With Open Enrollment season just beginning, many folks are looking to
change doctors (again) in the new year.

Which raises the question: do you check the box stating you are
allergic to penicillin?

Did you know that although you may have had a previous negative reaction,
you may not actually have an allergy.

In a story published on WebMD earlier this month:

“In one study, 94 percent of 384 people who believed they were allergic to
penicillin tested negative for penicillin allergy.

“And in the second study, penicillin skin testing was performed on 38 people who
believed they were allergic to the antibiotic, and all of them tested negative
for such an allergy.

“The studies were to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of American College of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), in Atlanta.”

So, big whoop, right?
You say you’re allergic but you actually aren’t.
Who cares? What difference dose it make?

Well, actually, here’s the potential draw back to checking the box when you
aren’t actually allergic:
Your will probably prescribe different medications prior to surgery, and those
alternative antibiotics that may be “more toxic and/or expensive, the ACAAI noted.”

Dr. Punita Ponda, assistant chief of the division of allergy and
immunology at Cohen Children’s Hospital of New York, said;

“This particularly impacts clinical care when surgical interventions are planned
where the use of antibiotics is very likely during the surgical procedure, or
during the pre- or post-surgical periods.”

The article closes saying:

“Experts note that findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered
preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.”

We’ll let you know if we see any updated information posted in those journals.

Please share your experience with us in the comments section below, or
on our facebook page where this blog post will be shared.

P.S. If you need help during this Open Enrollment period, please call us
at 877.789.5831 or complete the confidential form below and one of our experts
will be in touch with you right away!