Can there be an allergy after antibiotics? Not only “maybe”, but also occurs quite often. Of course, in most cases we are talking about minor dermatological manifestations that practically do not bring discomfort to the patient, however, some patients may experience a really very strong reaction that threatens life in the absence of timely and adequate treatment.
What antibiotics can cause allergies
Allergies after a course of antibiotics are common. An adverse reaction to taking medications or a certain sensitivity to some of their groups can occur at any age. In addition, all antibiotics have a large list of contraindications and side effects, among which allergies are mentioned. Most antibacterial drugs are strong allergens, which should be taken only under supervision and according todoctor's prescription.
The most common are amoxicillin and penicillin. These antibiotics can cause a severe and rapidly developing allergic reaction. To accurately avoid adverse reactions, these drugs should be replaced with safer substances. Allergy to penicillin and amoxicillin usually occurs between the ages of twenty and fifty.
Some patients have a predisposition to allergies. Treatment of such groups of patients is often accompanied by edema, fever, skin rash and other unpleasant symptoms. Most often, such reactions occur after therapy with drugs of the penicillin group or sulfonamides. Drugs from other groups can also cause an adverse reaction, but it has been found that anaphylactic shock (the most severe manifestation of allergy) is usually provoked by antibiotics from the penicillin group.
Causes of an allergic reaction
There is no single and well-established cause of an allergic reaction in patients to certain drugs. However, the following risk factors have been found to trigger hypersensitivity:
- the presence of concomitant diseases (cytomegalovirus, HIV / AIDS, gout, mononucleosis, lymphocytic leukemia, cancer and similar pathologies);
- being allergic to something else (house dust, pollen, animal dander, etc.);
- repeated courses of treatment with the same drug;
- high doses of medication;
- geneticpredisposition.
In antibacterial drugs there are protein compounds, to which the immune system reacts. An adverse reaction to antibiotics is a serious pathology, so self-medication is unacceptable and very dangerous. Depending on the characteristics of an individual organism, the reaction can develop within one to three hours to a day.
Antibiotic Allergy Symptoms
Clinically, allergy after taking antibiotics is manifested by both local signs and general symptoms affecting the entire body. The latter reactions are more common in middle-aged people, although children and the elderly can also be highly allergic.
Local symptoms of an adverse reaction
Most often, local reactions are manifested by a rash on the skin and other dermatological manifestations. Allergy after antibiotics (photo of symptoms on the skin below) often manifests itself in the form of urticaria. Multiple red spots appear on the skin, which in some cases merge into one large one. The spots are itchy and feel warmer than the surrounding he althy skin.
Quincke's edema is swelling that occurs in a certain area of the patient's body (larynx, scrotum, labia). Accompanied by redness, a feeling of fullness, itching. Allergy on the skin after antibiotics is accompanied by a rash, which can be of different sizes and localizations. Spots can be located on the arms, back, abdomen, face or all over the body.
If the allergy started afterantibiotics, photosensitivity may be characteristic. In this case, itching and redness occur on areas of the body exposed to sunlight. Vesicles or bullae filled with clear fluid may appear.
General manifestations
Common allergy symptoms after antibiotics include anaphylactic reaction, serum-like syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Lyell syndrome, drug fever, intoxication.
Anaphylactic shock is typical for severe allergies. The reaction develops immediately after taking the medicine (maximum after thirty minutes). The condition is manifested by increased blood pressure, difficulty breathing due to swelling of the larynx, itching and hyperthermia, skin rash, heart failure.
Serum sickness develops one to three weeks after taking an antibiotic. Such a syndrome is characterized by high body temperature, pain and aches in the joints, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes. Urticaria and Quincke's edema occur. There is a violation of the functions of the cardiovascular system: shortness of breath appears with little exertion, chest pain, tachycardia, general weakness. Complications of the disease include anaphylactic shock.
Allergy after antibiotics in an adult may be accompanied by drug fever. Typically, a complex of symptoms develops a week after the start of therapy and is resolved a maximum of two to three days after discontinuation of the drug. With repeated use of the same antibiotic, fever may develop within a fewhours. The main symptoms are a significant increase in body temperature, bradycardia, itching, skin rashes.
Drug fever is characterized by an increase in the number of eosinophils and leukocytes in the blood (occurs with a sufficiently large number of diseases) with a decrease in platelets. The latter is complicated by problems with stopping bleeding and increased bleeding.
Lyell's syndrome is extremely rare. The condition is characterized by the formation of large vesicles on the skin filled with liquid. When they burst, huge wound surfaces are exposed, die off, infectious complications often join. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is manifested by skin rashes, changes in mucous membranes, high fever.
But allergies after antibiotics are not always so severe. Often the complication is limited to local symptoms only.
First aid for anaphylactic shock
First aid for severe symptoms of anaphylactic shock is carried out without delay. You need to stop taking the drug, call an ambulance. You can inject adrenaline. The patient is given a large amount of fluid to maintain balance in the body. To prevent suffocation, you need to lay the patient on a hard surface and turn his head to the side. If the drug that caused the shock was injected intramuscularly, then ice is applied to the injection site to reduce the penetration of the drug into the body. Physicians may gradually supply saline into a vein to reduceantibiotic concentration.
Diagnostic measures
If an allergy occurs after antibiotics, what should I do? Diagnostic measures will help to establish the exact cause of the unfavorable condition and the predisposition to the presence of allergic reactions. Standard methods are used for this.
For allergies after antibiotics, skin tests are performed. Drops with alleged antibacterial drugs that caused an adverse reaction are applied to the skin of the forearm, small cuts are made. The result is then evaluated. If there are any changes, hypersensitivity is present. An immunoglobulin E blood test shows the specific antibiotic that caused the reaction.
Antibiotic allergy treatment
It is necessary to treat allergies after antibiotics only under the supervision of a doctor, because in complex cases there is a risk of rapid development of life-threatening conditions. Be sure to cancel the received antibiotic. The medicine must be replaced with a suitable one, but from a different group.
Additionally, the patient is prescribed medication to relieve general and local symptoms. Desensitization is carried out, that is, a drug to which the patient has hypersensitivity is administered from small doses, the dosage is gradually brought to the required level.
Medicated treatment
Treatment of allergies after antibiotics is carried out with antihistamines in the form of ointments and tablets. Most often prescribed to patients "Cetrin", "Loratadin" or "Lorano".
“Loratadine” has antipruritic and anti-allergic effects. It begins to act thirty minutes after ingestion, and the positive effect persists for a day. The medicine is not addictive. Take one tablet by mouth once a day. There are practically no side effects. Some patients may experience vomiting or dry mouth. Contraindication is hypersensitivity to "Loratadine" and lactation.
Cetrin is an antihistamine for systemic use. It is used for allergic reactions, urticaria, Quincke's edema, allergic rhinitis. Take with or without food, drink one glass of clean water. One tablet once a day is enough. Children under 12 years of age should take half a tablet twice a day. Elderly patients (in the absence of kidney disease) do not require dose adjustment.
Enterosorbents are quite effective drugs in the treatment of allergies after taking antibiotics, which contribute to the speedy removal of the allergen from the body. “Activated carbon”, “Polysorb”, “Enterosgel” can help.
Coal is taken at the rate of one tablet per 10 kg of weight. "Enterosgel" absorbs toxic substances, harmful bacteria and viruses, is excreted from the body in seven hours. The effectiveness of the drug is clinically proven. The remedy helps with intestinal disorders, severe systemic diseases, allergies and other pathologies that cause severe intoxication of the body.
“Polysorb” is taken as a solution. The powder should be mixed with a quarter or a half cup of water. The average recommended dosage for adults is 3 grams of the drug (this is one tablespoon “with a slide”), it is optimal for children to give 1 gram of “Polysorb” (approximately a teaspoon “with a slide”). For chronic allergies, take three times a day. The course of therapy lasts 10-14 days.
Folk recipes to eliminate rashes
Traditional medicine offers several ways to get rid of skin rashes. The simplest and most affordable is treatment with medicinal herbs, such as yarrow, lemon balm, valerian, nettle or hawthorn. Decoction should be moistened with affected areas two or three times a day. One tablespoon of dry grass is added to a glass of water. To prepare a medicinal decoction, it is enough to insist the composition in a water bath for ten minutes.
Thirty minutes before meals, you can take one teaspoon of celery juice. Juice is prepared only from a fresh plant. You can use a juicer or grate the plant on a fine grater and squeeze. You can make tea from hawthorn, but it must be infused for thirty minutes. Take the composition of 50 ml twenty minutes before meals. The course of such treatment is two weeks.
To minimize the manifestations of allergies when taking antibiotics, you need to strengthen the immune system. To do this, you should adjust the diet, take multivitamin complexes prescribed by a doctor, use folk recipes to block an adverse reaction.organism.
Allergy after antibiotics in a child
Children are a special group of patients, but an allergic reaction to antibacterial drugs in childhood is easier than in adults. Severe symptoms, complications, or systemic manifestations are extremely rare. Usually, with allergies after antibiotics, a child is characterized only by skin reactions in the form of a rash. Such symptoms are practically not disturbing.
If an allergy occurs after antibiotics, what should I do? You need to stop the drug. With the severity of the manifestations, an antihistamine medicine is prescribed. In some cases, hormonal agents are needed. As a rule, therapy (except drug withdrawal) is limited to the appointment of ointments to eliminate symptoms on the skin, a hypoallergenic diet. Bathing is recommended only in the shower because the rash worsens from prolonged exposure to water.
Special diet for allergies
A special diet is recommended for allergies after antibiotics. To strengthen the immune system, it is advisable to include more foods containing a rich composition of vitamins in the diet, fruits are especially useful (unless, of course, there is no reaction to them). It is useful to consume fermented milk products, which will restore the digestive system, the work of which is disrupted by taking antibacterial agents.
For any form of allergy, it is recommended to eat cereals, lean meats, green peas, zucchini, apples, pears, wholemeal bread, mild cheese, melted butter, cerealsloaves. It is necessary to limit pasta, wholemeal bread, cottage cheese, sour cream and yoghurts with various additives, lamb, semolina, berries. At a minimum, you should eat onions and garlic, carrots, beets.
We'll have to give up spicy and spicy foods, sweet soda, coffee and cocoa, chocolate. It is necessary to exclude fried, too s alty, smoked dishes, fish and seafood from the menu. It is not recommended to consume allergenic fruits and berries, citrus fruits, ketchup, mayonnaise, honey and nuts.
What can replace antibiotics
As a rule, an allergy occurs to a particular drug or group of drugs. In this case, the attending physician will replace the antibacterial agent with a similar one in terms of the mechanism of action, but different in composition. It is worth switching to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and so on. But it is very important that it is unacceptable to prescribe medications on your own. This is especially true for antibiotics. With a strong reaction or severe sensitivity to a large number of different antibacterial drugs, phytotherapy is indicated.
Prevention of an allergic reaction
The most important rule is to completely abandon self-diagnosis and self-treatment. It is necessary to independently consult a doctor for an appointment for an allergy test, if such a diagnostic procedure has not been carried out before. In addition, the next of kin should be asked about the presence of an adverse reaction to any medications. If this is the case, then you should definitely notify your doctor. There isthe likelihood that there is a chronic predisposition. The most common antihistamines should be in the home first aid kit in order to block the adverse reaction of the immune system in time.
So, an allergy to antibiotics is a potentially dangerous condition that necessarily requires the consultation of the attending physician and the replacement of the drug. In some cases, urgent help from qualified doctors is needed. In the future, treatment will have to be carried out with suitable antibacterial drugs, phytotherapy is also used.
