r/emergencymedicine • u/Asleep-Palpitation43 Nurse Practiciner • Feb 02 '25

Advice Allergy Olympics

Is it wrong that if I see a patient has more than 10 allergies I IMMEDIATELY assume she's (bc it's always a she) a psych case?

In 24 years I've never been wrong.

You'll never read this in a textbook but add it to your practice today and thank me later👍

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u/USCDiver5152 ED Attending Feb 02 '25

It’s the fact that the EMR doesn’t distinguish allergy from intolerance/side effects.

40

u/hybrogenperoxide Feb 02 '25

Ding ding ding. My chart has compazine listed as an allergy- I’m not allergic, just really, really hate akathisia as a side effect. It also has dissolvable sutures listed, which I am actually allergic to and nobody takes seriously, so my dehisced umbilical incision required a month of 2x weekly wound clinic🫠.

18

u/als_pals Feb 02 '25

Oh god akathisia is the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. NEVER AGAIN

21

u/hybrogenperoxide Feb 02 '25

I got compazine twice (both times for intractable migraines) before I figured out the issue. The second time, I requested no benadryl because it makes me feel bad. Oh my god was it so much worse without the benadryl. The best way to describe it is that my soul, the core of my being, was restless fucking leg syndrome. I remember just laying there thinking that I could handle it because it was going to have to end at some point and I just needed to wait it out.

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u/als_pals Feb 02 '25

Same!! I had gotten it many times without issue so it took me a few times to figure out what was going on. I felt the absolute NEED to rip out my iv and run out of the er! Trying to just focus on my breathing was agonizing

6

u/cleopatra_andromeda ED Tech Feb 02 '25

yes! that's the exact feeling i get! needing to rip my iv out and run out, even if i'm too sick to do just about anything. it's the worst feeling ever, and almost all of the antiemetics cause it 😭