Antibiotic reaction

[anita]

I am wondering whether anyone else has had a particular reaction to antibiotics. 

Growing up I had no problems with any antibiotic.  However, after the Sjogren's reared it's ugly head in the early 90's, I began having drug reactions to every antibiotic I took.  The very serious reactions causeed small (but many) fluid filled blisters to appear on every mucus membrane.  This would include inside the mouth (everywhere--roof, sides, and under the tongue), in the eyes, in the nose, etc.  It even appeared down my throat and in the lungs (they did not do a bronchoscopy to confirm).  It would not only be very uncomfortable, but caused very difficult breathing (why they felt it was also in the smaller airways of the lungs).  It appears after 2-3 days of oral antibiotics, or 2 doses of IV antibiotics.  It will go away, but takes many days and breathing is next to impossible (had to be in the hospital).

Because of the timing with the Sjogren's and the only place it appears is the mucus membranes, several doctors believe it is due to changes in the mucus membranes from Sjogren's and the autoimmune response.  It has literally been every antibiotic tried since my first "flare" knocked me on my butt.  When I had meningitis, doctors even tried a brand new drug class just developed, but the same thing occurred. 

Has any else had this happen? 

Anita

[Dolly Dimples]

 Gosh Anita, that is quite scary,

                                      I certainly have never heard of anyone being allergic to every antibiotic.

                   One good thing, your Doctors seem to be on the ball about this,

             I do hope that someone somewhere can come up with a solution for you.
                           Meanwhile take care , Dolly

[DragonflyC]

Allergies are a sign of a mis-firing immune system (i.e., it's attacking things that aren't harmful to the body).  They often show up as a ride-along with autoimmune conditions.

I didn't develop allergies to any medications (that I know of) after getting sick, but I did develop environmental allergies right around the time I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease).

[Bernice]

Never had such severe reactions as yours, but I am allergic to most everything, it is really hard to px meds for me either they cause rashes or very bad stomach pains to the point I curl up in ball feeling like my insides are bleeding, this normally is caused by pain meds. Now I'm to the point I'm afraid to take half the stuff I get for pain, especially if it says may cause stomach pains! Forget about it!

My son tells me I'm allergic to the world,  environmental allergies consist of most EVERYTHING!

Had a doctor once highly suggest I move to AZ., well that didn't happen.

[irish]

Do the docs put you on any cortisone products either by mouth or IV when you are going through this? Seems like this could make life interesting. Have they ever talked about doing some (IVIG) intravaenous gammaglobulin when You are going through this?  Just a thought. Irish

[Patze]

Wow Anita, what do your doctors say about your reaction?  I know that I can't take any antibiotic on a long term because I come up hypersensitive to it, but for me it hyper itching (24/7 and can't take Doxycycline class because of this reaction). 

Take care of yourself -

Patze

[anita]

Irish,

The answer to both your questions is yes.  I have been given benydril or solu-medrol prior to the antibiotics and also received IVIG for 11 years (during a time when these reactions occurred).  Nothing helped.  Sadly I don't get the IVIG anymore after stopping for an insurance review and once approved again I had a severe allergic reaction to it as well.  Not the blisters (that only seems to be antibiotics), but I got aseptic meningitis from the IVIG.  WBC count in the spinal fluid topped 700 and bought me a week+ in the hospital and another 30 days in bed to recover.  And because the WBC were off the chart, the doctors had to treat with antibiotics (until the culture came back) just in case it wasn't aseptic and therefore I could be dead in 2 days.  This is when they tried a brand new drug class.  Luckily the culture was fine (meaning aseptic) so they could stop the antibiotics right away...but i still took almost a week for the blisters to go away.

One doctor at Hopkins wants to try to biopsy one of the blisters when it occurs next time since they don't even have a name for the blisters/rash, much less know why it's happening.  They just figure it's Sjogren's related with the connection to mucus membranes and odd immune response.  Not that i wish this on anyone, didn't think I would be alone on this one.

Somebody on this forum says, "it's the gift that keeps on giving"   Ain't this the truth!!!