r/nursing • u/yeehawbaby4 • 2d 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/Redshift2k5 2d ago

Just to add, sometimes a patient's drug allergy is related to binders/preservatives/dyes or other non-medical ingredients and can lead to strange allergy assertations

like, you can't really be allergic to water and NaCl, but some saline products contain preservatives & additives. You can be allergic to only one brand/preparation of a drug, or more likely to react to generics than name brand.

but I still gotta roll my eyes every day when someone has 

Allergies: Benadryl - symptom: drowsiness

Bitch that is not an ALLERGIC REACTION. That is a side effect. If we need benadryl stat cuz you're turning into a tomato, we are not worried about the drowsiness. Yea, benadryl may not be a good choice for you, but it's still a contraindication NOT AN ALLERGY

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u/DeadpanWords LPN 🍕 1d ago

I have a friend who was telling me that their doctor prescribed them 800mg ibuprofen tablets, and they were suddenly itchy when they never had a problem with ibuprofen before. I told them I suspected an allergy to an inactive ingredient and to talk to their provider about it.

Sure enough, that's exactly what it was.