Allergy - Severe reaction to Allegra

Author

Severe reaction to Allegra

Dwayne

2004-08-03, 10:46 pm

I have taken Allegra before but had not taken it in years when I went
to my allergy doctor to get some relief from constantly stinging eyes.
He prescribed Allegra 180 mg (timed release). I got home and took
one about 7 pm and about 3 in the morning I woke up feeling horrible.
I was scared to death. I couldn't talk, I felt like a boulder was
sitting on my chest and I couldn't breathe, even though I was
breathing ok. My heard felt so funny I can't explain it. My husband
checked my BP and it was 130/90 and my pulse was 98. My pulse is
often pretty high but that was a little higher than usual, especially
at night. It got so bad I started crying because I thought something
very bad was about to happen to me. My husband sat up with me and
watched me for hours and I finally got a little better in an hour or
two but not much and now its 24 hours later and I'm better but still
feel slightly heavy in the chest. I called my allergy doctor and got
a quick "Allegra does not have side effects like that. Your episode
was not related to Allegra. You should stop taking it anyway and go
to your family doctor. Thank you and have a nice day." It was an
obvious, we don't want to deal with you type thing. I felt helpless.
I haven't made an appointment to see my family doctor yet because I am
completely and totally convinced it was the Allegra. I have no
history of heart problems at all. I do have diabetes but my doctors
all know this and I have taken Allegra in smaller doses before, but
they weren't timed release either.

Has anyone else had a problem similar to this? Am I losing my mind
like my doctor obviously believes and wouldn't see me?

Thank you,

Thomas Mueller

2004-08-03, 10:46 pm

from dwcleck@bellsouth.net (Dwayne):

> I have taken Allegra before but had not taken it in years when I went
> to my allergy doctor to get some relief from constantly stinging eyes.
> He prescribed Allegra 180 mg (timed release). I got home and took
> one about 7 pm and about 3 in the morning I woke up feeling horrible.
> I was scared to death. I couldn't talk, I felt like a boulder was
> sitting on my chest and I couldn't breathe, even though I was
> breathing ok. My heard felt so funny I can't explain it. My husband
> checked my BP and it was 130/90 and my pulse was 98. My pulse is
> often pretty high but that was a little higher than usual, especially
> at night. It got so bad I started crying because I thought something
> very bad was about to happen to me. My husband sat up with me and
> watched me for hours and I finally got a little better in an hour or
> two but not much and now its 24 hours later and I'm better but still
> feel slightly heavy in the chest. I called my allergy doctor and got
> a quick "Allegra does not have side effects like that. Your episode
> was not related to Allegra. You should stop taking it anyway and go
> to your family doctor. Thank you and have a nice day." It was an
> obvious, we don't want to deal with you type thing. I felt helpless.
> I haven't made an appointment to see my family doctor yet because I am
> completely and totally convinced it was the Allegra. I have no
> history of heart problems at all. I do have diabetes but my doctors
> all know this and I have taken Allegra in smaller doses before, but
> they weren't timed release either.

> Has anyone else had a problem similar to this? Am I losing my mind
> like my doctor obviously believes and wouldn't see me?

If it were me, I'd be awful reluctant to take any more Allegra, considering the
reaction might escalate and be much more severe next time. You might ask your
pharmacist about the possibility of getting such a reaction from Allegra.
Pharmacists are the experts, more than MDs, on the possible effects of taking
pharmaceutical drugs.

I think I'd also be looking for another allergy doc. You could ask your family
doc. You could also ask a hospital's or medical society's physician referral
service.

Tom

Love This Scouting Stuf

2004-08-03, 10:46 pm

Unfourtnaly there only one way to find and discover new allergies. I
personally LOVE Allerga! It helps with my asthma and allergies! If you have
always trusted your doctor, you should not change, they cannot predict what
you will be come allergic to especially if you live your life normally! Some
doctors don't care, its your money they want, but in the same sense their
not going kill you either! Granted some may beg to differ, but 98% aren't
trying to!

"Thomas Mueller" <tmueller@bluegrass.net> wrote in message
news:2n3ndsFr8erpU1@uni-berlin.de...
> from dwcleck@bellsouth.net (Dwayne):
>
>
>
> If it were me, I'd be awful reluctant to take any more Allegra,
considering the
> reaction might escalate and be much more severe next time. You might ask
your
> pharmacist about the possibility of getting such a reaction from Allegra.
> Pharmacists are the experts, more than MDs, on the possible effects of
taking
> pharmaceutical drugs.
>
> I think I'd also be looking for another allergy doc. You could ask your
family
> doc. You could also ask a hospital's or medical society's physician
referral
> service.
>
> Tom
>