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allergic reaction to azithromycin

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Posted 11/17/2010 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
The weirdest thing happened to me recently.  I had developed a sore throat and felt achey, so I went to my doctor and he prescribed me azithromycin.  I've taken the z-pac a hundred times and never had any problems.  I went to to pick up my medicine later that day and took the loading dose that night of generic z-pac.  I took the next one the next day around noon and was fine.  Later that night, I developed a slight rash on my uppper leg.  I thought nothing of it since I have celiac disease and sometimes I get itchy.  I thought of what I ate (I am always very careful since being diagnosed with celiac).  The itch got worse that night, and by the next day, it was everywhere.  The rash even turned into blistery boils around my legs.  The itch was miserable.  It was even in my scalp!  I immediately stopped taking the antibiotics, and eventually had to start taking a heavy dose of steroids to calm the itch.  I was living on Benedryl and lidocaine cream.  It's been nearly a month now and I'm finally starting to feel better.  For anyone taking azithromycin and experiencing this, my heart goes out to you.  It will go away, the only problem is that azithromycin stays in your body longer than regular anitbiotics (because it's so darn strong!)  Steroids helped a bunch, but you can't stay on those too long.
Posted 11/17/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Make sure your doctor and pharmacy know about this reaction and that it's related to
erythromycin group of antibotics and maybe even get a medic alert bracelet for this
as the ER's will use erythromycins in emergency situations as more people are allergic to pencillin...
I'm also allergic to this group of antibotics for me I get tremors, itching, and chest tightness from
erythromycin antibotic and I do have a medic alert bracelet listing that...
Healing Hugz and I hope your feeling better soon...
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((greyes))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
healing hugz
Posted 11/17/2010 2:25 AM (GMT 0)
Wow! Thanks so much for this Chartreux! I will definately be investing in a medical bracelet! :)
Posted 11/17/2010 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
Antibiotic induced allergic reactions are horrible! I am allergic to Sulfa and I get a wide array of problems with it. I break out in painful welts or I end up with severe intestinal pain. We recently found out that my daughter is severely allergic to Sulfa as well as Iodine and now has to carry an Epi-pen. My heart also goes out to anyone that has to deal with these issues. It's no fun that is for sure!

Btw, I just recently ordered a medical alert bracelet for my daughter and we are waiting for it to arrive. But that is an excellent suggestion Char. :)
Posted 11/17/2010 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
i too had a z pack reaction. it began with diaherria, feeling like i wanted to throw up and this went on for days. i finished it on the 26th of october and i will never take it again. what happened is that i have had severe gas pains and have been waking up with them. it is really lousy and still has not gone away completely. the doc who prescribed it never even called me back. luckily the nurses with my gastroenterologist have helped me and i am finishing my second week of probiotics.

can not take my one and only arthritis pill because it is heavy duty aspirin based and i am very tired of it all. I did puke up acid on the 8th of November.

this is very bad because i have had other really bad reactions to other antibiotics.
Posted 3/14/2012 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I know this thread is old but I had an allergic reaction to the z pack in November and I think I'm still suffering from it. I took the z pack right before Thanksgiving for a sore throat. Not only did it NOT cure my symptoms, but the sore throat got much, much worse. I started developing digestive problems such as heartburn, acid reflux, gas and what I would describe as insatiable hunger pangs (even though I had just eaten and was not actually hungry).

Then I developed oral thrush. That led me to do some research which led me to the conclusion that the z pack was causing the odd symptoms. I went to the ER, as it was the weekend, and pretty much told them to prescribe Diflucan. They ran many useless tests, but the Diflucan cleared up the thrush. I recurred but another round helped. I also took probiotics which helped with the digestive problems.

During all of this, I was also having problems with my ears clogging and popping.

It is now mid-March and I am still suffering from all of these problems, but to a lesser degree than I was in November/December. My ears are a mess and my GP tells me there is fluid behind the eardrum. I see a ENT in a week. I have heartburn/acid reflux a few times a week. I NEVER had this before the z pack. I regularly get canker sores on my tongue, but never a full outbreak of thrush that requires an anti-fungal like in November/December. This is a pretty depressiing situation and I don't know what to do about it. Does anybody have any suggestions? I feel like I took an antibiotic in November and I'll be paying the price for the rest of my life!

Just a note, I'm also highly allergic to penicillin and was hospitalized for it when I was a child.
Posted 4/24/2012 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
I just finished the zpac a month ago and are still dealing with the reaction I had to it. Please contact the FDA for them to send a packet for you to fill out. This company has known the problems with how it affects the liver since '96. Get your liver function tests done, eat a liver healthy diet and don't let any doctor tell you it is impossible to get these symptoms. Do your research and print out the side effects and bring them to your doctor. This is not fun and very very scary and nearly impossible to talk the medical community into that this drug has these side effects and many many of us are sick because of it. Tell everyone you know to be careful with this drug. Get awareness out, people are suffering from this and have no idea it was this drug that caused multiple health issues and liver enzymes to go sky high. They will think you are a drunk or a druggie, get through their silly tests and get on allergy meds and prednisone. Good luck to us all!!!
Posted 6/26/2012 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
I was prescribed Z-Pack for bronchitis in 2008. about a week after I had finished the prescription, I started itching very badly on my abdomen, then on my chest, and on my scalp. I also developed hives and welts and the entire area of my abdomen was itching and burning. I actually called my dermatologist at home on a weekend because I was in such misery. He immediately asked me what medication I had taken recently, I told him and he called in Prednisone immediately. That took care of my reaction, but my main concern is the different names given to one medication. I was prescribed "Z-Pack," I was recently asked if I had had a problem with "Azithromycin," to which I said "No." My doctor's office discovered the connection, thankfully! Between these two names and possibly a generic name, there may be a lot of people not realizing they are being prescribed and taking a drug that may cause harm. Please pay close attention and ask questions.
Posted 4/9/2013 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
I was prescribed the Z-pack and I had some routine blood work done no more than a week after finished it and when I went back for results my doc told me about my LFT's being elevated. I don't drink alcohol and the only thing that came to my mind was the Z-pack that just finished...thanks for share your experiences because it really helps folks like me... it is a real concern. I still having to go thru an ultrasound.
Posted 6/13/2013 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
I also have had a bad experience after taking first dose of a Z-Pack. First I had severe nausea and vomiting, at same time I started having numbness and tingling in left arm, this moved up to my armpit and then to my neck and left side of face felt weird...??? In between periods of vomiting and right after weird feeling in left side of my face I realized I couldn't move my right hand. It has now been about six hours after vomiting has stopped, but my right hand doesn't move at all. Could this drug cause a mini stroke like episode?
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