To think Clarithromycin is the work of the devil.

[AstridAv]

I've got 2 and a half days left of this antibiotic and its been hellish. Constantly dizzy, vomitting, a disgusting taste in my mouth and my mouth is soo dry to boot despite virtually drowning myself in water and fruit teas.
Anyone else experience these delightful side effects with this AB?

Yes, it’s the pits
It gave me really awful diarrhoea too. Keep on with it, eat lots of toast and a yoghurt before each dose to line your tummy. Hope you feel better

Gives me awful tummy cramps. Best to eat food when you take them.

Joys of being allergic to Penicillin.

Yep!! Felt like I’d swallowed a rusty pipe and was burping it up. Cried all the way to the doctors with stomach cramps. I asked for something else and got prednisolone (?sp) Much better!

Pro-biotics and lots of them

They gave this to my 6yr old son. Explosive bright green diarrhoea, stomach cramps with him lying in agony on the bathroom floor, and extra days off school resulting in snotty letters. He only had foot and mouth. The next GP just gave him cream for his lips. Bloody awful stuff.

Are you 100% sure of your penicillin allergy?

Up to 90% of patients who report a penicillin allergy do not have a true penicillin allergy - as you have found this has real life consequences as the alternative antibiotic choices have consequences.

Even for those with a true allergy, this is known to fade over time - approx 80% lose it after 10 years.

www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/pdfs/penicillin-factsheet.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3ZNiSoof-zmgHRQaXnf2DjWP_vnGAhKgDOs6yQm-LpnjhsS-bjgBxTyCo

Is that the pink one shaped like a Smartie? I quite agree, it’s the instrument of the devil. The first time I was prescribed it I went to a posh restaurant shortly after, had to dash to the loo half way through and threw up all over my tights.

It gives me the shits but it’s wonderful stuff. Really works every time.

@AnnaMagnani I thought this about myself. Have always been told I have the allergy from when I was a toddler. I begged the doctor to just give me penicillin but they wouldn’t. Can you get an allergy test for penicillin?

YABU I love it. Makes me feel human again within days. Yes, my stomach feels like its being torn to shred's but its so worth it.

Snap on all of the above. My dr refused to consider penicillin despite the apparent allergic reaction being 30yrs ago and neither me or my mum can remember it. I begged to try it after the awful affects of clarithryomycin.
Try taking the tablet with literally a pint of milk. I read that from someone on here and it did really help with the nausea etc.

I'm prescribed it for a skin condition (only take when it flares up). The first week includes a little bit of diarrhoea in the first day or 2 and that metallic taste in mouth. But it does go in week 2 and then it's all fine.

I always thought erythromycin was pink and clarithromycin was yellow. Least my ones are yellow. I can't take erythromycin as it really upsets my stomach and gives me horrific headaches.

Awful, awful, awful drug.

I actually started a thread about it at the beginning of the year when I got put on it. No joke, I felt like I could have died. Beyond horrendous.

I was given them for chest infection and sinusitis (which in hindsight was probably actually coronavirus but it allegedly wasn't prevalent at that time). I'd rather have that again than take those tablets.

Oh yes, it’s erithromycin that makes me throw up. Ghastly stuff. I’ve never managed to finish a course, so it’s no use to me whatsoever.

It is worth seeing your GP and asking for a referral for allergy testing - any story dating back to when you are a toddler is likely to be v unreliable.

Being penicillin allergic does have real life consequences. My DM developed it when she was in hospital with sepsis - full blown anaphlyaxis in her late 70s. Now when she is ill, instead of having a simple penicillin she has less good antibiotics, when in twice more with sepsis she needed 3 iv antibiotics instead of one. And one time she had to have an obscure antibiotic they reserve as a last resort as it was the only non-penicillin her bug was sensitive to. She was stuck in hospital having it for days when if she wasn't pencillin allergic she would have been home, on tablets much earlier.

@AnnaMagnani

Thats really dangerous information to be peddling.

I was noted as penicillin allergic because i possibly had a very minor reaction as a baby and my grandad was severely. But several people told me what you have said.

At 16 had one doctor who thought the same as you. They insisted what they were prescribing me wasnt penicillin and sent me on my way. I dutifully took it and it felt like swallowing a golf ball. Everytime I took it it felt like swallowing a golf ball. I had no idea what was going on wasnt me having a bit of trouble swallowing the capsule. On day three i came out in an all over body rash and my throat started closing. Thankfully with antihistamine it was manageable at home. But had I been on my own when the reaction kicked in I'd have been in much more trouble.

Incidentally I few years later I got the same reaction from Hagen Dahz. Evidently they can on occasion use antibiotics on their milk producing cows and you can get trace in the ice cream. I'm not sure that supports the idea I might be getting less sensitive.

I'd only be happy trying a penicillin in hospital. Encouraging people to reconsider the allergy when they might be at home alone or looking after small children is scary. Literally life and death

I'm not encouraging people to reconsider it at home. I'm encouraging them to discuss it with their GP and ask about allergy testing.

There are alternatives - MIL was with us through lockdown and had a similar reaction, but our GP sorted her out with something else. I can't remember what it was though, so this is probably a useless post! but there are non-penicillin alternatives.

I'm encouraging them to discuss it with their GP and ask about allergy testing.

Then you should have put that in your initial post.

Yy. To asking GP for a different Penicillin alternative. Although in my experience the -mycin family antibiotics are the most effective so the side effects may be worth putting up with up if the infection is severe.

I am currently on metronidazole and suffering similarly! Toast cut into very slim fingers is helpful.

I.was.precribed.these.for.a.bad.chest.and very.sore.throat last.oct.I am not.allergic to penicillin.Midway I felt so sick I knew it I took it it would comeback up!Next.day I decided to continue the course and was ok.Hard to know what was the illness and what was a.side effect.

I had it for whooping cough despite the fact that I was largely over it by the time the diagnosis was confirmed (3 weeks for the blood test results). Dr was very adamant I should take them. Took me ages to feel ok again. They are vile.

I think as I am so far into the course I just need to tough it out this time and ask for alternatives next time. It's awful. The dizziness is the worst for me, especially having two children to look after. Frustrating too, as I can't tell if I'm feeling better or not because I feel worse since taking these.
I wouldn't mind having allergy test for penicillin. Oh how I miss being able to take penicillin.

DS had a horrendous allergic reaction to it after one dose. He still had bright red hives all over his body 3 weeks later.