Prevention Of Penicillin Allergy

The best way to avoid an allergic reaction to penicillin is to avoid penicillin and similar antibiotics altogether. If you need an antibiotic, your doctor will help you find that you can tolerate. When a doctor or another doctor prescribes an antibiotic, be sure to check it for penicillin family.

Desensitization

For some infections, it may be necessary for you to take penicillin. In these cases, and if you have had a reaction to penicillin, a skin allergy test is important. If the skin test shows that you are sensitive to penicillin, your doctor may recommend desensitization.

During the desensitization process, which receive small doses, but gradually increasing penicillin by mouth or intravenously. Because desensitization can trigger an allergic reaction is attempted in a controlled environment, usually a hospital, a physician trained in the art, and only when penicillin is absolutely necessary. Your desensitization lasts only as long as you continue taking penicillin. If you stop then you need to take penicillin then have to go through the desensitization process again.

The process of desensitization generally takes one to two days. But it does not work in all cases.

Treatment Of Penicillin Allergy

If you have an allergic reaction after taking penicillin family of antibiotics, you must:

Stop the medication and talk to your doctor for another antibiotic

Avoid the use of penicillin in the future

Treatment of symptoms and during the development of an allergic reaction to penicillin will depend on what kind of reactions you have.

Anaphylaxis is a rare and severe allergic reaction to medication. It can be life-threatening and requires the injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) and emergency care to maintain blood pressure and respiratory support.

Skin rash or hives may improve when treated with an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others). More severe reactions may require treatment with corticosteroids orally or injected.

Symptoms Of Penicillin Allergy

Many people who report penicillin allergy is not true allergies. They may have had a reaction to penicillin, such as some types of eczema, but not all reactions are allergies. Symptoms of penicillin allergy are:

Hives

Eruption

Itching skin

Whistle

Lips, tongue or face (angioedema)

Anaphylactic

The most severe allergic reactions to penicillin is an anaphylactic (an-uh-LAK-tik-FUH) response, which can be fatal. Anaphylactic reactions develop immediately after exposure to penicillin in people sensitive. Signs and symptoms include:

Difficulty breathing

Whistle

Reduced pressure

Swelling of the throat or tongue

Dizziness

Coma

Weak and rapid pulse

When to see a doctor

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you or anyone else is having an anaphylactic reaction.

If you have less severe reactions after taking penicillin, tell your doctor. If possible, ask your doctor when the allergic reaction. This will help make a diagnosis.

Causes Of Penicillin Allergy

Penicillin allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to the drug as if it were a harmful substance instead of a remedy. Your immune system activates certain cells to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) against the component of penicillin are allergic to (allergens). The chemicals released by immune cells can cause signs and symptoms associated with allergic reactions.

Penicillin belongs to the family of drugs called beta-lactam antibiotics. These drugs include penicillin and amoxicillin, are relatively inexpensive and effective in treating many common bacterial infections. These infections are skin infections of the respiratory tract, ear, sinus and above.

Orally or injected, penicillin works by stopping the growth of bacteria in your body. There are several varieties of penicillin, and each targets a different infection elsewhere in your body. You may have heard of some of the other drugs in the penicillin family, including:

Amoxicillin

Ampicillin

Dicloxacillin

Penicillin G

Penicillin V

Piperacillin and tazobactam (Zosyn)

If you are allergic to one type of penicillin, you are in danger of being allergic to penicillin all connected. Some people are allergic to penicillin are also allergic to cephalosporins, a class of antibiotics closely related to penicillin.

One is not born allergic to penicillin, but it can develop an allergy to penicillin, once they have been exposed to the drug. After that, re-exposure to penicillin or related can trigger an allergic reaction, sometimes more serious reaction to first exposure.

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.