*Weird* Patient Allergies

[cherrybreeze]

What are some of the weird allergies/reactions that patients have told you they have? I can't remember so many that made me go "hmmmmm.." but not long ago, I came across these two (on the same person!):

Caffeine: causes tachycardia (really?)

Cocaine: anaphylaxis (perhaps you took too much??)

[bassandtea]

I have an extremely severe intolerance or mild allergy to: aged meats/fish, cheese, chocolate, banana, bacon, ham, salmon, olive oil, most nuts and alcohol just to name a few. Bacon is one of the worst triggering an immune reaction that causes me to break out in cold sores within 24 hours, most of the others just make me feel tired, nauseas and cause headaches and migraines.

[NeosynephRN]

" Morphine....cause it makes me sleepy" ugggghhhhhh

[RNKPCE]

I think patients often have side effects not allergies.

My strangest one was a patient who said he was allergic to oxygen. He was having surgery and did not want the anesthesiologist to use oxygen. The anesthesiologist said he could not go ahead with surgery without the option of using oxygen if needed(outpatient surgery). The patient finally agreed. They were able to do the procedure without oxygen.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

My mother is "allergic" to just about every med the doctor puts her on...except Xanax! I quit trying to reason with her years ago!

[prowlingMA]

I think it is interesting the more people are finding they are allergic to horse hair serum that is used in some vaccines.

And I have always wondered if people who are allergic to cat hair would react to one of the sphynx hairless cats?

Me- I am allergic to vacuuming, not the dust, just the using of the actual machine. I hate vacuming.

[MN BigJ]

Had a lady that said she was allergic to Orange cats, only orange ones.

[MN BigJ]

Speaking of allergies, How does one know they are allergic to Sux or Epi?? Always found that to be curious.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

i've had people tell me they are allergic to epi before... i think the dentist gives it alot. and then when you say "what happens when you have epi?".... they say "well, my heart beats really fast and my blood pressure goes up".... and i just tell them that means it worked :)

[BGgirl]

I can't remember what drug this pt claimed to be allergic to but when we asked her what it did to her she said it made her curl up into the fetal position. :chuckle

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

I have a friend who is allergic to benadryl. That's right, benadryl. Funny sounding as many of the "allergies" may be, the fact is that whether it's a naturally occuring or man made substance - you can certainly have a reaction and/or be truly "allergic" to it.

Her benadryl allergy gives her hives and breathing difficulties. Strange but true.

[GilaRRT]

I think this it is important to appreciate the difference between an adverse reaction, expected side effects, and an allergy. It is also important to educate our patients regarding these differences so that they can give us more accurate information about how and why they react to specific medications.

[miko014]

I kid you not, pizza. Not me, a pt, lol. She had so many allergies she had about 10 allergy bands all danging off of one band on her arm, and among the 9,000 other things she had listed was pizza.