Confirming a penicillin allergy?

Dokrak Petchprasert won a court case and was awarded Bt800,000 in damages in 2005 for a treatment in 1999 that left her blind.

First discovered in 1929 by Alexander Fleming, this antibiotic is not only one of the widest forms used but also the one drug that more people are allergic to than any other drug. For treating wound infections, penicillin helps by controlling the bacteria. However, having a penicillin allergy is very common, as are other drugs in the penicillin family such as Amoxicillin.

She had visited a clinic complaining of a cold and a doctor injected her with a medicine she was allergic to, penicillin, causing her to lose her sight.

For people with a penicillin allergy, the responses can vary dramatically. For some people, a minor rash may be the only indication of an allergy while other people experience severe breathing problems and can even be put in a life-threatening situation. Since a penicillin allergy is so common, knowing the symptoms could save you serious trouble later on.

Dokrak yesterday said fate must be against her. She had sought treatment from a state hospital on March 7 but was denied it, she said.

The penicillin family includes other drugs beyond Amoxicillin to include Ampicillin, Dicloxacillin, Nafcillin, Penicillin V and Penicillin G. Penicillin and these other drugs are given orally or injected, working to stop the growth of bacteria. Keep in mind that a penicillin allergy is not something you would be born with but a reaction that would develop after exposure.

At the same hospital last October a doctor injected her with penicillin without studying her medical records.

Once a person has a reaction, then any time penicillin or drugs in the penicillin family are administered, another reaction would be triggered, possibly worse.

"When the doctor gave me the injection, I started shaking and panting. The feelings were similar to the first time I was injected with the medicine. So, I asked the doctor and was shocked when he answered that ... he had injected me with penicillin," Dokrak said.

What happens with a penicillin allergy is that the body’s immune system responds to it as if it were harmful. Although this rejection is not fully understood, scientists believe it has something to do with antibodies known as immunoglobulin being produced by the body to fight the medication. Typically, a penicillin allergy would manifest as a rash, itchy eyes, or swollen tongue, lips, or face.

After she told him about her allergy, the doctor gave her an antidote, she said.

If you are given penicillin and notice any of these reactions, be sure to tell your doctor.

Although not common, some people with a penicillin allergy will have more serious reaction, which could create a deadly situation.

"I heard a doctor say sarcastically about me ... 'give her the best treatment, otherwise we might have to lose another million baht'," she said.

In most cases, the severe reaction would occur within an hour of taking penicillin and would involve the entire body. The reactions see most often include wheezing, coughing, dizziness, weak or fast pulse, bluing of the skin and nail beds, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Dokrak was forced to leave the hospital as soon as she recovered from the allergy.

If this happens, it is a sign of anaphylactic shock, which warrants a call to 911.

Diagnosing a penicillin allergy is usually done with a skin test.

Dokrak, who suffers from asthma and needs a respirator, has had to return to her home in Nonthaburi where she lives with her 10-year-old daughter.

If you have a slight reaction, then the doctor would be able to determine the degree of the allergy. Using a very small amount of penicillin placed under the skin, the doctor would watch for reaction.

She said the compensation she received from the ministry two years ago is almost gone as she has to pay for the medical treatment she receives five times a month. [read more]

If there is a positive test, then you would know never to take penicillin. If the test shows you have a serious penicillin allergy, then you might even consider wearing an ID bracelet or necklace, which would notify people of the allergy in case you were not able to do so yourself.

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