Know about drugs with Chula pharmacists: Reduce the risk of drug allergies. We can all do it.

    There have been a lot of questions about drug allergies since we reported on this issue about two weeks ago, along with news about celebrities who had severe drug allergies and had to be sent to the ICU for months.

    Today we will talk about drug allergies again and will emphasize that we can all help take care of and prevent drug allergies because people nowadays are involved with medicines in various aspects all the time. But more than that, some people seek out medicines from various places to take on their own without consulting a pharmacist.

    In addition, there is a problem that many people ask, which is why, after using the same medicine for a long time, suddenly an allergic reaction to the medicine that has been used for years occurs. And I must say again that everyone has a chance of being allergic to medicine at all times. But the allergic reaction may be severe or minor depending on various factors, even medicines received from the hospital.

    Drug allergy is a reaction in which the body's immune system overreacts to the drugs that a person is taking, as well as to substances that a person ingests into the body. Drug allergy symptoms often include itchy rashes, hives, swelling of the mouth and eyes, low blood pressure, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and bronchospasm.

    If severe allergic reactions are not treated promptly, respiratory failure may occur and lead to death. Severe allergic reactions can also cause dermatitis and abnormalities of various internal organs of the body, such as hepatitis.

    In general, drug allergies occur immediately or within a short time after the body takes the drug. However, some drug allergies may occur several weeks or even months after taking the drug. And it must be said that this latter type of drug allergy is very worrying because patients who are allergic to drugs often do not realize that they are allergic to the drug because they see that they have been taking the drug for a long time, so they continue to take it. This makes the drug allergy more likely to be severe.

    However, in most cases, medicine cannot predict drug allergies in advance, just like food allergies, alcohol allergies, dust allergies, and pollen allergies. Because the body can respond in many ways to allergies, such as responding immediately after receiving the drug that causes the allergy, but there is another type that when the drug is used for the first time, there is no allergic problem, but when the drug is received repeatedly, the allergic reaction is evident. Therefore, this type of drug allergy is an indication that even if the drug has been used without allergies, but one day, an allergic reaction may occur.

    A recent drug allergy that has been in the news is considered to be one of the most dangerous drug allergies, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which causes severe inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes. Patients may have flu-like symptoms, then a rash will appear on the skin and mucous membranes, including the face, neck, and torso, which then turn into blisters and peel off. Severe inflammation can also occur in the eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals.

    This type of drug allergy, if one or two symptoms occur at a time, is very difficult to diagnose. Because by the time it is recognized that it is a drug allergy, the patient may have severe symptoms. The skin may peel, internal organs may not function properly, causing the patient to be sent to the ICU for treatment for a long time before returning to normal.

    People can be allergic to any drug, but there are some groups of drugs that are commonly used to cause allergic reactions, such as gout medications, epilepsy medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics.

    Generally, everyone has the chance of being allergic to drugs. However, some factors may increase the risk, resulting in each person having a higher chance of being allergic to drugs, such as people who already have a history of drug allergies, including people who are allergic to food, or in groups of people who have family members who are allergic to drugs, including cases where the drug has been used for a very long time, etc.

    Therefore, it must be warned that drug users must always be careful about drug allergies and what can be done to prevent dangers from drug allergies is to use drugs only when necessary. If you have ever had an allergic reaction to any drug, you must carry a card indicating which drug you are allergic to and must inform the medical personnel who are treating you of your history of drug allergies, including other things related to drug allergies, every time. And if you have used the drug and have any abnormal symptoms, you must consult a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible. As for cases where you are already taking the drug but have an abnormal illness that the cause has not been found, please think about whether the problem may be caused by the drug you are taking and you must immediately seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattada Areepiam and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bodin Tiwasuwan

Faculty of Pharmacy Chulalongkorn University