I miss health.

The BBQ Pit
1

For pretty much all of November I was hit with cold after cold. I’d just be starting to feel normal again, and suddenly I’d be feverish and unable to drag myself out of bed, or too stuffed up to sleep, or dizzy and achy. Fun. But at least each set of symptoms only lasted a few days, so I didn’t have a change to get bored with them.

Then, the last illness, a horrible sore throat matched with fatigue and complete loss of appetite, just wasn’t going away. I tried to wait it out, because I was operating under the delusion that I am a terribly healthy young woman who needs only a few days of bed rest to get over anything. Always worked before. I even tried to convince myself I was getting better when I’d advil the symptoms into submission. After a week and a half, just before finals were about to start, I gave in and went to the doctor.

Strep Throat. Vile, disgusting, irritating, painful Strep Throat. I was given a prescription for ten days of amoxicillin (penecillin).

By Day 2, I had started to feel human again. I could eat more than a few mouthfuls before feeling sick. I could swallow my own saliva without my eyes tearing up from the pain. I could stay out of bed for more than 4 hours at a stretch. Life was good.

By Day 4, I’m feeling great. I’d been sick so long I almost forgot how nice it is to be normal and have energy and finish meals.

On Day 5, the back of my left hand starts itching. I ignore it. The air is dry, the water’s hard, itchy knuckles aren’t all that odd.

On Day 6, I notice something very out of place as I’m walking by the bathroom mirror to get into the shower- I have spots. Little red spots. Just on my hands and chest, but that’s still a few spots too many. I go over what I’ve eaten in the past few days, try to remember if I’ve switched laundry detergents or soap recently. Nope.

I wake this morning, Day 7, looking like a Star Trek alien. My spots are everywhere (even a few faint ones on the lower part of my face and my palms). And now they itch. Because of course, to top of my month and a half of hell, just when I am finally starting to feel better, on the very day that my SO (who I haven’t seen in more than a month) is coming to get me for Christams break, I have to go and develop an allergic reaction to amoxicillin.
I really, really miss health.

2

And, you have, of course notified your doctor of your newfound allergic reaction to penicillin? And he has told you to stop taking the amoxicillin? Spots on your face being the least of your worries, when you suddenly become allergic to penicillin?
Of course. :smiley:

3

Aye, I ran straight to the Walk In clinic this morning when I discovered that the spots had declared war and invaded my face and neck. She decided the strep throat is gone and I should stop taking the pills. And start taking Benadryl. Aside from that, all I can do is wait. And hope that this is the finale.

4

Each and every time you see a doctor, the very first words you should say are “I am allergic to penicillin.” I mean, the doctor says, “What seems to be the problem?” and instead of telling the doc that you have a broken bone, you spout out that you’re allergic to penicillin. Even if it’s on your records, and you know that the nurse just wrote it down.

CHECK YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS each time you get them. I’ve been prescribed penicillin a few times. Once or twice, I was prescribed another antibiotic, the pharmacy didn’t have it in stock and called the doctor, who allowed penicillin to be substituted. If you have a regular pharmacy, let them know that you’re allergic. Check your prescriptions even then, but it’s good to have another backup.

The good news is that there ARE other antibiotics on the market. You just have to make sure that you don’t get penicillin again.

And yeah, I’ve looked like the Spotted Alien from Beyond the Stars myself. Three times now (I’m allergic to penicillin, Levaquin, and Cleomycin). I completely sympathize. If you get those symptoms again, now you know to IMMEDIATELY quit taking the medicine and start taking Benadryl.

5

I had the same problem last Christmas. I’ve had strep and ear infections many many times in my 23 years and I never had a problem. After 4 days on the amoxicillin, I developed a rash, right under my boob. Talk about uncomfortable. When I called the doctor, he said after 4 days, the ear infection would be taken care of and the extra 6 days were precautionary so I could stop taking it. Unfortunately, with the rash right under my boob, Benedryl didn’t help. I had it for 3 months.

Mr. Congo is allergic to percosets. He’s currently suffering from a ruptured disk and twice in the last week, different doctors have given him percs. This is after we told them all he can’t have them.

Check all your prescriptions. If you get one you don’t recognize, ask the pharmacist if the pills are a form of penecillin. If we had done that, we would have found out that one of his prescriptions was a generic form of percs and he wouldn’t have spent the night puking.

6

Quick point: amoxicillin and penicillin are not the same thing. I am quite allergic to amoxicillin (having the same symptoms that you describe), but can take penicillin just fine. You might be tested to see if you are indeed allergic to penicillin, or just amoxicillin.

7

I found out I was allergic to penicillin when I was on a ski vacation in the Rockies with my family and friends. I’ve always had problems with ear infections and when one flared up the emergency room doc gave me penicillin. Big mistake. I ended up looking like a walking raspberry and feeling like a swollen bag of pus. Needless to say, I didn’t get a chance to hit the slopes much :frowning:

I now make absolutely sure to remind any and all medical staff of my allergy. There’s no way in hell I want to go through that agian.