Drug Allergy Test
Allergy Test > Drug Allergy Test
Drug Allergy Test
A drug allergy is an allergy to a drug, most commonly a medication. Medical attention should be sought immediately if an allergic reaction to any drug is suspected. If you develop a rash, hives or experience difficulty in breathing after taking certain medications, you may have a drug allergy. As with other allergic reactions, these symptoms can occur when your body’s immune system becomes sensitized to a substance in the medication, perceives it as a foreign invader and releases chemicals to defend against it.
Drug Allergy Test - Symptoms and causes
Symptoms
While you may not experience allergic symptoms the first time you take a drug, your body could be producing antibodies to it. As a result, the next time you take the drug, your immune system may see it as an invader, and you’ll develop symptoms as your body releases chemicals to defend against it.
These symptoms may include:
- Skin rash or hives
- Itching
- Wheezing or other breathing problems
- Swelling
- Vomiting
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed
Anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that can impair breathing and send the body into shock; reactions may simultaneously affect two or more organ systems (for example, when there is both a rash and difficulty breathing)
Penicillin causes most allergic drug symptoms. Just because you show allergic symptoms after taking penicillin doesn’t mean that you will react to related drugs, such as amoxicillin, but it’s more likely. Also, just because you had a reaction to penicillin (or any other drug) at one time doesn’t mean you will have the same reaction in the future.