Drug Allergy.Care & specialists in New Zealand

A drug allergy is an immune-mediated reaction to a medication, distinct from common side effects, drug interactions, or intolerance. Reactions range from mild rash to anaphylaxis and severe skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome. They are confirmed by detailed history, skin or blood testing, and where safe, supervised drug challenge.

Suspect a drug allergy if you develop rash, hives, swelling, breathing difficulty, or other unusual symptoms within minutes to weeks of starting a new medication. Confirmation requires a thorough history with an allergist and may involve skin testing, blood tests, or supervised drug challenge. Many self-reported drug allergies are not confirmed on testing.

Penicillin (and other beta-lactam antibiotics) is the most commonly reported drug allergy, present on about 10% of hospital patients' charts. However, 90-95% of these labels are not confirmed on formal testing. Sulfa antibiotics, NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, and contrast media are other common culprits.

No. Side effects are predictable, dose-dependent pharmacological effects of a drug (drowsiness, nausea). Drug allergies are immune-mediated reactions that are dose-independent above a threshold and produce rash, swelling, anaphylaxis, or other immune-driven symptoms. Distinguishing the two is essential for safe future prescribing.

Yes. Skin prick testing, intradermal testing, blood tests for specific IgE, patch testing for delayed reactions, and supervised graded drug challenges all confirm or exclude allergy depending on the suspected drug and reaction type. Penicillin and beta-lactams have the most validated test panels.

IgE-mediated drug allergies may wane over years — roughly 80% of penicillin-specific IgE becomes undetectable within 10 years. Severe cutaneous adverse reactions like SJS, TEN, and DRESS, however, leave permanent immunologic memory and the offending drug and cross-reactive agents must be avoided for life.

Drug allergy is immune-mediated and produces rash, swelling, anaphylaxis, or other immunologic features. Drug intolerance refers to non-immune side effects (nausea, headache, dizziness) that occur even at therapeutic doses. The distinction matters because true allergy requires avoidance whereas intolerance may be managed by dose reduction or alternative formulation.

In life-threatening situations where no alternative exists, drug desensitization protocols administer the drug in graded doses over hours, inducing temporary tolerance under careful medical supervision. Desensitization must be repeated for each treatment course. Decisions are made by allergy specialists in consultation with the treating team.

Formal evaluation by an allergist with skin testing and a supervised graded drug challenge is the standard. For low-risk penicillin labels, this process safely removes the label in over 90% of patients. Documentation in the electronic health record is updated to reflect the new status.

Real penicillin allergy is uncommon — only 5-10% of those labeled as penicillin-allergic are truly allergic when tested. Most labels reflect childhood viral rashes incorrectly attributed to amoxicillin, family history, or mild side effects misclassified as allergy. Delabeling restores first-line antibiotic access in over 90% of cases.

Yes. Severe cutaneous adverse reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis cause spreading erythema followed by blistering, mucosal involvement, and skin detachment. These are medical emergencies requiring immediate hospitalization, drug withdrawal, and burn-unit care. The offending drug must be avoided for life.

DRESS (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) is a severe delayed drug reaction with fever, facial edema, widespread rash, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, and organ involvement (hepatitis, nephritis). It develops 2-8 weeks after starting drugs like anticonvulsants, allopurinol, or sulfa, has 5-10% mortality, and requires immediate drug withdrawal and corticosteroids.

Yes, though confirmed drug allergies in children are uncommon — most childhood rashes attributed to antibiotics are actually viral exanthems. Formal allergy evaluation with skin testing and graded challenge confirms or excludes allergy and prevents lifelong incorrect labels. Pediatric allergists offer specialized testing.

No. Sulfa antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim) and non-antibiotic sulfa drugs (loop diuretics, thiazides, sulfonylureas, celecoxib) do not generally cross-react. Patients with confirmed sulfa antibiotic allergy can usually take sulfa-containing diuretics and other non-antibiotic sulfa medications safely, but discuss with an allergist before exposure.

Stop the suspected drug immediately and contact your prescriber. For mild rash or itching without breathing or swallowing difficulty, an oral antihistamine and clinical review the same day are appropriate. For breathing difficulty, throat swelling, low blood pressure, or skin peeling, call emergency services and use an adrenaline auto-injector if available.

Most insurance plans cover drug allergy evaluation when ordered by an allergist for a clinical indication (limiting access to essential drugs, history of severe reaction, pre-surgical planning). Coverage for elective penicillin delabeling varies; many health systems now invest in delabeling because of downstream cost savings.

Drug desensitization is a controlled, graded administration of a drug to a patient with a confirmed allergy, inducing temporary tolerance under medical supervision. Used when the drug is essential and no alternative exists. The protection lasts only as long as the drug is continued; protocols must be repeated for each new treatment course.

Drug allergy itself is not inherited in a simple Mendelian way, but specific HLA alleles (HLA-B*57:01 for abacavir, HLA-B*58:01 for allopurinol, HLA-B*15:02 for carbamazepine) strongly predict risk in specific populations. Pre-prescription HLA screening prevents severe reactions in carriers.

Confirmed drug allergies are documented in the electronic health record allergy section with the drug name, reaction type, date, and severity. A medical-alert bracelet and allergy card are recommended for severe allergies. All healthcare encounters should review and update this information.

Skin testing and graded oral challenge are performed in outpatient allergy clinics with on-site resuscitation equipment. Supervised drug challenges with high-risk agents may need hospital day-case admission. Severe reactions during testing are rare (under 1%) when patient selection and protocols are followed.

HLA-B*57:01 strongly predicts hypersensitivity to the antiretroviral drug abacavir. Testing before prescription identifies carriers who must avoid the drug to prevent severe reactions. Routine screening has dramatically reduced abacavir hypersensitivity since its introduction in 2008 and is standard of care in HIV medicine.