Drug Allergy

If you, or your physician, think that you are allergic to a drug, and that you may need this drug for future treatment, a drug allergy evaluation can help you.

Commonly reported drug allergies include penicillin, amoxicillin, and sulfa drugs. However, most people who had a reaction to penicillin many years ago are no longer allergic to penicillin. And, children who had a rash to amoxicillin can usually be treated with amoxicillin without experiencing another reaction.

When drugs are needlessly avoided due to a concern for allergy, this may result in treatment with inferior drugs and an increased risk of serious side-effects from alternative drugs. Penicillin allergy can be easily evaluated with oral challenges to penicillin and, in certain cases, penicillin skin testing. Other drug allergies can also usually be evaluated with oral challenges. Do not let your concern for drug allergy prevent you from receiving the most effective and safe antibiotics without seeing an allergist first.