Drug allergy is immunologically mediated reaction to certain medicines. This drug allergy can occurs within minutes to hours after taking the causative medicine. Even a small amount of drug is sufficient to trigger allergy symptoms to drugs. In some individuals, a medicine allergy can cause severe allergy symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.
The most common drugs causing allergy include:
The common drug allergy list include
- Antibiotics, are most common cause such as penicillin, sulfonamides.
- Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen
- Anticonvulsants
- Monoclonal antibody therapy
- Chemotherapy drugs
Drug Allergy Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of a serious allergy often occur within minutes to hour after taking a drug. Other reactions, particularly rashes, can occur hours, days or weeks later.
Most common symptoms of drug allergy include:
- Skin rash
- Hives
- Itching
- Fever
- Swelling
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Runny nose
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction which requires urgent attention. If someone has anaphylaxis then he must inject adrenaline/epinephrine autoinjector.
Drug Allergy Management and Treatment:
These strategies include:
- Management for present allergy symptoms
- Treatment that may enable you to take an allergy-causing drug if it’s medically necessary
- Avoidance of the drugs causing symptoms
Treating current symptoms
- Withdrawal of the drug stopping the drug is the first step in treatment. In many cases, this may be the only intervention necessary.
- Antihistamines antihistamine like diphenhydramine that can block immune system chemicals activated during an allergic reaction.
- Either oral or injected corticosteroids may be used to treat inflammation associated with more-serious reactions.
- Treatment of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis requires an immediate epinephrine/adrenaline injectionas well as hospital care to maintain blood pressure and support breathing.
Drug allergy rash will subside within few hours after taking antihistamines. However rashes may take few days for complete remission.
If your child has an allergy to certain medications, you must follow few steps to ensure your child is safe:
- Always notify key people about the child’s allergy.Inform your child care providers, school personnel, parents of your child’s friends and other adults who regularly interact with your child. Tell them that medicine allergy may life-threatening and may require urgent intervention to save the life of the child.
- Explain drug allergy symptoms to persons who spend time with the child.
- Have a written action plan.This plan should include the appropriate management strategies to care for the child in case of allergy and in an emergency case of anaphylaxis. One copy of the plan must be given to school authority.
- Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace to display that he/she has an allergy to certain medicine.
Drug Allergy Test
- Testing for drug allergy is available in different centre in India.
- Drug allergy testing can be done by blood test or by Skin Test.
Drug allergy test cost in India
- Cost may vary in different region in India. The cost of drug allergy test may vary from 2500 INR to 13000 INR.
- Price of drug allergy skin testing may vary from 2500 INR to 5000 INR
- Price of drug allergy blood testing may vary from 6500 INR to 13000 INR
Drug allergy testing near me
- Find an Allergist near your locality. Tell your problem to the doctor/ allergist. He/she will evaluate your drug allergy.
Drug allergy testing via skin testing may rarely cause anaphylaxis. So always have Adrenaline injection ready and CPR instrument ready at the testing centre.