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Antibiotic side effects: what to look out for?

Started by Walter Myers4 · · 👁 7 views · 51 replies

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Participants Walter Myers4Jose Miller3Kenneth Hernandez67Jonathan Harris74mistyhound2feralbear49Anthony Miller13dustybison15Keith James812Rachel Walker56crimsonorca12Michael Cox40nimblewalker58Amy Fox97Gerald Kern77Carol Jamesrustymoose54Michael Jones23Brian Sanders18Mark Watson8Ryan Rodriguez5lonebadger6Laura Ward98
crimsonorca12 crimsonorca12 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Mar 2005
#21 ·
Rachel Walker56 said:My little one developed a sudden allergy to Augmentin out of nowhere. He took just one pill and immediately started feeling off... his eyelids looked swollen and strange, he just wasn't himself. He took another dose eight hours later and then the itching started everywhere. He lifted his shirt and there were these awful, raised red patches all over his body, spreading to his arms and legs... I rushed him straight to the ER. They fast-tracked him once they saw what was happening, gave him some injections, I can't even remember the names... basically, the doctor told me he could have been in serious trouble from that... scary stuff... and it didn't even look that bad at first. But once we got there... 😲 he had never been allergic to anything before. He’d taken antibiotics without any issues, and then suddenly...

It was likely anaphylactic shock triggered by the penicillin component in the Augmentin.

Not all antibiotics contain penicillin, which explains why people don't react to the others.
Rachel Walker56 Rachel Walker56 Member
11 messages
joined Aug 2004
#22 ·
Since I’m a complete novice here—does that mean they can safely use antibiotics that aren't penicillin-based, or... honestly, I'm just spiraling with worry!😢
Anthony Miller13 Anthony Miller13 Active Member
61 messages
joined Mar 2004
#23 ·
Rachel Walker56 said:Since I’m a complete novice here—does this mean he can safely take antibiotics that don't contain penicillin?

Precisely.
And honestly, his physician really ought to note that clearly in his medical records, shouldn't they?
crimsonorca12 crimsonorca12 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Mar 2005
#24 ·
Rachel Walker56 said:Since I don't know anything about this stuff—does that mean they can still take antibiotics that aren't penicillin-based? Or... I'm honestly just really worried!😢

Yes.

For instance, Sumamed and Celexa aren't penicillins.

In any case, you absolutely have to let your primary care doctor know there's a penicillin allergy... then they'll just prescribe different antibiotics instead (assuming that's what's needed).

Don't worry too much. Almost everything can be treated with other antibiotics, even if penicillin is still the go-to for certain infections...

Here is a decent website for drug info. I'm not sure how much it'll actually help since it's pretty technical, but you can read up on antibiotics there...

http://pharmacology.com

Best,
👋
Michael Cox40 Michael Cox40 Member
44 messages
joined Mar 2003
#25 ·
Most antibiotic sensitivities or allergies usually boil down to penicillin, which seems to be the big culprit quite often. I’ve been lucky enough that I don't need antibiotics all that frequently, but whenever a doctor hands me a prescription, they actually have the decency to ask if I have any penicillin allergies first. Of course, there are other triggers out there, but honestly, it’s absurd to claim that antibiotics do more harm than good in a general sense.

I should also mention the whole Candida issue. Beyond what’s already been said, oral thrush and intestinal yeast infections are incredibly common. It’s just a fungus that lives naturally in our bodies, but things go sideways when it starts overpopulating. Antibiotics can throw that delicate internal balance completely out of whack, which often leads to an outbreak. This typically happens during long courses of broad-spectrum drugs, though pregnancy, diabetes, or obesity are also major factors. For me personally, it flared up due to extreme stress—which clearly tanked my immune system and caused some serious internal imbalance. It showed up in my mouth, which is deeply unpleasant, but thankfully it's only happened three times in my life and was cleared up quickly.
Rachel Walker56 Rachel Walker56 Member
11 messages
joined Aug 2004
#26 ·
Thanks for all the input and thanks for the link! 👋
nimblewalker58 nimblewalker58 Active Member
75 messages
joined Jan 2008
#27 ·
Sarah Long said:I’ve honestly never even heard of that herb before? Where on earth does it grow?

Look, you can find the roots at just about any local supermarket, and they actually sell it ground up in little packets in pretty much every corner grocery store—it’s usually used for seasoning blood sausages.
Anthony Miller13 Anthony Miller13 Active Member
61 messages
joined Mar 2004
#28 ·
nimblewalker58 said:Look, you can find roots at any local grocery store, and ground versions come in packets at pretty much every corner shop (usually used for making blood sausage).

Is that what they call ginger? Or were you thinking of something else entirely? I’ve heard of ginger, and I believe there’s even a juice made from it, hmm.
Kenneth Hernandez67 Kenneth Hernandez67 Regular
351 messages
joined May 2005
#29 ·
crimsonorca12 said:Either way, you absolutely have to tell your primary care physician about a penicillin allergy so they can prescribe different antibiotics instead.


At my local clinic, the GP marks that allergy in bright red right at the top of the chart, above the patient's name.

It used to be listed clearly in those old medical booklets, too.

But these modern ones? There’s zero space left for anything.

In reality, once someone has a reaction to a penicillin drug, they really ought to undergo proper testing to confirm if it’s an actual hypersensitivity. Because of how intense the reactions can be and how much fear they cause, people tend to jump the gun and label every single reaction as an allergy immediately.

I personally am allergic to both penicillin and sulfonamides.🙂

I end up treating a simple sore throat for months on end... 😢
Amy Fox97 Amy Fox97 Active Member
65 messages
joined Nov 2007
#30 ·
Megan Peterson87 said:I've been on antibiotics for a week now and the headaches are driving me crazy... I usually have a hard time with them anyway... honestly, I just want to stop taking them right now... what do you guys think? What kind of side effects are you dealing with? Is it even worth it if you end up feeling worse than before?

Just toss them.
Gerald Kern77 Gerald Kern77 Active Member
56 messages
joined Dec 2011
#31 ·
Betty Rivera14 said:[At our local clinic, the GP marks it in red right at the top of the chart—above the patient's name, anyway.

It used to be noted in those old paper insurance booklets, too.

But there’s zero space for anything on these modern ones.

I've had a sulfa allergy for about a decade now. It's clearly flagged in my digital file, so I make sure to warn doctors if I'm visiting an urgent care center—say, while on vacation or during a hospital stay. But since nothing is printed in these new medical cards... it’s a real concern if you end up in the ER unconscious after an accident.
Jose Miller3 Jose Miller3 Regular
446 messages
joined Mar 2024
#32 ·
Betty Rivera14 said:just dealing with a basic sore throat for months now... 😢

Wait, what's wrong with Sumamed? Are you allergic to that too?
Kenneth Hernandez67 Kenneth Hernandez67 Regular
351 messages
joined May 2005
#33 ·
It seems a bit weak to me 😢
Jose Miller3 Jose Miller3 Regular
446 messages
joined Mar 2024
#34 ·
Betty Rivera14 said:It doesn't work for me😢


I’m honestly asking the mods to just take this huge lie down... there is absolutely no way that Sumamed doesn't work for anyone. We aren't supposed to be spreading misinformation on this forum!

😁
Walter Myers4 Walter Myers4 RegularOP
355 messages
joined May 2004
#35 ·
these damn pills are absolutely frying my liver... and my brain too😁
Carol James Carol James Newcomer
6 messages
joined Feb 2005
#36 ·
I get hit with diarrhea every once in a while—and honestly, it leaves me feeling incredibly irritable.
Just one time, my liver enzyme tests went completely haywire on me.
rustymoose54 rustymoose54 Active Member
182 messages
joined Jun 2006
#37 ·
Megan Peterson87 said:these antidepressants are absolutely wrecking my liver... and my brain😁

honestly, that explains a whole lot.
Michael Jones23 Michael Jones23 Active Member
116 messages
joined Aug 2006
#38 ·
krisi says:

Betty Rivera14 said:Ginger—you know, that root-looking spice thing...
So, just take about 2 inches of ginger, toss it into a quart of cold water, bring it to a boil, then let it simmer on low for another 15 minutes.
Use that liquid (once it's lukewarm) to soak some cotton pads and "follow the gentleman" with it.😉
It works, trust me...
Betty Rivera14, love the name.👍

Wait, did that actually work for you? How often were you applying the water? And who even taught you that trick? 😉 )
Walter Myers4 Walter Myers4 RegularOP
355 messages
joined May 2004
#39 ·
Believe it or not, it’s been ten days since this whole thing kicked off, and after choking down an entire round of antibiotics—which, by the way, absolutely wrecked my stomach—my throat is hurting again... it feels exactly like it did at the very beginning. Seriously, what am I even supposed to do now??
Anthony Miller13 Anthony Miller13 Active Member
61 messages
joined Mar 2004
#40 ·
Natch said:Believe it or not, ten days after the initial infection and having finished an entire course of antibiotics—which I could barely stomach, by the way—my throat is hurting again. It feels exactly like it did at the very beginning... what am I supposed to do now??

It sounds like you didn't actually "get over it" properly.
I went through something similar with strep throat; I finished a full round of Clavocin, only to wake up a week later with such a severe case of tonsillitis that I couldn't even speak, let alone eat anything else. Eventually, I had to take some more Sumamed and a few other things to finally get it under control.😛

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