Horrible Allergic Reaction!

[noell]

Well on Saturday night I went out to dinner with my family. we went to Applebees. I did cheat a little, I had the fajitas and ate two smalll tortillas. I am sure there was some small amount of sugar in the fajita sauce, I really do not know. However this is the first time I have out right cheated.

Usually my cheats are a small piece of suagr free candy or a very small helping of low carb ice cream.

I then came home and took my antibiotic that I have been on for almost a week for a major ear infection. I also took an ibuprofen for the headache I was sure I was going to get for the carbs.

Within an hour I noticed my wrists started to itch insanely. Within minutes my face and ears were on fire. I went to the bathroom and I was as red as a tomotoe and had hives everywhere, my blood pressure I know was through the roof ( I have normally low blood pressure). I was going insane scratching myself everywhere. I went to the ER, by the time I got there I was this way throughout my entire body with scabs, because I could not stop scratching myself. I told them what I had eaten and that I had not eaten like that in months. I also took in my antibiotics that I was taking, and had been taking for over a week with no problems.

I thought for sure it was the food, they said it was the antibiotics.

I was having problems breathing at that point, so they started steroids, benadryl, Iv, and oxygen and started monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure as they were both through the roof. Within minutes of the IV meds I felt way better, the itching stopped and you could literally watch my skin change to normal color again. I was released 4 hours later, with steroids and antihistimines to contiue taking.

Now here is the question, I had been taking the antibiotics for a week with no problem. I am allergic to anything penicillen based, but this was Cipro and it is not Penicillen based, I have also taken this many times before with no problems. Now I wonder was it the food that I ate or really was it the antibiotics?

I would really appreciate your opinions on this! :help:

[Puffypants]

OMG, how scary for you. Glad you're okay now.

Funny thing about antibiotics (and lots of other things), you can become allergic to them at any time, even if you've previously taken them with no adverse reaction.

It works in reverse too - you can be allergic to something for years and then one day you're fine with it.

[Hairballz]

I had a similar reaction to Cipro that ended with me at the ER - full blown anaphylactic reaction, nearly identical to what you described. I had also taken it previously without incident. Until it happened, I wasn't aware of the concept of a "sensitizing dose" (doc later explained it) which basically means your body experiences the drug one or several times before suddenly deciding it needs to go into full attack mode the next time it encounters it. My reaction went through the whole series you described and a day later I still couldn't walk properly because the soles of my feet had swollen up along with the face, eyes and air way! SCARY experience - now every medical record I have lists Cipro as DO NOT GIVE ME UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!! I can laugh about this now, back when it happened several years ago... not so much. Hope you are feeling much better now.

[Mrs. Skip]

The symptoms you described could also be from a food allergy. So think back in your past, have you ever gotten hives or stomach cramping or mouth swelling from any food? If not, I guess the only way you are going to be completely sure, is when you are off of your antibiotic, to go back to the restaurant and eat the same thing again, LOL, and see if you have the same reaction.

However, if you have never had any trouble with food in the past, it does sound like it could be the antibiotic.

[Jamaicame]

I was in the hospital for some freak sickness in December of last year because I couldn't eat or drink anything for days because of an absess in my throat. They gave me cipro. I was in the hospital for 2 days left, went to stay with a friend and woke up the next night itching to death too- hives and bright red, throat closing off. Had to go right back to the hospital to get shots to stop it. I have had the antibiotic as a child as well and no reaction until now. This time I had a delayed reaction to it. Same exact thing you are saying more or less. be careful in the future, they warned me the first reaction isn't so bad, the next one can come on so quickly it could be life threatening very quick.

[<CarbQueen]

And once you've had an allergic reaction, the second one following would be even worse...the first reaction was your "sensitizing dose" as mentioned above, just way too much for you.

Allergies can occur unexpectedly, after years of no negative effects. DH suddenly became allergic to penicillin when he was about 35 yo. I became allergic to codeine and all forms of derivative at about 35 too. Odd, but it happens.

Glad that you're doing better and that you went to the ER for quick care.

<CQ

[zeph317]

i'd be more likely to blame the food. if that was the first time you had wheat in a while, it could be showing that you can't tolerate it. i have that kind of reaction when i have wheat, especially when i have been off it for a while and get some. hope you're feeling better now.

[aeroangie]

My first thought was the anitibiotic. Cipro is a very powerful one. I wouldn't think the tortillas could do all of that alone. Have you ever had any allergic reactions to food before?

So sorry you had to go through that!!! Sheeesh!

[Citruskiss]

Cipro is awful. I had a 'reaction' to it last summer - though not nearly as serious as what you're describing. Thank goodness I recognized it for what it was and stopped taking it. Within two doses of Cipro, my leg started swelling up like mad and I was having trouble walking properly. I stopped the medicine, even though it was on a weekend, and called the doctor on Monday - only to be told that I didn't need it after all, since I didn't have an infection (the tests came back fine). Aggghh! My doctor told me on the phone that the leg and foot swelling up like that was indicative of an allergic reaction.

And like a previous poster mentioned - you could be taking something and be fine, and then the next time - turn up allergic to it. Sometimes the first 'reaction' isn't all that bad, and you think it's some kind of minor side effect. Trouble is - that 'side effect' is just a warning that the medicine isn't for you.

Very glad you got to the ER and got the help you need.

I really don't think it was the food, though I could be wrong. With gluten (wheat) intolerance or celiac, you wouldn't normally break out in hives. An actual allergy might be different though. I'd go with what the ER people were saying - it was the antibiotic. Be sure to avoid any antibiotics with 'floxin' in it's name from here on out.

Hope you're feeling much better.

[Lisa N]

Allergies can develp at any point in a person's lifetime. My DH had hay fever for most of his childhood and adult life but no other allergies. Then about 6 years ago, he suddenly started having allergic reactions to foods...serious reactions that require him to carry an epi pen with him in case he accidentally eats something he is allergic to.
It certainly sounds like the Cipro is the culprit here and I would not suggest that you take it again.

[noell]

wow, this is scary! I am already allergic to anything penicillen based so now Cipro too! I wonder what is left for me to take? lol

[noell]

Definitely is not the wheat, I ate one of those low carb tortillas last night and tonight just to see. I am sure the bag would have been tastier though, lol.

So it must be the Cipro

[JudyJudy]

I'm so sorry you had such an experience. I would bet that it was the antibiotic. Since you are allergic to penicillin, you are more likely to become allergic to other antibiotics. I truly don't know what I'll do if I get a serious infection because I have become allergic to every antibiotic I've ever tried (I stayed sick a lot when I was teaching school and was given antibiotics frequently).

On a different note, try to avoid taking ibuprofen or any other such meds if you can. All such meds are bad for your gut.

[capmikee]

Sometimes things can cause an allergic reaction in combination; maybe your meal triggered a reaction to the cipro.