Have you ever been told that you might be allergic to the penicillin family of antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, Augmentin or plain penicillin? Penicillin allergy is common, but not as common as most people think it is.
Penicillin is the most commonly reported medication allergy, and in all of its forms, penicillin allergy is self-reported by about 5 to 10 percent of patients. However, in large-scale studies of penicillin allergy skin testing, approximately 85 to 90 percent of these individuals are found not to have positive skin tests and are able to tolerate penicillin.
Many individuals are falsely labeled as being allergic to penicillin due to the confusion between experiencing a side effect from taking penicillin, as compared to experiencing a true penicillin-allergic reaction. Experiencing side effects from penicillin does not mean that one is truly allergic to penicillin and that penicillin could not be safely administered if that was the antibiotic of choice. Common side effects from taking penicillin antibiotics include upset stomach or developing a yeast infection. Sometimes a rash can be a side effect, while other times a rash can be a manifestation of a true allergy. There are various ways to minimize these side effects.
The length of time that has elapsed since the penicillin reaction is also important. Over time, many individuals that are truly allergic to penicillin lose their penicillin sensitivity and are no longer allergic to penicillin. Five years after a penicillin-allergic reaction, approximately 50% of individuals will have lost their penicillin sensitivity. Ten years after a penicillin-allergic reaction, approximately 80% of penicillin-allergic patients will have lost their sensitivity, such that they are no longer allergic to penicillin.
Avoiding penicillin unnecessarily may have significant consequences. Seriously ill people who report a history of penicillin allergy are generally given an alternative antibiotic rather than penicillin. The alternative antibiotic may be more costly, less effective and have more side effects.
Therefore, because a person’s history of penicillin allergy is often unreliable, and since penicillin allergy may be lost over time, it is often worthwhile to have allergy testing to clarify whether or not one is currently allergic to penicillin. Individuals who would like to clarify whether or not they are truly allergic to penicillin should be referred to an allergist, where testing can be safely and accurately performed.
Our physicians at Advanced Allergy & Asthma Care, Dr. Jonathan Bell, Dr. Yogen Dave, Dr. Sara Dever, Dr. Richard Lee, and Dr. Purvi Shah specialize in the treatment of nasal, eye food, medication and skin allergies, as well as asthma care. We are located in Fairfield County, Connecticut in Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, and Ridgefield.
By Dr. Jonathan Bell
