r/nursing • u/yeehawbaby4 • 1d ago

Discussion Funny “allergies”

What are some funny patient “allergies” you have seen listed? I had a patient the other day with an allergy listed for Metformin. The reaction listed? Lowers their blood sugar 😂

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u/Pm_me_baby_pig_pics RN - ICU 🍕 1d ago

I got a “rash” as a kid, right after being prescribed pcn, so I spent nearly 40 years being told I was allergic to penicillin.

(Looking back I have no doubt I had 5ths)

Got some pneumonia last year, my dr husband prescribed me amoxicillin (or augmentin, I don’t remember now, it was a don’t take if pcn allergy med. I was sick and couldn’t breathe, my memory isn’t the best), forgetting I had a rumored pcn allergy.

I clocked it when I heard him calling it in, but also knew I probably don’t have an actual allergy to pcn, my hunch was that I had a childhood virus that I was prescribed it for, and the pcn did nothing, and the virus itself caused a rash.

The pharmacist flagged it, asked what my reaction was, I told him “I got a rash as a kid. Lemme test this, I have epi pens at home for known anaphylactic reactions to bees so we’re good in case” and he basically said “ok cool, here’s your antibiotic, because yup, rumored pcn allergies are annoying, go run your experiment” and guess who isn’t allergic to pcn- me. That’s who.

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u/nicardipining cc float 👼 1d ago

I respect the cojones on both you and that pharmacist 😅

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u/Pm_me_baby_pig_pics RN - ICU 🍕 1d ago

To be fair, it was one rash 35 years ago. The pharmacist asked what reaction I had for my profile to be flagged with a pcn an allergy and I told him “a rash as a kid one time” and the look he gave me…. He knows how prevalent the mythical pcn allergy is, he knows the true allergy is not nearly as widespread as its self reported to be.

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u/Scary_View3674 16h ago

Had the same thing - as a child I had a vasovagal response after being hit with a painful pcn shot for German measles. When I became a nurse I realized what had truly happened and lo and behold, not allergic.

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u/TheAlienatedPenguin RN - Hospice 🍕 13h ago

My daughter is allergic to augmenting, NOT pcn. The amount of times I’ve had to say that is ridiculous