The estimated incidence of allergy to amoxicillin ranges from 1 to 10 % [2, 4, 6]. However, many cases are diagnosed as allergic reactions without performing appropriate diagnostic tests [1].
Penicillin allergy occurs when your immune system becomes hypersensitive to the drug — mistakenly reacting to the drug as a harmful substance, as if it were a viral or bacterial infection. Before the immune system can become sensitive to penicillin, you have to be exposed to the medication at least once.
An allergic reaction can quickly become severe. Anyone who develops hives after taking amoxicillin should seek urgent medical advice. If breathing difficulties or swelling occur alongside the rash, they should call the emergency services for immediate medical help.
Antihistamines. Your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine or recommend an over-the-counter antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) that can block immune system chemicals activated during an allergic reaction.
Approximately 50 percent of people will outgrow a penicillin allergy within five years, and 80 percent will outgrow it within 10 years.
Penicillin Allergy. Nearly everyone knows someone who says they are allergic to penicillin. Up to 10% of people report being allergic to this widely used class of antibiotic, making it the most commonly reported drug allergy.
Penicillin allergy does not run in families, so if someone has a relative who is allergic to it, there is no reason to think that they will also be allergic to it.
Warning signs it is a true allergic reaction would be sudden onset of the rash within two hours of the first dose, any breathing or swallowing difficulty or very itchy hives.
Signs of a non-allergic amoxicillin (or Augmentin) rash
Signs of a non-allergic amoxicillin rash include the following: Slightly raised, small pink bumps OR patches of small red spots (no more than 1/2 inch) in a symmetrical pattern.
Allergic reactions to amoxicillin tend to happen within two hours of the first dose of amoxicillin and are usually itchy and accompanied by breathing and swallowing difficulties.
The estimated incidence of allergy to amoxicillin ranges from 1 to 10 % [2, 4, 6]. However, many cases are diagnosed as allergic reactions without performing appropriate diagnostic tests [1].
The Rarest (And Strangest) Allergies
Water: Medically known as aquagenic urticaria, patients with a water allergy develop painful hives and rashes when their skin is exposed to water. An allergic reaction will develop regardless of the water temperature, and even when the water is purified.
1. Approximately 10% of all U.S. patients report having an allergic reaction to a penicillin class antibiotic in their past. 10% of the population reports a penicillin allergy but <1% of the whole population is truly allergic.
Amoxicillin is a common antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. It is in a class known as penicillin-like antibiotics and can be safely used in both adults and children.
The most common side effects of amoxicillin are feeling sick (nausea) and diarrhoea. Liquid amoxicillin can stain your teeth. This does not last and is removed by brushing. You can drink alcohol while taking amoxicillin.
Rare side effects of amoxicillin
problems breathing. wheezing. hives. itching.
The rash usually lasts 3 days, with a range of 1 to 6 days.
An allergist can assist in the diagnosis of a penicillin allergy using a skin test. This test involves pricking the skin, usually on the back or on the inside of the forearm, and placing a small amount of allergen on the punctured skin.
Also reported are cases of allergic reactions to amoxicillin and bacampicillin transferred through kissing, but this kind of transferring is more frequent to affect in case of personal history of food allergy.
Having an allergy to penicillin means you must avoid all medications in this class of antibiotics including medications like Amoxicillin, Augmentin, and Ampicillin.
It is generally recommended that you avoid all drugs in the immediate penicillin family (amoxicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, piperacillin-tazobactam as well as certain drugs in the cephalosporin class (a closely related class to penicillins).
Studies have reported meropenem administration to hundreds of patients without severe allergic reaction (including some with penicillin allergy). Thus, regardless of the patient's allergy history, it is unlikely that they will have a severe allergic reaction to meropenem.
1. Azithromycin. This antibiotic is often given incorrectly for viral infections such as the common cold, sinus infections, and acute bronchitis.
Although side effects of amoxicillin and penicillin are similar, amoxicillin is more likely to cause a rash, which is not necessarily the sign of an allergy. Amoxicillin may be used to treat genitourinary infections, acute, uncomplicated gonorrhea, and H. pylori eradication in combination with other medications.