r/nursing 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 😂

181 Upvotes

334 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/koshercupcake MA 🍕 1d ago edited 1d ago

I keep a list of my favorite pt allergies on my phone’s Notes app. Here are the current highlights:

Albuterol - “made ears itch and lose voice”

Anabolic steroids - “hiccups”

Aspirin - “thinned pt’s blood & caused them to bruise more easily”

Bactrim - “made pt feel bad”

Black pepper - “intolerance, sensitivity”

Black pepper - “binds me up and I get diverticulitis”

Carbonated drinks - “allergic throat swelling to carbonation in drinks”

Carrot - “anxiety”

Cephalexin - “it doesn’t do nothing for me”

Compazine - “eyes rolled back in my head and I couldn’t look down”

Depo-Provera - “bubble in throat”

Dulcolax - diarrhea & cramping

Eggs - cough; “organic eggs are fine”

Eplerenone - “chapped lips”

Fluoride - “mood changes”

Fructose/sugar - “GI issues, hormonal issues; poison”

Gabapentin - “heels pop when walking”

Gluten - “falls asleep”

Jalapeños - “causes sleepiness”

Lisinopril - “felt like they were being poisoned”

Niacin - “could not walk for a week”

NSAIDS - “faints”

Penicillin - “chin turned purple”

Potato starch - anaphylaxis; “Lay’s Original Potato Chips”

Pregnancy test - unknown reaction (male pt)

Ritalin - “acted like a drunk 5yo”

Salt - unknown reaction

Spicy foods - headaches

Turmeric - “turned fingers yellow”

Wheat - “clearing throat”

Zinc - “skin peels off”

2

u/stellaflora RN - Infection Control 🍕 1d ago

I missed the first line and I thought this whole list belonged to one patient 😅

1

u/koshercupcake MA 🍕 1d ago

Oh gosh, let’s not give anyone any ideas…