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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
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Pharmacy and Medications |
Am I Really Allergic to Morphine?11/04/2009 |
After knee surgery I was hospitalized for pulmonary edema. A few weeks later the anesthesiologist did a skin test to check for an allergy. She injected a small amount of morphine and other drugs given to me under the skin. With the morphine my skin blistered a little and spread red across my arm very quickly. An allergist told me most people would have that same skin reaction and this does not indicate a true allergy. I got the same skin reaction with versed.I do not tolerate codeine or vicodin very well as I get extremely itchy but no hives. Is the skin test bogus?
Morphine and several other related drugs can cause itching. The reaction is not a true allergy but is related to the release of histamine in response to the drugs. Your itchy response is not uncommon but does not indicate an actual allergy to the drugs. However, if you do not tolerate them well, then you should avoid them. Other drugs within the same class can cause less itching, so you should not be afraid to try other drugs in the opioid class. Versed (midazolam) is unrelated to morphine and other opioids. This may, in fact, indicate a true allergy.
You should discuss this result with the allergist.
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Michael Ganio, PharmD Clinical Generalist Pharmacist Pharmacy Residency Coordinator Department of Pharmacy The Ohio State University Medical Center The Ohio State University |
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