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| What is the difference in the three? How would I know if I was allergic to a drug? Dr in ER said it wasn't an allergic reaction (Keflex, and I was dizzy,nausiousand itched on my face and arms) but that is one of the things to look for in allergic reaction. Was it the time of onset (it was a few days), the degree of "dizziness or nausiousness", or what? Just curious.
Vickey-MN |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Depends on what the antibiotic was prescribed for. The symptoms could have very well been related to the illness. Also some things are considered "side effects" and are expected; such as some drugs that cause dry mouth, others that can cause nausea if not taken with food, etc. To have these symptoms would be to experience a "possible side effect", and not necessarily an allergic reaction. I am personally allergic to some dyes and preservatives, which cause rash and hives. This was confirmed an allergy after symptoms led me to have a patch test at an allergy doctor's office. I am also allergic to penecillin but it causes breathing distress. |
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| Sensitivity is an intense effect of medication. I get very wired on diphenhydramine (bendryl); docs call it a sensitivity. My Aleksander dog gets high liver enzymes for months following prednisone and he needs a LOT less than the standard dosage- also a sensitivity. Usually an allergic reaction to drugs involves anaphylaxis- tightness in throat and chest, trouble breathing, possible swelling- and can be life-threatening. Allergic reactions are actually hypersensitivity that send the body into an over-reactive response. Intolerance is just a fancy way of saying that the treatment is worse than the disease; usually a side-effect of the drug. That could be anything from dizziness to chronic explosive diarrhea to seizures or anything else that makes life unbearable. |
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- Posted by chinacat_sunflower (My Page) on Thu, Jul 28, 05 at 13:59
| :) an allergy is a histamine response- the body's immune system freaking out over something introduced into the system. the most common byproduct is swelling, which can be life-threatening when we're talking about swelling of the throat, or airpassages. the treatments usually involve adrenaline in some form. a sensitivity is just that- where you have a much stronger response to a drug than the dosage would indicate. I'm sensitive to most pain killers and ephedrine- half a sudafed hits me like it's a street drug (and splitting a sudafed is a pain) intolerance is just that-and Keflex is famous for making people nauseous- I'm pissed at your doctor for not mentioning it to you ahead of time! it has consistently left me feeling WORSE than whatever it was that earned me the scrip.
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| For example: Everyone is sensitive to black pepper. It makes everyone sneeze. That's sensitivity. If someone starts sneezing even if the odor is faint, that's intollerence. It's sort of a problem with degree. Now, if the pepper gives a person hives, or they get asthma or sneeze so much that they can't draw a normal breathe, that's an allergy.. That's a very simplfied example but it's the same sort of thing with drugs. |
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