How to Overcome Medication Allergy Properly

Drug allergies can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe symptoms. Therefore, you need to know how to deal with the right drug allergy so that the symptoms that appear can be resolved immediately and you avoid conditions that can be fatal, such as anaphylactic shock.

Each drug generally has side effects, one of which is to trigger an allergic reaction. In people who have drug allergies, allergic symptoms can appear quickly within hours or slowly within a few days of using the drug.

Symptoms of allergies that appear can also vary. In mild drug allergic reactions, symptoms that can appear in the form of rashes and itching of the skin, swelling of the lips and face, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

However, drug allergic reactions that occur can sometimes be severe and cause severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, weakness, and decreased consciousness or fainting. This condition is called anaphylactic shock. In certain cases, drug allergic reactions can also cause a condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Some Ways to Overcome Medication Allergy

There are several ways you can do to deal with drug allergic reactions that arise, including:

1. Recognizing allergy-triggering drugs

This is one important step to overcome the drug allergy that you are experiencing and prevent you from allergic reactions that may reappear later in life.

Basically, almost all drugs are at risk of causing allergic reactions. However, there are several types of drugs that tend to trigger allergic reactions more often, including:

• Antibiotics, such as penicillin and sulfa
• Anticonvulsant or anticonvulsant drugs
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, and metamizole
• Antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Anesthetic or anesthesia
• Gout drug allopurinol

2. Stop the use of drugs that trigger allergies

After the drugs that trigger allergies are known, immediately stop using these drugs and avoid using them again in the future.

If you are unsure of what medications are triggering drug allergies, try to remember and record all medicines and supplements, including herbal remedies, that you took in the last 24–48 hours.

After that, you should consult a doctor and bring the note so that the doctor can help identify which drug triggers an allergic reaction in your body.

3. Perform maintenance at home

If the symptoms appear relatively mild, you can do a variety of ways to overcome drug allergies, including by taking a cold shower, giving a cold compress, or applying calamine lotion to the skin or areas of the body that feel itchy and appear rash, and taking antihistamines.

4. Taking allergic relievers

Mild allergic reactions generally subside on their own within a few hours or days. This condition can also usually be treated with home remedies.

However, symptoms of drug allergy that can sometimes appear severe or never disappear. If you experience such drug allergies, you need to see a doctor immediately to get treatment.

To deal with a severe drug allergic reaction, your doctor may prescribe the following medicines:

Antihistamine drug

When you have an allergic reaction, your body will produce a trigger for an allergic reaction called histamine. This substance can appear when you are exposed to allergens that trigger allergies, including food, dust, to drugs.

To overcome these allergic reactions, doctors can prescribe antihistamines. This drug is often used to treat mild to moderate allergies or allergies that cause complaints of itching and severe skin rashes.

Corticosteroid medicine

Drug allergies can trigger inflammation and swell in the body. This can cause symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and shortness of breath. In addition, swelling can also occur in other body parts, such as the face, lips, and lining of the eyes which causes red and watery eyes.

To relieve inflammation that occurs due to drug allergies, doctors can prescribe corticosteroid drugs. Corticosteroid drugs are available in the form of oral medication, topical medication, eye drops, inhalation, or inhalers.

Bronchodilators

Drug allergic reactions can cause shortness of breath. In people with asthma, allergic reactions can trigger asthma symptoms. To overcome this condition, the doctor can prescribe bronchodilators.

This medicine will help dilate the respiratory tract so that breathing will become easier. Bronchodilators are available in liquid and powder form for use in inhalers or nebulizers.

Epinephrine injection

Epinephrine injections are generally used to treat severe drug allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is characterized by symptoms of weakness, tingling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and fainting.

This condition needs to be treated immediately because of the risk of causing severe complications and even death.

5. Desensitization Therapy

This therapy might also be done if you have an allergy to certain medicines that need to be taken in the long run. This therapy aims to reduce the risk of allergy symptoms recurrence later in life.

Desensitization therapy is done by giving a small amount of a drug or allergen to the body, then the dose is increased gradually so that the patient's body can recognize and tolerate the drug.

If you have a history of drug allergies, don't forget to note just which types of drugs cause allergic reactions. The goal is that you can tell your doctor or health care provider about a history of drug allergy before undergoing any medical treatment.

If you do not know what medications can trigger an allergic reaction, you can consult a doctor to undergo an examination. To determine the allergy triggers, your doctor may advise you to undergo an allergy test.

When experiencing an allergic reaction to the drug, try not to panic, and immediately stop all the drugs you consume. If the symptoms do not appear to improve, immediately see a doctor so that treatment can be done quickly and correctly. 

Share this post

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER