However, that is better now and my veins no longer look like the incredible hulks.
So I really want to know if I am allergic to the hydromorphone or not. Do they have some sort of allergy test for that? Look at this article
I wonder if I just had a side effect or a true allergy or if I was allergic to the antibiotic administered at the same time. Honestly, it would be good to know, because if I ever am in a horrible accident or need surgery again I don't want to forgo the pain meds because of an allergy I am not sure I really have. The nurse wrote my allergy on the bracelet because I was itching after both thing were administered. I didn't have asthma or anything which is a usual allergy symptom for me. I just itched and frankly compared to appendix pain, itching is quite acceptable. I think it was the owrst pain I ever felt. I mean I never had any problem with codeine before aren't they related?Tests for IgE to specific opioids have been developed but are not readily available. Skin testing has been suggested before a structurally unrelated opioid is used in a patient with a serious opioid reaction.
I want to find out where to get that now. I am going to ask the doctor during the follow up appointment because it would be good to know instead of having to get no pain meds after some health disaster.
paul, i came across this today and thought you might find it interesting.
"Codeine and morphine allergies are also commonly reported but they are much less significant with respect to actual allergic processes. Meaning that most reported "allergies" to opiates are actually sensitivities or intolerances. Many patients are quite sensitive to these agents and also to the noted side effects. Making them poor choices indeed in many cases. Other patients just don't tolerate them well at all. In terms of both physiological response and subjective response. But true allergies are not that common at all. As in the outcome of frank and severe rash or anaphylaxis. While itchiness is very common, as are nausea and vomiting and general dysphoria these are not immune globulin mediated problems. And while respiratory depression is also common it is a direct pharmacological effect and not an anaphylactoid response."
:::link:::
Ya, she said it was nearly perforated. I waited so long in the ER and everytime someone came to visit me in the ER then would push as hard as possible on it and I would whince in pain.
They seriously had to do that like 4 times which seemed like it would only make it explode. Why couldn't they just believe the last person.
I have to say I liked Dr F. a lot. I think I just like female doctor's better - that is accept for Dr. Combo who used to be my primary care. His office is on Lincoln Parkway past the park near Great Arrow and there was a Dr. Matthew Turner? at the hospital who also seemed really nice. There is definitely something to be said for bed side manor. Then again there is something to be said for doctor's like the one on House if you are in that kid of emergency. The guy in the room with me was. I couldn't wait to get out of there because his experience was making me paranoid.
I don't think this is really an issue Paul, as you are not allowed to have another health disaster.
well darvocet (propoxyphene/tylenol) is narcotic. So if you're ok with that, you do not have a debilitating allergy to all narcotics. And like you said, there s a difference between side effects and allergies. And you don't know if it's the pain meds or the abx.
A little nausea or something is NOT an allergy. Most people don't always understand that, which is too bad. B/c once you get an allergy stamped on your chart, it's hard to get it taken off, and the pharmacy will refuse to give you meds.
What people are afraid with with drug allergies is mostly anaphylaxis- when your throat closes up and you can't breathe. Because obviously that is a dangerous.
And the other thing is that often the first exposure isn't that bad- you might just get some hives/itching/rash etc. But then next time it's really bad. That happens alot with penicillin.
Rather than hard to find and probably expensive testing, I would say the best way to test it, is just to take it again in a controlled environment. So that if you DO have a bad reaction, it can be treated quickly. So if you're ever in a situation that needs pain meds, you can say "i might have had a reaction to dilaudid last time, but i'm not sure I want to try it again".
But again the fact that you're ok with the darvocet means you're not allergic to ALL narcs. So even if you can't have dilaudid, maybe you can have morphine etc. (and yeah, dilaudid is a lot stronger, but we don't give as much, so it ends up being essentially equal).
btw- where did they send you for follow-up? hopefully not the BGH D-3 surgery clinic. But I don't know where Dr. F does her clinic. Either way, I seriously doubt they will know anything about narcotic allergy testing when you go back- sorry. never hurts to ask though.
and lastly- I'm glad to hear you had a semi-decent doctor experience, after all your bad ones lately.
And I'm glad they took you to surgery instead of waiting til morning- I saw your CT report with said "possibly EARLY appendicitis of the tip"- and then when they got in it was nearly perfed.
Wow, sorry for writing a book here...