Adverse Drug Reactions to Penicillin

Penicillin has been saving lives since 1928. It was the first widespread antibiotic, and it revolutionized the medical community by opening the door for countless other antibiotics to be developed. Since its inception, according to the Center for Disease Control, penicillin has been touted as a miracle drug, however, 7 percent of the population is allergic to the drug. Allergic reactions occur in approximately 32 out of every 100,000 people who take penicillin. Allergic reactions range from mild skin issues to anaphylatic shock and death.
Understanding the symptoms of penicillin allergy and knowing how to react can help avoid a medical crisis.

Function

• Penicillin is an antibiotic with a relatively wide range of uses. It is considered one of the broad spectrum antibiotics which means it can be used to treat a variety of infections. While it can be used in mild to severe infections, experts do not recommend its use in some severe cases including severe meningitis, arthritis or pneumonia.
  It is commonly used to treat other infections, including streptococcal and upper respiratory infections, dental infections and scarlet fever.

Benefits

• Penicillin provides many benefits to the medical community and the patient. Because it is a wide-spectrum drug, it can be used for a wide variety of infections and is relatively inexpensive, which makes it affordable to the masses.
  It can be ingested by pills or intravenously, so patients can be treated at home or in a hospital.
  With the ability to prescribe penicillin in pill form, patients save the cost of being admitted to the hospital when it is possible to avoid admission.

Crossover reactions

• Allergic reactions to penicillin can range from mild to life-threatening depending on how allergic the patient is, and how much was taken. In addition if someone is allergic to penicillin, he should alert all medical professionals that they come into contact with as well as carry an allergy alert with them at all times in the event he is unable to communicate with medical professionals.
  People with a penicillin allergy often have allergic reactions to other antibiotics as well, increasing the importance of alerting all medical personnel about your allergy.

Mild Symptoms

• Some symptoms of an allergic reaction to penicillin are mild and include rashes and itches on the skin, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
  These symptoms can also indicate a sensitivity to the medication, without having an actual allergy, and in such cases the symptoms usually go away within a few days of starting the antibiotic course. It is important, however, to determine whether you have a true allergy to penicillin because a true allergy can exhibit mild symptoms one time and then a fatal reaction another time.

Severe reactions

• While serious allergic reactions to penicillin are reported in approximately 10 percent of those who have previously reported an allergy to the drug, there is also a large number of people who mistakenly believe they have an allergy to it.
  This false assumption may be because they were told at one time they had an allergy when they were really only experiencing some common, temporary reactions to the drug entering the system or they had an allergy at one time but now it is reduced or gone.
  Truly serious allergy reactions can be life-threatening and on rare occasions can be fatal.
  Research has shown that some people who show an initial allergic reaction and are not exposed to penicillin for a decade lose that allergy and are able to take it again. It is important to have a doctor oversee the administration of penicillin to a previously allergic patient as sometimes a stronger, more dangerous reaction happens in a patient who was mildly allergic in the past.
  Skin rashes can be a sign of true allergy or of a non-allergic side effect. If it is due to a true allergy, it will usually include raised, itchy hives.
  Another severe allergic reaction to penicillin is a swollen face, which is actually caused by fluid collecting under the skin.
  A person who is severely allergic to penicillin can also have a reaction that is similar to an asthma attack and can include wheezing, coughing, restricted airways and difficulty breathing.
  The most serious reaction to penicillin is called anaphylactic shock. Symptoms of this sudden and possibly life-threatening condition include very low blood pressure, stomach pain, having the throat or tongue swell quickly and vomiting.
  This type of reaction warrants immediate emergency medical treatment, including a call to 911.

Warning

• While it is always important not to share prescriptions and to never take something that was prescribed for someone else, this can be especially true of antibiotics. Without discussing past reactions and problems with a doctor, you may be taking what you think is a harmless antibiotic for what you believe to be an infection and could end up with a severe life-threatening reaction.