Drug Rashes
What is a drug rash?
A drug rash is a breakout on your skin caused by a medicine.
-
Drug rashes are usually caused by an allergic reaction to a medicine you're taking
-
You can get a drug rash from a medicine you swallow, put on your skin, or get as a shot
-
You'll get a rash or hives and have itching, peeling, or pain
-
If you don't know which medicine is causing the rash, your doctor may have you stop taking all your medicines for a while to figure it out
-
Drug rashes usually go away when you stop taking the medicine
-
Some drug rashes are serious enough to need treatment
What causes a drug rash?
What are the symptoms of a drug rash?
Drug rashes can be mild or severe. They can happen within a few minutes of taking a medicine or after you've been taking it for weeks.
Symptoms include:
If you're having an allergic reaction to the medicine, you may have hives in addition to a runny nose, watery eyes, and wheezing.
How can doctors tell if I have a drug rash?
Doctors will examine your rash and ask you about all your current prescription and over-the-counter medicines. They'll have you stop the medicines most likely to have caused the rash to see whether the rash goes away. Sometimes, they'll test your skin or do a skin biopsy (taking out a little bit of the tissue to look at under a microscope).
