry an allergy and current medications list - as I do with all my patients. It's an important way to relay information to healthcare providers.
I had a patient recently who, in between being asleep and we'll say, really, really groggy, would tell me she needed dilaudid, "and 1 mg won't cut it." Started screaming at me when I told her we'd have to start with Norco and not jump straight to dilaudid.
I just wanted to thank all the patients that list Tylenol, NSAIDS, Tramadol, etc. as allergies. It tells me volumes about about you.
Don't forget the Zofran allergies... only Phenergan for them. They're allergic to Toradol so only narcs... but also allergic to morphine so only Dilaudid... which only works when it's pushed... and pushed fast... with the Phenergan chaser...
Oh yeah, they're also allergic to Benedryl so we can't even pre-treat them for the non-Dilaudid/phenergan pushes.
From fast asleep with RR=10 to moaning 10/10 pain... either upon being awakened for an assessment or... when the alarm on their phone goes off q2h.
CP2013
531 Posts
My personal favorite is when patients list acetaminophen as an allergy but then request dilaudid and Percocet in between dilaudid doses.
If you have anaphylaxis from acetaminophen, I'm probably not going to give you Percocet.....
These are the kinds if people this thread is discussing. Not the people with genuine sensitivity or allergy. Just because nurses can be frustrated with seeing these things doesn't mean they don't ask about allergies and the reaction the patient has.
If your family members have an allergy or sensitivity, I suggest having them carry an allergy and current medications list - as I do with all my patients. It's an important way to relay information to healthcare providers.