Oftentimes people consider medicine to be something that will treat a condition, illness, or aid someone in feeling better in their daily life. Although most medications do these things, some medications can cause the person taking them to feel worse, particularly if they have an allergy to one of the medication’s ingredients, or in my case, if they take the medicine multiple times, feeling worse, but not exactly knowing what is wrong.
Last year, I was prescribed an inhaler by my allergist to combat my seasonal allergies, but I was uninformed about the inhaler containing lactose monohydrate, a form of milk sugar. Although most people with dairy allergies do not have reactions to lactose monohydrate, I suffered from body aches, nausea, and fatigue when taking this medication. It was extremely confusing for me to have a unique reaction to my inhaler and not be aware of the effects this ingredient could have on my body. This is why I think it is important for everyone to be aware of the ingredients any type of medicine might contain before deciding to use it or not.
Since my reaction to lactose monohydrate, I have steered clear from any medication containing the ingredient because of my experience, but everyone should handle their situation differently depending on their needs.
Another common allergen, in a lot of vaccines and medicine, is egg. According to Well Rx, IV Benadryl and propofol both contain eggs. Flu vaccines also contain eggs and although it is deemed safe to take the vaccine if you have an egg allergy, there are substitutes without eggs, for those who would prefer not to take the original medication. Both lactose and egg are used within medications as binders, stabilizers, and fillers. Another allergen to watch out for in medicine, is soy, which can sometimes be labeled as lecithin and is commonly found in Advil liquid gel pills and some flavors of TUMS. Those with food allergies to fish should also be aware of fish derivatives within some multivitamins and fish oil within NPH insulin. Although there are other food allergens including peanuts and tree-nuts, these allergens are less common within medication; however, anyone with a food allergy should be cautious when trying a new medication.
It is especially important to keep on the lookout for medications containing a food allergen and to check each medication ingredient carefully before deciding to take the medication. This is because prescriptions and medicines purchased over the counter are not required to label food allergens under the U.S. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, as food products are.
The best thing to do if you are unsure whether to use a medication that contains a form or derivative of your food allergen is to consult your allergist, pharmacist, and/or doctor if it is safe or not to take the medication and what potential symptoms the medication may cause. If you are still unsure which steps to take next, seek alternative types of medication that have similar properties, but do not contain any of your allergens or ask your allergist to do a skin test for specific medication ingredients.
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