Thanks to constant progress in treating illnesses with millions of medications available, modern patient care and our lives in general have changed radically. Thanks to them, numerous deadly illnesses in the past are now being cured with great success, epidemics are not a threat in most countries and there is a medication for (almost) any temporary pain one might experience. However, sometimes, our body reacts in a different way than usual which can cause allergic reactions to certain medications. This happens because our immune system mistakenly recognizes something harmless as an invader and tries to get rid of it. If you notice a skin rash, hives, itching, fever, swelling, rapid breathing, or anaphylactic shock after using some medicine, the first thing you should do is call your primary care doctor or find a general practice nearby.
Allergic reactions can be very dangerous
In most cases, an allergic reaction to a drug occurs immediately, just minutes after it is taken, although sometimes a delayed reaction may occur, which is why the best thing you can do is to find a good general practitioner in Amsterdam and have them on your speed dial. Among others, this is one of the reasons walk-in clinics exist – to help you on the stop and provide you with appropriate treatment especially in cases of emergency. Allergic reactions to a drug can happen when using any kind of medicine. The chemical structure of a drug, its molecular weight, the propensity of a drug to build complexes with proteins from the human body, the structure and types of breakdown products – all these are factors that can influence the occurrence of an allergic reaction to a medicine. Medications that are more likely to incite an allergic reaction are actually those often prescribed at any modern family practice: antibiotics (penicillins), painkillers (acetylsalicylic acid, i.e. aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen), cytostatic, among others.
Immediate medical support is necessary
Once you’ve taken the medication prescribed after your regular check-up or doctor consultation, symptoms may occur as quickly as a few minutes after, if given by injection. In the case of oral consumption, the allergic reaction may occur up to several hours after you’ve taken your medication. This is where lays the biggest problem with allergic reactions for even the best modern patient care possible – one cannot isolate the specific symptoms of an allergic reaction for specific medicines. The symptoms are universal and most often include the appearance of itching, rashes, redness, hives, swelling, and the most severe forms of allergic reactions such as anaphylactic shock accompanied by a sudden drop in blood pressure and a feeling of suffocation.
For further instructions, always consult your doctor
If you notice any signs of an allergic reaction after using the medicine, the first step is to stop taking the medicine, find a good general practitioner in Amsterdam who will take the necessary action. If an anaphylactic reaction occurs, an ambulance service should be called as soon as possible, since the anaphylactic shock may end in a fatal outcome in a very short period of time. In this case, after receiving appropriate therapy, you should consult your primary care physician for the necessary steps.