NSAIDS

I am going to have a consultation about having plastic surgery. I take ibrufoen a lot and I'm fine. I have been on several NSAID prescriptions and if I just have one dose i'm totally fine. If i take it on a regular basis (every 6 hours 2 or 3 times in a row) I get a rash on my arms and neck and really bad diarrhea. My throat doesn't close up or anything like that. When i'm asked if I'm allergic to anything, do say I am allergic to NSAIDS? I don't want to lie to the doctor but I also don't him to think I'm just trying to get narcotics. Is this reaction to several doses normal?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Allergy to NSAID’s is not uncommon.Many people have reported allergy to NSAID’s. Many different reactions have been reported, from mildly bothersome like hives,rhinitis,asthma type features and urticaria to life threatening anaphylaxis.  

After any kind of surgery which is a stressful event for the body,the immune system is compromised till the body fully recovers.So any type of allergic reaction which is mild earlier may pose as life threatening after surgery.So it is better to openly discuss with your doctor,your allergy to NSAID’s so that the doctors can switch on to some other pain killers.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted in case of additional queries.

[margypops]

You have just explained to me what the cause of my hives may be,I had Dental work done in May I was given Advil (600mg strentgh) after root canal and a tooth removal I broke out in Hives and it has not gone away, I took the Advil and had quite a lot of it, also given Penicillin , so possibly finally I have found what could have caused it, I am not taking these now so why does it not go away, I have had no painkillers or Penicillin since that time.