Am I allergic to penicillin, or experiencing its side effects?

Many people mistake the side effects of penicillin for an allergy to the antibiotic. — TNS

Penicillin belongs to a group of antibiotics used by healthcare professionals to combat a wide array of bacterial infections, including strep throat, ear infections and pneumonia.

It is one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics – and also one of the most frequently reported medication allergies.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 10% of people living in the United States report having a penicillin allergy.

However, less than 1% are truly allergic.

Mayo Clinic Children’s Center paediatric infectious diseases physician Dr Nipunie Rajapakse says that if your healthcare team can’t prescribe the preferred antibiotic for your bacterial infection due to a listed allergy, it can pose additional risks to your health.

Penicillin is one of the most prescribed antibiotics for bacterial infections.

“And the best treatments for things like strep throat, ear infections, pneumonia are penicillin or another antibiotic in that same family,” she says.

She notes that if your medical chart indicates a penicillin allergy, your healthcare team needs to look for other options.

“We know that these other antibiotics are often not as effective as a penicillin.

“So that means you might not get better,” she says.

And they can be harder on your system.

Dr Rajapakse says that people often misinterpret side effects of the medication as symptoms of an allergy.

“Symptoms of a true antibiotic allergy are things like hives, rash – so usually a very itchy kind of raised rash that can develop,” she says.

It’s estimated that half of people will outgrow the allergy within five years.

“Even if you did have a reaction in the past, it’s important to discuss this with your primary care provider.

“And if it’s been enough years out, you may be eligible for testing and to have that allergy removed from your chart,” says Dr Rajapakse.

Talk with your healthcare team to find out if you need to be tested for a penicillin allergy.

Penicillin skin testing and oral challenge doses are reliable methods for evaluating a penicillin allergy. – By Deb Balzer/Mayo Clinic News Network/Tribune News Service