Dangerous Drugs: Why Taking Antibiotics Can Be Deadly for Those with Allergies

We often rely on antibiotics to rid ourselves of pesky infections, but they are potent drugs that can be deadly for those who are allergic to them.
I was reminded of this recently with my first-ever ambulance ride to the ER.

After awaking one morning with all the classic symptoms of a UTI (also known as a bladder infection), I called my doctor's office. Having been prone to UTIs several years ago, I knew that a simple course of the antibiotic Macrobid would clear things up in no time. With an extremely busy day ahead of me, the last thing I wanted was to waste time sitting in a waiting room just so my doctor could tell me what I already knew.

Of course, the receptionist had other ideas. "Oh no, the doctor will need to see you and get a urine sample," she chirped in answer to my request that the office call in a prescription to my pharmacy. Silently cursing her, I agreed to stop in after taking the kids to school.

This being the dead of winter in Ohio, the doctor's waiting room was, of course, filled to capacity when I arrived, so I sat tensely, anxious about the mountain of work awaiting me (I work from a home office). The deadlines ticked louder in my head with each passing minute.

Finally, it was my turn. Once I provided the obligatory jar of urine for a quick culture, the doctor returned in a matter of minutes to confirm that I did, indeed, have a bladder infection (gee, thanks for that useful information). He must have sensed my stress level, because he said he could give me some office samples of the antibiotic Levaquin that I would need to take only once a day for three days. Grateful not to have to make a trip to the pharmacy, I collected the samples from the nurse and left.

Back home, I dutifully popped the first day's dose and settled in to work in my home office.

About five minutes into checking my morning e-mails, I began having to clear my throat. Not once, but repeatedly. Did I mention I had a lot of work to do? Maybe that's why I ignored the fact that it wasn't normal to suddenly clear my throat again and again and without relief when I didn't have a cold. Maybe it's also why I registered only minor annoyance and kept on working when my lips began to sting and tingle. It wasn't until I caught myself clawing at my neck and chest, which were suddenly itching ferociously, that I snapped out of my work-zone mode and went to look into a mirror.

Upon doing so, I was horrified to see raised welts covering my neck and chest, and my face and lips swollen to nearly twice their normal size.

Work be damned-I was in the middle of a full-on anaphylactic reaction!

Now beginning to feel my throat swelling and my heart racing, I ran upstairs to look for my son's asthma inhaler. I had asthma into my young-adult years, so I'm no stranger to inhalers. By the time I found it buried in his basketball duffle bag, however, my airway had narrowed to the point that, being alone in the house, I knew I needed to get help fast.

Leaving the inhaler, I raced to the phone and called the doctor's office. I firmly stated "No!" when the receptionist picked up and said, "Can you hold please?" When she asked what the problem was, I croaked that I had taken an antibiotic a few minutes earlier and was having a severe reaction. She told me to hang up immediately and call 911.

When the 911 dispatcher came on the line, my voice was even more froggy, but I managed to give the necessary information. I followed his suggestion to unlock the front door, and listened anxiously for the sirens.

Mere minutes later, thankfully, I had six fire and emergency medical technicians standing over me in my den, one of them giving me a shot of epinephrine and another monitoring my vital signs. Almost immediately, my symptoms began slowing in their progression and I could again breathe easily. I thought that would be the end of it, and that I would show them to the door with profuse thanks, but they informed me that I needed to go to the hospital for additional medication and monitoring. Clearly, those deadlines were not going to be met today.

Four hours later, after receiving a hefty dose of IV medications and carrying prescriptions for several days worth of Prednisone (s steroid) and some potent antihistamines to counter the effects of the Levaquin over the next three days until it completely cleared my system, I left the hospital groggy but wiser.

My doctor, David Neiger, M.D., called several times to check on me, and assured me that my chart is now clearly marked not to give me this class of antibiotic again. He said that most people tolerate one exposure to a drug before exhibiting symptoms such as mine on the second or even later exposure. Such a violent reaction on the first exposure is rare, but it can happen. The more likely scenario is that I had been previously exposed to a drug in the same class.

I learned a couple of valuable lessons that day. First, be wary of taking any new medication when alone, especially if you have other food or drug allergies. I shudder to think what might have happened if my reaction had occurred any faster than it did. Second, antibiotics are great, and they eradicate a variety of ailments, but they must be taken with great care. And finally, if you know that you are allergic to a particular drug or class of drug, make sure you tell all of your health care providers, even your dentist, so they can note it in your file.