This is my second post. The last three weeks since my a-fib diagnoses has been horrible. I was put on diltiazem (240) and aspirin. After about 6 days I broke out in a severe rash all over my body. Cardiologist said no way it could be diltiazem. My allergist disagreed. Apparently this drug can cause very severe reactions like EM major and SJS from what I was told (mine wasn't that bad but all over the body like EM minor they said). The cardiologist finally pulled me off it after that and put me on verapamil (120). Rash has gone done in the 4 days since ... still have sore throat and nose. Allergist had put me on predisone (50mg for 4 days, 40mg for 2, 30 for 2, 30 for 2 and 10 for 2) and Zertec which helped itching ... done with that now ... a few days after stopping the diltiazem.
Main question is ... since then I have developed a really bad sore throat and sinus pain. I went to my ENT who said I may have an infection in my sinuses and throat. I wanted to make sure that the verapamil wasn't causing a reaction like the diltiazem (they can both cause bad results with your mucus membranes from what I read) but they think it is an infection.
They wanted to put me on leviquin because they aren't sure what else I can take with verapamil and my other drug allergies but I have personal knowledge of folks that have had SEVERE problems with that drug. What other antibiotics won't react with verapamil?
I am allergic to many drugs (peniclliin, ampicillin, cephalasporins, sulfa) so I'm pretty much stuck with "myacins". I know really bad things can happen with erythromycin but what about other ones like azithromyicin? I just hate to go to the big guns like the leviquin ... but am I just really screwed because I'm allergic to other antibiotics?
And I'm sorry for the horrid spelling of drugs. :-)
Vince