Aaron Long2 said:Hi everyone—and my apologies in advance if a similar thread already exists! Honestly, I’ve searched everywhere, but couldn't find one, so please, if this topic is already being discussed, don't delete my post; just move it!
I am seriously asking for help because I have a penicillin allergy—not always, mind you, but for about the last 10 years or so... When I was a kid, I’d get some Clavocin here and there and everything was fine, but then about a decade ago, I needed a tooth pulled, but they couldn't do it because of some inflammation. They gave me an antibiotic—Clavocin again—a massive dose, and I was immediately rushed to the ER. 🙄 Within minutes, I broke out in a rash, and my face swelled up so much that even Angelina Jolie would have been embarrassed by how my lips looked—plus my tongue—and my blood pressure was practically a flat line... To be honest, I actually started coming around before we even reached the hospital; I met them right at the doors, but they tossed me onto a stretcher regardless, rushed me to Mayo Clinic, pumped me full of everything, and hooked me up to an IV... 😢
I ended up getting the tooth pulled later without any antibiotics, and I haven't taken anything since—except for when my dentist gave me Celexa, which caused a mild rash, so we decided to steer clear of anything like that altogether... 🙄 Regarding Celexa, it says that about 10% of people are allergic to penicillin, but there must be something else that can be prescribed, right?
Normally, I haven't had any reason to ask about this because I’m in excellent health, but I got a bit spooked recently when I came down with some bronchopneumonia. I basically just powered through it without any medication because my regular doctor wasn't in, and the locum physician who was covering for her told me there wasn't much she could give me because of my allergy... It’s in the past now, of course; I was coughing and hacking for three weeks, but it all cleared up and I'm totally fine now, but I'm genuinely anxious about what might happen if I need something in the future....
For instance, I look at something trivial—like an ingrown toenail that I've been picking at—and I think to myself: what if something stupid like that gets infected? I mean, what if I need something today or tomorrow? I'm 36 years old, and luckily I haven't had to deal with a serious medical issue more than once in my life, but then I see a colleague at work who was put on heavy-duty pills just for a toe issue—just like I was back at the dentist when I ended up in the ER—and I panic. What if I suddenly need antibiotic therapy? I can't believe there isn't an alternative available; it's easy for someone who just survived bronchopneumonia a month ago to say, but what if something happens that I can't just "will" away with my own strength? 🤷
It just occurred to me that I could take Amoxicillin, but I didn't think of that at the time... 🤣 Not that the substitute doctor thought of it either... 🤣 My mistake... 🤣
No, seriously, it's easy for me to joke about it now, but I am truly asking for advice because I'm still a little spooked by the whole ordeal. I just want to know something I can suggest, or at least have a direction to head in, if I ever run into another doctor who thinks my only options are to either survive it or die—like I'm stuck in the wilderness or something... 😲 🤣 I'll ask my regular doctor once she's back, but I'm really looking for more opinions, recommendations, or experiences from people who are allergic to penicillins and Celexa (Clavocin, maybe not all of them...).
🤷
Look, you are totally overreacting.
The first thing you need to do is see an allergist to confirm if you actually have a penicillin allergy or if it's something else.
That is the million-dollar question right there.
If you truly are allergic to penicillin—meaning stuff like Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, or Augmentin—then there is a very real risk of cross-reactivity with cephalosporins, like Cephalexin and the like.
But don't worry, there are plenty of antibiotic options available. It's not like you're the only person on the planet with a penicillin allergy; doctors know exactly how to handle this. For instance, they can use macrolides like Erythromycin or Azithromycin, or even quinolones like Ciprofloxacin.
It all just depends on what we're actually treating.
