- Jurisdiction
- Texas
I was at the dentist 2 weeks ago with tooth pain. The dentist asked me if I was allergic to any medications. I told her yes, I am allergic to Penicillin. She asked if I had ever taken Amoxicillin. My response was that I have heard of it, but did not recall if I had taken it before. She said it was her preferred medication for treatment and if I developed hives to stop taking it. I mentioned to her another dentist gave me Penicillin several years ago because he didn't believe me. I has a measles like rash for a few days. I assumed Amoxicillin it was a substitute for Penicillin. I noted on the medical file that I was allergic to Penicillin and also told her directly. I had no idea it was in the same family. For 5 days I had no reactions to the medication. Then I woke up feeling a little queasy. Later that day I noticed that my hands were itching. Then I noticed other parts developing an itch. Legs, ankles, arms. I noticed that I had red whelps developing all over my body. I immediately knew what had happened. I looked it up online and discovered that if one is allergic to Penicillin, then they should not take any "cillin" medications including Amoxicillin. I hade a horrible night that night. I had severe itching from the neck down. The next morning I contacted the dentist office and told them what had happened. I was advised to take Benadryl, which I had already started. I asked the office manager to have the dentist call me. I never got a call back. The next evening it so bad that I considered going to the emergency room, but I decided to ride it out until morning. I called my doctor the next morning and was able to see him. I was given an oral medication to counteract the rash and itching. The itching was less severe that night and almost gone by the next day. The rash began to fade but is still visible. I still have minor itching but it's bearable. My concern is long term effects the medication might have on my system. I am considering seeing my neurologist for blood work and have that evaluated. I never heard back from the dentist. The office manager called me back and asked how I was. I gave her an update and also advised her I was going to see another dentist for the tooth problem. I am puzzled why a Doctor/Dentist would ever prescribe an antibiotic to any patient after being told verbally and being noted in their medical records, that they were allergic to that medication. What would be a prudent course of action to prevent that dentist from doing this to another patient? That itching was torture! Thanks for taking the time to read this long message.
