About Allergies: Do You Need to Take Penicillin?

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies Approximately 10% of all people list penicillin as a medication allergy. For many people, this came about as a result of developing some sort of rash after taking penicillin as a young child, many decades in the past. The details for most are vague, and did not typically result in a dangerous reaction, yet they were told to avoid penicillin anyway. For most of their lives, these people now need to take non-penicillin antibiotics that cost more, are more powerful, have more side effects and cause more antibiotic resistance than penicillin-based antibiotics. And yet most of these people aren't even truly allergic to penicillin. Allergy testing is now available in order to confirm or rule out the presence of penicillin allergy. This is a simple procedure that can be performed in an allergist's office. Only an allergist can decide, after a careful evaluation of a person's penicillin allergy history and penicillin allergy testing, if a person is truly allergic to penicillin. In many cases, a significant number of people that thought they were allergic to penicillin can safely take this cost-effective class of antibiotics. How Penicillin Allergy Testing is Done Penicillin allergy testing involves the use of various skin testing techniques, including prick skin testing (also called epicutaneous) and intradermal skin testing, to penicillin and penicillin metabolites... Read more All About Penicillin Allergy Penicillins and cephalosporins are also the most common causes of drug allergy. About 10% of Americans report an allergy to penicillin or a related antibiotic. While penicillin allergy most commonly occurs in young adults, reactions can occur at any age. Women appear to be at higher risk than men... Read more See More About:  allergies  allergist  allergy testing Cephalosporins and Penicillin Cross-Reactivity Penicillins and cephalosporins are also the most common causes of drug allergy. About 10% of all Americans report an allergy to penicillin or a related antibiotic. Since penicillins and cephalosporins are related structurally, people with a history of penicillin allergy are often not given cephalosporins for concern that these will also cause an allergic reaction... Read more Allergies Ads Allergies Allergies and Skin Food Allergy Testing Allergy Skin Rash Allergy Treatment Featured Articles Alternative Therapies in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergies Glossary of Terms Information on the Most Common Allergy Medications Allergy Basics Frequently Asked Questions Nose and Eye Allergies   More from About.com Discover the Disney Dream Disney's newest cruise ship has something for every family member, from the Aqua Duck watercoaster to adults-only lounges. More> Cruise the Celebrity Eclipse The Eclipse features luxurious interiors, a spa, and the "iLounge" where guests can check email and create their own photo books. More> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies Advertisement