Medication allergies and intolerances: Which is which, what to do? 

That medications provide many benefits to those who need them is beyond question, but it is also widely recognized that they come with their share of potential side effect. Drug allergies and intolerances are among them. These two reactions are often mistaken for one another even though they involve distinct biological mechanisms. They are, in fact, similar in terms of their symptoms. Here are the most common ones likely to occur in a person with an allergy or intolerance to a medication.  

• Flushed skin, itchiness, hives, rashes;
• Nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea;
• Difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, swelling of mucous membranes, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes. 

While sharing a similar list of symptoms, allergies and intolerances must be clearly understood as separate entities since the consequences of each differ in terms of their impact. More specifically:

• In the case of a drug intolerance, only the medication causing the reaction must be avoided;
• In the case of a drug allergy, an entire category of medications will often have to be avoided, which narrows down therapeutic options.

Here are two useful clues to distinguish an intolerance from an allergy: 

• In the case of a drug allergy, symptoms are often pronounced, even after ingesting a small quantity of the medication;
• In the case of a drug intolerance, symptoms are less intense and generally appear after taking a larger quantity of the medication.

If the person you are caring for experiences an adverse drug effect for the first time, follow these steps:

• If he is having trouble breathing, swallowing or both, go to the hospital emergency immediately and/or follow the recommendations of his attending physician.
• For all other types of reactions, document the incident by recording the name of the medication taken, any other medications ingested at the same time (if relevant), the time of the adverse reaction, the symptoms and the parts of the body affected. With this information in hand, consult a doctor or a pharmacist.

In all cases of adverse drug effects, it is important to see a health professional, who can determine whether you are facing a medication intolerance or allergy and advise you on the ways to avoid a repetition of the incident. For example, he can tell you if you should interrupt the medication and give you the name or names of other drugs that will also need to be avoided in the future. If necessary, he will recommend a substitute course of treatment.

If the symptoms experienced by your loved one include difficulty breathing and/or swallowing, he may need an adrenaline self-injection. The MedicAlert® service may also prove useful. In emergency situations, the MedicAlert® bracelet, necklace or watch, on which is engraved the type of allergy or intolerance, provides emergency personnel with valuable information on the state of health of your loved one. Visit their Website www.medicalert.ca for more details.

Marie-Soleil Beaulieu
Uniprix-affiliated pharmacist
marie-soleil.beaulieu@uniprix.com

Coming next month:
Keeping a close watch on your loved one’s health: hypertension.