Allergic Conditions: Adverse Reactions to Medications
Many patients experience adverse reactions
to medications. Only a small percent of these reactions, however, are
true allergic reactions. An allergic reaction means the patient’s immune
system is programmed to recognize a certain medication and produce a specific
reaction whenever it encounters that drug.
The most potentially severe allergic reaction to
a drug is anaphylaxis. This happens when the
patient, unknowingly, has a large amount of an allergy protein (called IgE
antibody) in his or her body specific for a drug, such as penicillin.
Resources about adverse reactions to
mediations:
Visit an allergist/immunologist to learn more about allergic disease and your own medical condition. To find an allergist/immunologist near you, use the AAAAI's online Physician Referral Directory.
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