Am I allergic to Advil (400mg)?

I took it and then 12 hours later, my cheeks got red and so did my lips. This made me a bit confused because I don't know if it means I'm allergic to the medication or to the spicy snacks I ate a few hours after the pill. I thought it might have been the snacks, but I ate it again and didn't have any reaction for the first couple of times, just some very mild flushing of the cheeks the last time I had them. This made me afraid of taking Advil, so I don't know how to figure out this allergy. Any clues?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The symptoms described could be due to a throat infection, most probably streptococcal or a viral infection. Strep sore throat needs to be treated with an antibiotic as strep is a bacteria. Viral sore throat is best treated with rest, warm oral fluids and  (OTC) tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen for pain. For the cough (dry) antitussives with Dextromethorphan based syrups like Triaminic may help. If you develop a fever, or cough with expectoration or if there is enlargement of the tonsils with pain or if there is white coating on the tonsils, you will need to consult your primary care physician for a strep test, which if positive you will be given antibiotics.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hey,

The post above was for tackling the cough. Now as for the allergy, you can have an allergic reaction to a drug even if it caused no reaction in the past. The most common signs of a drug allergy are hives, rash, facial swelling or fever. If you have an allergic reaction to a drug, it causes the release of histamine and other chemicals that cause allergic symptoms. Your immune system then becomes keyed to react the same way if you take the drug again in the future. However, the immune system changes over time, and eventually it's possible your drug allergy may go away on its own.

So, avoid taking the medication, if you develop similar symptoms repeatedly. Consult your doctor for alternate medications.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.