When You Have An Allergic Reaction
By KrauseHome
@KrauseHome (36445)
United States
April 20, 2011 8:03pm CST
to a prescription medication you are taken, and call the Doctor, or actually their nurse and tell them about it, what does it take for them to be concerned? Personally it is scaring me the LACK of medical care out there right now and I often wonder how many people will die of things only because they do not take time to do research themselves.
My latest issue is with one of the medications that I am currently taking for my High Blood Pressure. Or actually the medication I now refuse to take ever again, and have good reasons too. The name of the medication is called Prazosin. It has been out for quite a long time, but most doctors actually do not give it out. (It is good for people with problems like PSD.)
Like any other drug out there it does have some side effects and many are considered mild, but what I experienced last night at work was far from mild, and was still experiencing some of the issues yet today so decided to call in sick just to be safe. (I had to leave work last night at about 8:30 p.m.) Here are some of the problems I was experiencing that they say are not good.
1) lightheadness - faint (almost passed out in the women's bathroom if my supervisor had not come in there when she did.)
2) weakness
3) rapid heartbeat - still experiencing this one from time to time today
4) excruciating headache -- wonder if this medication was part of the reason for my severe migraines
5) flushed skin - even felt clammy but yet sweaty
6) chest pain - when breathing in especially - was the real big first sign with the lightheadness, and headache
7) blurred vision - making it hard to do anything I needed to do, like post here.
8) low BP - when I was able to test it was 108/60 but I was feeling a lot better by then. Just wonder what it was like when I was feeling the worst.
The nurse was not that worried, and since she did not call back today with any thoughts or suggestions, the Doctor must not have been either. Isn't it amazing anymore how Drug interactions are almost made up until someone dies? Makes me wonder how much worse will it get.
~~TINA~~
3 people like this
9 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Depending on the symptoms I may try to nurse them on my own. What I see from your symptoms is that although the nurse did not feel concern, it may very well be that she over looked and forgot to call you back. So my suggestion is, that if you are feeling worse, I personally would go to the emergency treatment center.
I only suggest this because you know your normal feeling self and if it is way worse it probably is best to get it looked at and not take a risk.
I hope you feel better.
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
10 Jul 11
Well unfortunately with this one, I had to be the one to diagnose myself and even when I went into the Doctor and was not taking a BP pill and my Blood Pressure was high, was not too worried and afraid to put me on anything else until I seen another Doctor who prescribed something. Problem was that one ended up causing problems to where I did end up in the Emergency room and hospital so now I am quite cautious to what I take from here.
I am on a New BP med I started in the hospital and it seems to be helping me quite well. Just hope it continues to work well.
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
21 Apr 11
It is very annoying and frustrating, and makes you wonder what will it take for someone to care?
@peavey (16936)
• United States
22 Apr 11
I think they see so many things that after awhile, they get callused to them. Also, there are some patients that call every time they hiccup, in a panic and wanting attention.
For most of us, researching medications (thank God for the internet!) and listening to our own bodies will get us healthier than depending so much on doctors and nurses.
When I had a recent surgery, the doctor prescribed oxycodone for pain. I took it twice and then realized I hadn't checked the side effects, so I went looking and found that it was supposed to be used "with caution" for those with impaired kidneys, which I have, and I was supposed to be monitored when taking it, which I wasn't being. When I talked to the doctor she asked if my urine output had changed and when I said it hadn't, she said not to worry about it! I had other reactions to the oxycodone, too, like a pounding headache and couldn't get enough air. I just didn't take any more and made it fine using regular Tylenol. We have to be our own health advisers.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
15 Jul 11
Well, I am dealing with some issues right now due to being given Neurontin for my Fibromyalga and starting to see some issues, and it has been 3 weeks now and some of them are getting worse, so we shall see if my Doctor listens or I have to take myself off first and then let her know how things are going?
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Tina, I would call and visit with the pharmacist, who is much more trained in medications and reactions than the doctors and nurses are. I would look to see what the side effects would be if you stop it abruptly, though. You may have to taper off. I think you are a pretty good judge of what is going on with your body, and it may be that in order to get help you would have to go to the emergency room. How high is your blood pressure without that prescription?
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
29 Jun 11
Well, this was not a Blood pressure medication that I was able to taper off on as I was taking the lowest dose possible, and only every couple of days. Since then I have tried a couple of different BP meds, but the one I am on now is seeming to work for me quite well.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
22 Apr 11
I think it almost always comes down to being your own physician and best friend by listening to your body and insisting on treatment when there is none if you feel that things are not as they should be. Unfortunately these days due to inefficiency and lack of resources as lot of doctors just push patients though as quickly as possible with dire consequences. I was so sick once and I have refused to leave the hospital unless I was admitted even though the nurse kept telling me I should go home. Just as well I insisted because it turned out an infection on my knee had spread causing potentially very serious problems. We have to take charge ourselves sometimes.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
16 Jul 11
The problem sometimes even when you are in an Emergency room or hospital even is to get someone to listen to you. When I was in the hospital last month they would not let me monitor my Own sugar levels and take my own insulin, and they were trying to insist I take an antibiotic I was allergic too. It forced me to leave there earlier than I wanted too, but I had to do what was best for me. Wish there was a national Health Care database for all doctors and hospitals that linked up with our Health Insurance and Social Security number that they could access and then be a little more prepared and aware from there without us having to stay on our toes.
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
21 Apr 11
Hello Tina,
You mean whatsoever happened to you was due to allergic reaction and taking medicine things went downwards.
The symptoms you put do not give any hint of a particular disease. Before coming to your BP lines I thought you probably had high Bp but that was not thee either.
I am allergic to dampness, dust, strong and persistent odor and can not eat the flesh of any crawling animal.
If you do not know what causes you allergic make sure of them and keep yourself off them.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
14 Jul 11
Well, I do have high BP when I am not on medication, or at least border high. This problem I described here was due to a medication I tried. Lucky for me I recognized the signs of Low Blood pressure, and thankfully someone was there to help me or it could have been a really dangerous situation. Now I am definately a little more precautious with anything in the way of meds my Doctor will ever offer to give me, and report side effects and problems right away.
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
21 Apr 11
I think I would have called until I found someone who cared! I also must state here that they have raised the numbers on blood pressure as they were lowering them so much many people were passing out etc...that was on the new recently! Sounds like you really had low pressure!!!! CAll someone else if you can!
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Well, right now I do not really have the $$ to keep on going from Doctor to Doctor to doctor for everything going on in my life. It would be nice to eventually find one that would be more concerned and want to work with everything instead of my being proactive, and concerned all the time. When it comes to BP how come they say even if you feel horrible at 108/60 still that this is not low.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Wow Krause! That's awful! Hope you're better by now....? I do know what you mean about the nurse's reactions and not being overly concerned. I had a horrible reaction to bactrim antibiotic and when hubby called the doctors office, the nurse didn't act overly concerned either. She thought it was something to do with the infection I had. I knew better because I had been on another antibiotic before that and it didn't do anything to me but kill some of the bacteria. In fact, I had felt better till I had taken one stinken pill of bactrim and I went down hill real fast! So to go on such a roller coaster ride like that, I knew it wasn't the infection, it was that antibiotic which I promise you, I'll never ever take it again. No way.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
10 Jul 11
It is sad that many times we have to be our own Pharmacy and be able to tell what the medications are doing or not doing for us, and then when we try to complain or tell others what they are doing we are told it is not the medication, or we have not been on it long enough, so how do we know. Makes you wish that they could be the person to have the reaction and see for themselves how miserable we are.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
21 Apr 11
if not for walgreens, id been taking a lot of things either that interacted wrong with my other meds or that im allergic to. they have caught a lot of mess ups by my doctors. even after ive told doctors about my allergies
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
29 Jun 11
I now am going to make me a list printed out I can carry with me to give out to any New place that I go. I also need to keep a list of the medications that I am currently taking just to make sure if I go somewhere new I am never given anything that could interfere with one of them as well. It can be a challenge trying to keep up with everything, but when you do it brings much satisfaction for sure.
