Hives can be triggered by various factors. These include allergens such as medical drugs, to which a patient’s body responds by breaking out in hives (urticaria). Side effects of various drugs, as listed on drug information websites, include allergic responses such as hives.
Examples of antibiotic drugs that have been known to trigger allergic hives in some patients are Amoxicillin, a penicillin antibiotic drug, and Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic drug. These drugs have the capacity to trigger more than just hives. Side effects that result from their use have included both hives and angioedema, which, in their most extreme form, can send patients into anaphylactic shock.
The symptoms associated with anaphylaxis include hives, itchiness, labored breathing, swelling of the face, lips and tongue, and a tight chest. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition. Hence, when patients experience it, they should seek emergency medical care, which will entail the administration of epinephrine.
The above paragraph describes the most appropriate way to address these extreme Minocycline side effects. Hives can be treated afterwards by changing the antibiotic prescription and applying a topical cream to the wheals. Of course, the same applies when one is dealing with Amoxicillin side effects: Hives left over after the anaphylaxis has been addressed can be treated with topical cream or other hives remedies.
The Side Effects of Hives Medication
If there is anything to be learnt from the foregoing paragraphs, it is that the medications so often taken to provide relief from ill health can result in adverse side effects like urticaria. Side effects of this kind can range from mildly uncomfortable conditions to life-threatening ones.
In the same way that antibiotics like Minocycline and Amoxicillin can trigger hives, the corticosteroids taken to relieve the inflammation of hives can provoke their own set of side effects. The side effects of hives medication, and more specifically of corticosteroids, are serious: These medications suppress the immune system, thus increasing one’s vulnerability to infection.
Ultimately, all medication comes with side effects. Some people just happen to respond better than others. Hence, as long as medication is necessary for the treatment of a given condition, it is not possible to eliminate all side effects.
However, there are steps that one can take to reduce the damage or suffering brought on by medication: It is important to use medication only when necessary and as prescribed by one’s doctor. Any problems that develop along the way should be shared with the doctor immediately. He or she will be best placed to make changes to the dosage or to prescribe an alternative form of treatment.
