Common Drugs That Cause Allergies

Any medication can trigger an allergic reaction. That said, some are more likely to cause these types of problems than others:

• Antibiotics -- amoxicillin (Moxatag), ampicillin, penicillin (Bicillin L-A), tetracycline, and others
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen
• Aspirin
• Sulfa drugs
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Monoclonal antibody therapy -- cetuximab (Erbitux), rituximab (Rituxian and others
• HIV drugs -- abacavir (Ziagen), nevirapine (Viramune), and others
• Insulin
• Antiseizure drugs -- carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), phenytoin, and others
• Muscle relaxers given by IV -- atracurium, succinylcholine, or vecuronium

How you take a drug plays a part, too. You’re more likely to have a drug allergy if you:

• Take your medicine as a shot instead of by mouth
• Rub it onto your skin
• Take it often

Many meds can cause reactions that aren’t true allergies. They can range from mild side effects to dangerous symptoms. Although the following drugs can cause allergic reactions, some that commonly cause non-allergic symptoms include:

• Heart disease medications called ACE inhibitors
• Contrast dyes for X-rays and CT scans
• Some chemotherapy drugs