The best thing you can do for a drug allergy is to stop taking the medicine that causes it. Be sure to wear a medical alert bracelet or other jewelry that lists your drug allergies. If you are in an emergency, this can save your life. You also should know what to do if you have an allergic reaction.
- Talk to your doctor to see if you can take another type of medicine.
- If you have an allergic reaction that threatens your life, you may need to give yourself an epinephrine shot and seek emergency medical treatment. Call 911 right away if you have trouble breathing or if you start to get hives. You may also need to take other medicines, such as antihistamines and steroid medicines. A doctor may put these medicines directly into your vein (IV).
- If you have a mild allergic reaction, over-the-counter antihistamines may help your symptoms. You may need prescription medicine if these do not help or if you have problems with side effects, such as drowsiness.
If you can't change your medicine, your doctor may try a method called desensitization. This means that you will start to take small amounts of the medicine that caused your reaction. You will then slowly increase how much you take. This lets your immune system "get used to" the medicine. After this, you may no longer have an allergic reaction.
