I picked the prescription bottle up to check and see what the doctor wanted me to try this time since the antibiotic I was on doesn’t seem to be killing the infection. Instantly I feel my throat begin to swell. My tongue is now swelling as well and I feel it begin to protrude out of my mouth and I know it is turning black. I can’t breathe. I begin to break out in sweats. I feel hives, huge hives breaking out all over my face and body. I see spots before my eyes. My ears are now ringing and I feel as though I am moving in slow motion. I am chocking. Someone help me. I can’t breathe. I am going down, down, down.
I shake my head from the horrible flashback and say, “WHAT IS THIS?” I asked the lady behind the counter. She told me it was my antibiotic. I told her it wasn’t my antibiotic. I proceeded to tell her that if I took Levaquin I would be dead in less than 30 minutes. I then asked her if my chart was red flagged for QUINOLONES? So she checked and said yes. I then told her, uuuhhh, this is a Quinolone and I can not take it because if I do I will have an ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION.
She immediately called over my pharmacist, and of course he apologized because they should have caught it due to the fact that my chart is red flagged. I then got on the phone and called my doctor and asked him why he was trying to put me away by giving me drugs he KNOWS I am allergic to? I then told him if he didn’t want to go to the Ladies Conference with me all he had to do was say so. He didn’t have to do me in.
Dr. T began to apologize because he said when he thinks of me he should automatically see 3 things, ALLERGIES, Asthma, Migraines. What wonderful traits to be known by :{
I told my husband I do not have to worry about dying from some horrible death like cancer, brain tumor, heart attack, stroke or etc. My cause of death will be: THE WRONG MEDICATION!!!
I do not know how many times ALL and I do mean ALL of my doctors have at one time or another tried to give me a medication that has put me in ICU due to ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION. Yes folks, I do not fear some dreaded disease. I fear MEDICATION!
I wonder if I red flag my allergies by tattooing them into the center of my forehead if then I will be safe from being given the wrong medication. You think?
I shake my head from the horrible flashback and say, “WHAT IS THIS?” I asked the lady behind the counter. She told me it was my antibiotic. I told her it wasn’t my antibiotic. I proceeded to tell her that if I took Levaquin I would be dead in less than 30 minutes. I then asked her if my chart was red flagged for QUINOLONES? So she checked and said yes. I then told her, uuuhhh, this is a Quinolone and I can not take it because if I do I will have an ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION.
She immediately called over my pharmacist, and of course he apologized because they should have caught it due to the fact that my chart is red flagged. I then got on the phone and called my doctor and asked him why he was trying to put me away by giving me drugs he KNOWS I am allergic to? I then told him if he didn’t want to go to the Ladies Conference with me all he had to do was say so. He didn’t have to do me in.
Dr. T began to apologize because he said when he thinks of me he should automatically see 3 things, ALLERGIES, Asthma, Migraines. What wonderful traits to be known by :{
I told my husband I do not have to worry about dying from some horrible death like cancer, brain tumor, heart attack, stroke or etc. My cause of death will be: THE WRONG MEDICATION!!!
I do not know how many times ALL and I do mean ALL of my doctors have at one time or another tried to give me a medication that has put me in ICU due to ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION. Yes folks, I do not fear some dreaded disease. I fear MEDICATION!
I wonder if I red flag my allergies by tattooing them into the center of my forehead if then I will be safe from being given the wrong medication. You think?
20 comments:
Wow Jolene. That's pretty serious. I'm glad that you caught that. Not only would we miss you, but you would also miss the women's conference and we worked so hard with Sis. Hill today putting together a hundred and fifty-so clocks to help make the tables pretty. (She's selling them too, I might add.)
You are in my prayers, that's for sure. Sherrie talks about how worried she is about you and your asthma. Who'd think that we need to add wrong medication to the list!
Get well soon!
You just might be on to something! (the tattoo) LOL! It's amazing to me how these situations happen. The doctor had my mother on two meds that could have killed her "if taken together", which she was doing. Of course, she didn't know the problem. She was too sick to watch out for herself, so we did. It was my sister Karla that figured out what was happening and I'm sure the doctor was happy to get her off of the phone!!! LOL! Take care of yourself and be safe.
You would be amazed at how often this happens. Fortunately you cannot take a quinolone drug. I would invite you to log unto www.fqresearch.org and see just how lucky you really are. And I am not being sarcastic in the least. This class of antibiotics is THE most toxic drug you could possibly take. The adverse reactions to this class have not only killed people, but have crippled them for life.
Public Citizen had to file a lawsuit in Federal Court in January of 2008 to compel the FDA to even review their petition to add "Black Box" warnings to this class.
WOW! I am glad you have a way with medications, what a horrible mistake that someone would have made, not just the parmacist, or the clerk, but your doctor! Very scary. But I am glad to hear you will be at Ladies Confrence, hope you see you there!
Alice
Willman, It is a habit I now have to ALWAYS check my meds before leaving the pharmacy. This is not the first time I have run across this problem. While being admitted to the hospital I always ask what I am being administered before taking pills or injections and again there have been times they have tried to give me something I am allergic to.
Yep, it is a pretty scary thing but God has always kept His hand on me. So far there have only been 3 tmes that I have gone through the ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION stage. Don't want to do that again if at all possible. Once was to a Quinolone drug which was Floxin. Again with Cipro. Another time was with another drug called Aleve. Then if I take Dimerol I will go into SEIZURES. Yep, I'm a mess.
Sis. Elms, For some unknown reason I am not convinced that they would see that red flag either. LOL!
I agree with you. You know the statistics of people dying from the wrong medications is alarming very large. I told my kids that no matter what, when I do die, they are to demand an autopsy when I die. They are to make sure that the cause of death is because of whatever and not because of the wrong medication.
anonymous, so true! I know first hand just how powerful this drug is. The pharmacist told me it is a very powerful antibiotic and that is why most doctors prescribe it. But to me it is very deadly.
But after having the drug prescribed to me in three different forms, I made myself VERY familar with every Quinolone in this family. I know them all by name. Each and every one of them will kill me in no time at all.
Alice, I always wonder why they even bother to red flag your chart and even ask if you are allergic to any meds if they aren't going to take the time to read the chart before writing your prescriptions. That is why it is so important for me to look out for myself.
Looking forward to seeing you at conference. Until then, you have a great weekend.
jolene
I think you just explained a lot of deaths in America. I thought I was going to die with some meds. Thankfully, the pharmacist noticed some problems in my dad's meds and called me. It extended my dad's life several more years.
Sis. Allard, I read a report once on the statistics of accidental deaths due to people receiving the wrong medication and it is alarmingly very large. Like I said before, this will more than likely be the cause of my death since more than once the wrong meds have been prescribed for me. I actually pray over my medication everytime before I take it. I am very serious. This is no joking matter.
I know just where you are Jolene. Let’s say about six years ago, I was under the care of the Stanford Pain Center. During this time they were changing my pain medication almost every time I went to see them. Like once a month or more. On one trip they changed my meds once more, called my pharmacy and we started home. Virginia went to pick the new meds the next morning. I took one look at those pills and something said WRONG. Virginia called the pharmacy. The druggist said, “Please don’t let Mervin take one of those pills!” He, the pharmacist, came to the house and exchange the pills. “These would have done great harm to Mervin should he have take one,” was his comment. So we need to be aware of what we are taking.
Keep up the good fight of faith Jolene!
vMervi
Wow... I'm so sorry!! You have been through it! It's scary to think how often these things happen. The difference in a mistake, in this field, can be a life or death mistake. Wow... I hope you are feeling better.
Mervi, Yes, we must be the ones to watch out for ourselves in more ways than one. We must know our bodies and what we can and can not take into to them. If we don't take care of ourselves no one else really will. The same goes for our spirit. It is up to us to see to it that we let not any evil thing come into our spirit that is not of God because if we do it will literally choke the life of salvation right out of us.
Appreciate you and yours
jolene
Rochelle, It is a scary thought every time I receive a prescription that I am allergic to. It just makes me realize just how easy it would be to receive the wrong medication that could so easily snuff my life out in less than 30 minutes if adminstered to me.
I am feeling much better though now. Thank God and it isn't due to any medication. It is by the touch of God. That is where I put my trust.
Well see all the doctors there are secretly out to get you Jo Jo! lol just kidding. I'm glad you know what your allergic too so you can at least catch it when the doctors try to kill you! lol. Hey when I become a big shot lawyer in a few years I think we should sue the whole lot of them and get rich what do you say?????
Yvonne, sometimes I think that is true. When You do become a famous lawyer, I think I will take you up on that plan. I could use a few extra bucks. LOL.
Jolene:
I can definitely relate to this one. I am allergic to Sulfa Drugs, which give me not only severe rash, but asthma attacks. I too am asthmatic. I always read up on any new drug a doctor tries on me because I know too well how easy it is for them to mess up, even though my chart is also flagged. I am also sensitive to stimulants like caffeine that make my heart race out of control. I hope you were able to make it to ladies' retreat, even if the doc did not go.
Love you,
Karen
It was so nice to meet you! Keep on keeping on Sister Jolene, God is faithful.
Love,
Sis Catherine
~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, this is a scary story, don't these professionals pay attention? I'm glad that ultimately our lives are in His Hands!
Karen, then you can relate. Yes I was able to make it to the conference and I didn't even need the doc. Imagine that! Of course I had the great physician with me so what more did I need, right?
Catherine, It was a pleasure to meet you as well at Ladies Conference.
It is good to know that while man can make mistakes, God is still there looking out for our best interest.
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