Allergic reactions to medication



	A true allergy to a medication is different than a simple adverse reaction to the drug. The allergic reaction occurs when the immune system, having been exposed to the drug before, creates antibodies to it. On subsequent exposure to the drug these antibodies cause release of histamines. If severe, this reaction can result in a life-threatening situation known as anaphylactic shock.

Review Date: 5/30/2012
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.

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06/01/2025

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