Drug Allergies

So here is that story I owe you. Back in July I started a new drug for my crohns beast...Sulfasalzine! Right away it made me sick to my stomach and gave me horrible headaches. This has happened with other drugs. No big deal right...It always takes me a couple weeks to get use to a new drug. WRONG! After about 2 weeks I was still having the bad headache and stomach upset. So on a Sunday I was cooking a big Turkey dinner for my family and I wanted to enjoy the day and not feel sick so I didn't take the pills at all that day. I felt better and did enjoy the day with my family. So Monday I started taking the pills again and I still felt good YAY!!!...not so fast...around 4am Tuesday morning I woke up so sick to my stomach and started throwing up and throwing up and throwing up. The headache was so much worse and my body hurt all over. I stayed in bed the entire day. Then Tuesday evening I spiked a fever of 102 so I figured I had the flu. I got up and tried to walk to the bathroom and I passed out. Fortunately my hubby was by my side to catch me. I woke up to him dumping cold water on me. He wanted to take me to the hospital but the cold water actually made me feel better and I did not want to go to the hospital. More throwing up during the night and I still had a fever Wednesday morning. We called my GI and he sent me for blood work to rule out an infection and said if I got any worse to go to the ER. So I dragged myself out to have the blood work. After I got home the fever started getting higher and higher. Hubby was helping me go upstairs and again I passed out and again I woke up to him pouring cold water on me. My kids were home for this one and they were helping pour water on me and talking to me till the fog cleared. They were great, so proud of them. This time he called an ambulance so I had no choice. My temperature was now 103.8 and my blood pressure was very low so off to the ER I went in the ambulance. Lights flashing, sirens blaring. Hubby was in the ambulance with me and my boys were following in the car. I was more worried about them. They put ice packs all around me and started an IV. At the hospital they did every possible blood test and found nothing. They admitted me and put me in a regular room. I continued to have a fever and my blood pressure was still very low. They were pumping me with fluids and several antibiotics. Around 6am Thursday they decided to give me my own nurse and list me as step down care (like after you leave ICU). I was not allowed to get out of bed. After a few hours I still had a high fever and my bp was still dangerously low. So they put me in the ICU. After more blood work and different antibiotics they did a cat scan and several chest x-rays. Still no answers. They kept saying it couldn't be an allergic reaction to the drug. It had to be an infection. More and more blood work and finally on thursday night the fever broke. On Friday I was allowed to get out of bed and EAT. My bp was going back to normal. Saturday morning just before they sent me back to a regular room the GI doc (not my regular GI) said that since they could find nothing else he now believed it was a severe reaction to the sulfasalizine. They took me to a regular room and after some begging let me go home that evening. It took me about a week to get my energy back and feel better. When I had my follow up with my GI he agreed that it was a severe reaction. (Most people don't get such a high fever, usually just around 100 degrees) I told him to get use to this because I'm not like most people. When I do things I do them in a big way. lol. So I'm taking a break form all crohns meds right now. I go back to see him next month to talk about what to do next.
Most people do fine on this drug. My beautiful niece is on it right now and it is helping her a lot and she has no problems with it.
So thats where I'm at right now. I'll keep you posted :)

Love, Laugh, and always know where the nearest bathroom is