Are hives a sign of drug allergy?
Hives can occur as a result of an adverse drug reaction, and may also be allergic or non-allergic. If the medicine is not needed or a different medicine can be used and the hives resolved, I would not see a reason for allergy testing or epinephrine. I would recommend avoiding the medicine that caused the reaction. Discuss this situation with your doctor. If it is needed in the future, a consultation with an allergist may be helpful. I am not aware of accurate skin testing that can be done with these medications. A drug challenge may be needed to confirm the adverse reaction.
Douglas T. Johnston, DO, FAAAAI, FACAAI, is an allergist/clinical immunologist at Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Assistant Professor at Edward Via School of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is a fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). He has lectured at national and international medical conferences and has publications in several medical journals, including “Clinical Immunology,” “World Allergy Organization Journal,” “Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology,” “The Journal of the American Medical Association,” and the “New England Journal of Medicine.”
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