multiple medicine allergic responses
Didn't see any discussions regarding multiple medicine allergic responses. I am embarrassed to say, I am up to 24 allergic responses with medications. The allergic reactions are things I can't control such as high potassium, low sodium, noncardiac pulmonary edema. I feel like health care providers open the chart and see this, I get labeled as "crazy" and when I say I am starting to react to a medicine, noone listens. If I stop the med for my own safety, then I am causing a problem, even if my blood pressure drops due to side effects starting or I feel weak and sodium is dropping and is 130. I don't even want to use healthcare. It is exhausting advocating for myself. I was warned by a pulmonologist, my allergic reactions are dangerous because I rarely have a rash and therefore, treatment is delayed or felt not warranted.
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How terrible for you! That must be very frightening to have to deal with. You are smart to stop taking something when it obviously affects you so badly. Sometimes medicines have instructions about how or when to stop them. I react strongly to different medications also; not quite as many as you but still it's disconcerting. One thing that I have done is try and find food that will help what I'm taking the medication for when I react to the medication. For instance, lots of water or Gatorade will help with low blood pressure. Gatorade also helps with memory problems. My husband was given the wrong medicine when he had a CT scan. It affected his memory for a while but the Gatorade helped bring it back. I just did a lot of research online to find different foods that helped one naturally instead of taking the medication.
The other thing that helps a lot is prayer. Just talk to God and tell him your problems and ask for his help. It has worked for me many times. After all, he made you and he can fix you! I'll say a prayer for you also.
I wish you the best.
PML
I have the very same problem..and the it's so frustrating.. just went thru it with antibiotics for a UTI.. I told them and then ended up back in ER 2 days later with a reaction worse that the UTI..I have learned to ask.. does this prescription go by ANY other name the hard way.. you're not alone in this!! I was shopping in Walmart and the greeting card rep (a lady about my age ..70 ..told me she was allergic to alcohol..and it was in a medication her doctor had been her on for years!! She lost all of her teeth.. what has happened to health care..?? Thank God Jesus is the Healer!! I'll pray for you!!
I have decided to ask for a referral to allergy and immunology. I have some providers picked out that are in my insurance plan and will call tomorrow to see how long of a wait to be evaluated. I am choosing allergy & immunology over dermatology because I rarely have skin reactions. If I cant be seen in a reasonable amount of time, I will be contacting larger institutions to see what time frame they give me. I am out of options for blood pressure meds, so something has to be figured out before I end up in ER again—-which is no place to be if its a medicine reaction and you need an alternative med to control blood pressure. Or until I am told I am out of luck, there is no alternative. Regardless, I just need to know IF there are any options/treatments.
That's a good idea! I'll say a prayer for you that it turns out just fine for you. In the meantime drink a lot of water. It helps with blood pressure. I always drink a lot of water before I take my blood pressure and it's usually normal. Also look at the ingredients that are in the food you are eating. If there are preservatives and additives in the food, that could increase your blood pressure too.
I wish you the best.
Thank you all for listening and the thoughts and prayers. I appreciate it and it does help to know others have had issues. I can do this one more time!
Thank you so much for the support. I do have some good news/update. My hypertensive specialist is back in the office and called me at home and went thru my most recent medicine reactions. I was on 3 older medications because they are what I have tolerated and are the last 3 antihypertensive meds to try. I had to stop 2 of them, low sodium and one would randomly drop my BP 40 mmhg, dizzy, etc. The single BP med left doesnt really control me——110’s/60’s—160/100. She referred me to immunology but earliest appt end of Aug. Hopefully, soon I will have some sort of plan.