Yesterday,
was yet another terrifying moment for me, and especially my wife whom suffered
from an ordinary cold into a some kind of palpitation. It didn’t happen
instantaneously, but in fact gradually from morning 10-11am++ to afternoon
3-4pm++. Initially, she felt like the heart seems to beat faster, and resulting
some cold sweat on the palms. But as time passes by, the beating became faster,
and turned into seizure. I rushed her to the same clinic that we seek
consultation earlier in the morning. The doctor claimed that she must have
developed some reaction against the flu and antibiotics medicine that she was
prescribed earlier.
The doctor
quickly gave her some medicine to counter the reaction. But I tell you.. that
seizure was so bad that when the attack comes in, she would just shiver and
bite on her own teeth. Its like beyond her control. I was freaking out, that I wanted
to smack the doctor and send her to the hospital. The attack came in every 2-3
minutes interval.. and she turns pale at each attack. That was terribly crazy…..
but luckily, the palpitation eased down after 1 hour ++ of the medication. So
much so that she experienced heart pain towards the later stage of it.
The doctor
did an ECG scan on her heart… which resulted ok, no damage or injury to it. So….
Conclusion? Well, she was discharged.. .recovered that night itself, but with a
note to remember… we must avoid any antibiotics that contains the component of Doxycycline.
And the flu medicine that contains
the Clarinase.
Lesson learnt… if there are any abnormality occurred after you take any
medicine, always consult the doctor straight away, and don’t wait until the
effect gets worst. I did small research on that 2 scientific component that
neither one of us could understand… here it is:
Doxycycline (INN) (IPA: [ ˌdɒksɪˈsaɪklin ]) is a member of
the tetracycline antibiotics group and is commonly used to treat
a variety of infections. Doxycycline is a semi-synthetic
tetracycline invented and clinically developed in the early 1960s by Pfizer Inc. and marketed under the brand name Vibramycin. Vibramycin received FDA
approval in 1967, becoming Pfizer’s first once-a-day broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Other brand names include Monodox, Periostat, Vibra-Tabs, Doryx, Vibrox,
Adoxa®, Doxyhexal and Atridox (topical doxycycline hyclate for Periodontitis).
Cautions and side effects
Cautions
and side effects are similar to other members of the tetracycline antibiotic group. However the 10% risk of photosensitivity skin reactions is of particular importance for those intending
long-term use for malaria prophylaxis. Reports of GERD have been cited with the use of Doxycycline.
Unlike
some other members of the tetracycline group, it may be used in those with
renal impairment.
Doxycycline
impairs the effectiveness of many types of hormonal contraception due to CYP450 induction, and physicians recommend the
use of barrier contraception for people taking the drug to prevent unwanted
pregnancy. It may also reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives by
decreasing the normal flora in the intestines. This can reduce the flora’s
ability to remove glucuronide groups off of
estrogen as it
re-enters the GI tract via enterohepatic circulation. Estrogens are glucuronidated in the liver and
re-circulated to the gut. Therefore, Doxycycline’s effect on efficacy of oral
contraceptives can be two-fold.
It
should be taken with a full glass of water to prevent irritation of the
esophagus and stomach. Also, there is a slim risk of liver damage during
prolonged use of the drug
Loratadine is a drug
used to treat allergies, and marketed
for its nonsedating properties. It is marketed by Schering-Plough under several
trade names such as Claritin, Claritine, Clarityn or Clarityne
depending on the market; by Lek as Lomilan; by Ranbaxy as Roletra; and by Wyeth as Alavert. It is also available as a generic.
In a version marketed as Claritin-D or Clarinase, loratadine is
combined with pseudoephedrine, a decongestant; this makes it somewhat useful for
colds as well as allergies, but adds a potential side-effect of insomnia, nervousness
and anxiety.
Side-effects
Non-sedating antihistamine
As a
non-sedating antihistamine, loratadine causes less sedation and psychomotor impairment than the older antihistamines because it penetrates
the blood brain barrier only to a slight extent. Any drowsiness, which is
unlikely, may diminish after a few days of treatment.
Although
drowsiness is rare, nevertheless patients should be advised that it can occur
and may affect performance of skilled tasks (e.g. driving); excess alcohol should be avoided.
Most common
side-effects
Drowsiness, headache,
psychomotor impairment, and antimuscarinic effects such as urinary retention,
dry mouth, blurred vision, and gastrointestinal disturbances are the most
common side effects.
Other rarer side-effects
Hypotension, extrapyramidal effects, dizziness, confusion, depression, sleep
disturbances, tremor, convulsions, palpitation, arrhythmias, hypersensitivity
reactions (including bronchospasm, angioedema, and Anaphylaxis (ref below), rashes, and
photosensitivity reactions), blood disorders, liver dysfunction, and
angle-closure glaucoma are less common side effects..
Cautions and contraindications
Loratadine
should be used with caution in hepatic disease and dose reduction may be necessary in renal impairment. Caution may be required in epilepsy. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to
side-effects (see Side-effects section above). Also contraindicated in pregnancy and breast-feeding.
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system) and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other mammals. The term comes from the Greek words ana (against) and phylaxis (protection).[1] Anaphylaxis occurs when a person or animal is exposed to a trigger substance, called an allergen,
to which they have already become sensitized. Minute amounts of
allergens may cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction.
Anaphylaxis may occur after ingestion, skin contact, injection of an
allergen or, in rare cases, inhalation.[2]
Anaphylactic shock, the most severe type of anaphylaxis, occurs when an allergic response triggers a quick release from mast cells of large quantities of immunological mediators (histamines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes) leading to systemic vasodilation (associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure) and edema of bronchial mucosa (resulting in bronchoconstriction and difficulty breathing). Anaphylactic shock can lead to death in a matter of minutes if left untreated.
An estimated 1.24% to 16.8% of the population of the United States
is considered "at risk" for having an anaphylactic reaction if they are
exposed to one or more allergens, especially penicillin and insect
stings. Most of these people successfully avoid their allergens and
will never experience anaphylaxis. Of those people who actually
experience anaphylaxis, up to 1% may die as a result.[3]
Anaphylaxis results in fewer than 1,000 deaths per year in the U.S.
(compared to 2.4 million deaths from all causes each year in the U.S.[1]). The most common presentation includes sudden cardiovascular collapse (88% of reported cases of severe anaphylaxis).
