How do I find out which antibiotic I am allergic to?

[eternalfun]

Is there a way to find out which antibiotic I am allergic to? Google hasn't provided me the answer...

Here's the background:

I took antibiotics whilst in sub-saharan Africa about 15 years ago for a bad stomach bug. I came up in large red marks on my arms and upper body.

I noted down the name of the antibiotic and told my GP.

At some point over the next few years the name of the antibiotic got confused and I am now listed as being allergic to two - Ciprofloxacin and Amoxycilin. I don't remember which one it is.

I would like to find out which one I am allergic to because:

• I'd like my records to be accurate.
• I have had quite a few hospital stays in recent years. What if I needed an antibiotic and they couldn't give me one just because of this mistake?
• It's also possible that the antibiotics I took were out of date as they were prescribed in a small town so its possible that I'm not allergic to any antibiotics at all.

Anyway, does anyone have any experience of this? Really grateful for any advice. What sort of specialist would I consult? Presumably I would have to pay. The GP was not helpful (I didn't book an appointment to discuss this, obviously, but they didn't have anything useful to say when I asked).

If you’re allergic to amoxicillin you’ll likely be allergic to penicillins generally. Have you ever taken any kind of penicillin?

If you was very sick in hospital and penicillin was the best drug to say , for example, save your life.

They would still give you it, you had a reaction to it, not a very bad allergy

Could you go back through your records to the time they told you as presumably it was correct then?

@Veterinari I’m sure I took penicillin as a child (in the 80’s). Not sure about since then.

They would still give you it, you had a reaction to it, not a very bad allergy

They might do, but not necessarily. It would depend on the type of rash and how certain the doctors were that it wasn’t a true allergy (as opposed to an intolerance), how severe the infection was, what other antibiotics might be effective instead etc. It would be a difficult decision to make and there would be multiple doctors involved, it wouldn’t be one person deciding on their own.

There are skin tests available to test for allergies to certain antibiotics, these are also available privately if you have the budget for that. If you do go down that route then obviously make sure it’s a legitimate clinic, and the staff are well-qualified, and experienced enough to talk you through the implications of the result.

@bionicnemonic we did try that but it didn’t help. The records say both!

@CreaturesVeiledByNight that’s what I’m worried about. A lot of fuss for no reason.

Do you know the names of any companies or even the type of doctor I need to find? I would pay for this to be done privately, but as you say - I want it done right.

Having worked in Sub Saharan Africa I think it’s likely you were given enrofloxacin for a stomach upset. It’s an antibiotic that’s rarely prescribed here as it’s a ‘reserved’ antibiotic but common in developing countries

@Veterinari oh no, I don’t want a third one! It was about 15 years ago if that makes any difference?

An allergy is an allergy. A milder allergy is not an intolerance. An allergy is a systemic immune response. They often get worse too. Sorry (owner of multiple allergies and this annoys me!)

Ask your GP to refer you to an allergist. They can do a skin prick test. If you want to go private, google allergist + your nearest city and you’ll find one.

Good luck finding out op. I was given an antibiotic in a foreign country and went into anaphylactic shock. Luckily I was in the hospital at the time as it was an IV antibiotic, but I remember not being able to breathe, then waking up the next day feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. It’s not one that’s used in this country, but I still have it on my medical records and if I’m given a new antibiotic that I’ve never had before, the gp always double checks the ingredients (?make up?) of the one I’m allergic to to check it’s not the same ingredients under a different name. So, skipping to the end, do get those tests done so you can have that information on your medical and emergency info.

When i was in hospital once, a woman opposite me was having a reaction to the IV antibiotics, (Red, blotchy) A doctor came and they said they will continue with that antibiotic as the consequence of not having the antibiotic out weighs the risk of the reaction she was having.

I was surprised but she got better

Do you know the names of any companies or even the type of doctor I need to find?

As pp says an allergist is what you want. Testing is of course available through the NHS but waiting lists are often long and there may be criteria you need to meet to get a referral in the first place, though it might be worth booking a GP appointment to talk through the options. Potentially with a different GP though..

Also I just want to say that a lot of people have reacted to an antibiotic but no longer know which it was, so if you aren’t able to get to the bottom of it please don’t worry unduly or feel guilty about a fuss being made if you need antibiotics in the future, it’s such a common scenario and most doctors who prescribe antibiotics on a regular basis will be used to dealing with cases like it.

@eternalfun
Apologies I meant to say ciprifloxacin!
Enrofloxacin is the veterinary version

We never gave any kind of drug or one of its relatives, if the patient says they had an allergic reaction to it! Later reactions tend to be more severe than the first so it's not a risk that would be taken.

I know where you are coming from though. I had ciprofloxin once and came up with blotches just as I finished the course. Dr said it was an allergy, I'm not sure as it could just have been the virus?

@Veterinari thank god! it doesnsound like it was Cipro then. I will get checked out anyway.

@yellowallpaper no way - you had the same reaction too. Although mine was within 24 hours of taking the tablets, rather than the end of the course.

Thanks to all who contributed on this thread, its been really helpful.

If you're allergic to penicillin you'll be allergic to all the 'cillin' ending antibiotics (in my experience, I assume my allergy is the normal one). My allergy developed over the years and I noticed a pattern of getting a rash that grew progressively each time it was prescribed. Apparently the reaction gets worse each time you take it and can eventually cause heart/breathing problems.
I am in hospital at the moment and when asking about allergies I have been subsequently asked how I react. I believe this is because, as a PP has mentioned, it is often the most effective antibiotic so occasionally they will prescribe it anyway if your reaction isn't too severe.

Sorry for the long and maybe largely irrelevant reply!