I have allergies to sulpha drugs, ibuprofen, aspirin and probably naproxen sodium.
I had anaphylaxis to aspirin at a very young age to aspirin - vomiting, covered in hives and then eventually difficulty breathing which thankfully happened at the ER after my dad drove me there (prolly a 30 minute drive at best). Years later, I was told not to take ibuprofen because of the aspirin allergy - Tylenol was my buddy so it didn't matter to me.
I had a dentist who insisted I was crazy and kept prescribing ibuprofen products which the pharmacy would kick back. Yeah, not fun to make that trip back and forth to his office and have him berate me (he liked to berate me in the chair too - I swear that man was a dentist for the Reich).
Believe me, I wish I could take ibuprofen because when Tylenol doesn't cut it that means I have to head to a dr and almost all of them think I am drug seeking
A few years later, I pulled out my back (though looking back it could have been a gall bladder issue because we were moving and eating out a lot) and went to a walk in clinic. He prescribed two pills - one of which was supposed to be a muscle relaxer combined with a new pharmacy that didn't ask about my drug allergies and I was given 800mg ibuprofen. Dumb, dumb, DUMB. I always read inserts, I always research meds. I took him at face value. So before I knew it, I was covered in hives and full body swelling that took two shots of steroids and a double run of steroids to clear up. Even then, I would have residual hives that would pop up on the inside of my hives for two months - scratching your inner thighs while working for a religious institution is just wrong on so many fronts.
Years later when I was in-patient, I got the crud that was going around - I had a sinus infection, tonsilitis and laryngitis. The NP prescribed a sulfa based drug because she insisted I needed something stronger even though I insisted the few times that I had this before that the z-pack took care of it (I am usually one who waits it out and had only taken antibiotics a handful of times in my 20's). The result was head to toe hives.
But my question is this - why does every doctor that I see insist on knowing what the results of taking each of these meds. I tell you that I am allergic and yes, I understand why you may think I am drug seeking but it ticks me off. It's as if they want me to prove it to them. I am not even looking for a stronger med like Oxycontin or such - just something that has a shade higher med than straight Tylenol before I destroy what is left of my liver. My OB did explain when I was in the hospital with my gall bladder issue that if it came down to it, they may have to risk me having a reaction and dose with drugs to counteract a reaction to keep me on meds that were safer for the baby. As a result, I put up with a whole lot more pain than I probably should have.
Maybe I should share my story of a few years ago when I kept getting hives on my inner thighs and was struggling with a yeast infection that wouldn't go away. Granted I am known for random hives and my inner thighs seem to be a trigger area. Turns out DH was taking ibuprofen for another issue. Dawned on me after a rather personal moment. Now he asks if he is going to get lucky before he takes meds LOL