Allergic reaction to OTC drugs

[KimDW]

Is it possible to be allergic to the buffers or the inactive ingredients in a sinus medicine? Many years ago I took Sudafed for sinus and then all of a sudden after taking it one day I broke out in hives and swelled up a little. Then I started taking Triaminicin. Been taking that for awhile (I think I've built up a resistance to it). It used to have that ingredient that was found to cause brain hemoraging so they changed the ingredients and started using Pseudophedrine. If I was allergic to the Sudafed (which has Pseudophedrine in it) shouldn't I be allergic to other drugs that have it? I can take Vicks 44 for nasel decongestion with no problems. Well, I think they have stopped producing the Triaminicin because I can't find it anymore. I need to switch but am afraid that I'll be allergic to it. I'm not going to take the Sudafed. I was thinking of maybe Advil Sinus or Excedrin Sinus. The Excedrin doesn't have the sudafed in it. It's something else.

Any advice?
Kimbra

 

[Jillie]

Allergies are tricky...for example you can take something all your life such as Tylonel, and suddenly and for no reason, develop an allergy, sensitivity, or experence side effects you haven't ever had before. Although uncommon, you can be "sensitive" to the "nonactive" ingredients to medications OTC or Perscription. It depends on many factors as to weather you'll have a reaction to one and not the other, the main factor would be how much of the ingredient is in each product. I would recommend speaking to a pharmacist about this...What you've taken, the dose you took, and the reaction(s) you had... Your reaction to sudafed could have been something totally different than the med itself. Speaking to someone at your local pharmacy is definatly something I would do before spending money and worry on another product..Hope this helps...Good luck!