Penicillin Allergy Overview

PENICILLIN ALLERGY

Penicillin allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to penicillin and related antibiotics. If you have a penicillin allergy, your reaction to take antibiotics ranging from rashes to anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal condition.

Penicillin allergy is an allergy to drugs in common use. Penicillin antibiotics are widely prescribed for bacterial infections like strep throat. However, all adverse reactions to penicillin are a true allergy to penicillin.

It is not clear why some people develop an allergy to penicillin. Once you have had an allergic reaction to penicillin, the easiest way to prevent the penicillin allergy is to avoid penicillin and related antibiotics.