Could allergic Reactions be causing my hallucinations?

Question

I wonder if someone can help me out at least put my mind at ease a little bit. For the past couple of months every medication I take makes me hallucinate with axiety, rapid heart rate and paranoia. It started off with vicodin I had a horrible tooth infection and had to get a root canal the doctor prescribed me vidoin 2 times a day for the pain the day befre and the day after the root canal. Let me just say, I dont understand how people can get addicted to this stuff. Its the most nasty, horrid stuff in the world. I ended up hallucinating and I asked the doctor about it he acted like it was normal. Then a month later I had a awful flu so I took Nyquil and again same thing happend.. I started to hallucinate, my heart rate was through the roof and I was having a horrible anxiety attack. Could I just be sensitive to the drugs? Or can they just be allergic reactions? I am the kind of person who will get drunk off of half a drink and probably pass out after a whole drink. I have no tolerance

Answer 1

being that you have a low tolerance to drugs or alcohol and that hallicination is a common side affect of anti-histamines (cold medication) I would say that the hallucinations are being caused by the drugs, but your Dr. knows you better than me, so ask him just to make sure its nothing more serious.

Answer 2

From what you describe, it doesn't sound like you are ALLERGIC, but just UNUSUALLY SENSATIVE to these drugs (keep in mind, I have no medical training-I just read a lot). I know many people have exceptionally vivid or bad dreams when taking Vicodin and other pain killers.

Besides being a little "out of it" (as expected), I notice that painkillers make me depressed for a few days after taking them. Also they make me paranoid, and even when I know it's the drug making me feel that way, I can't shake the paranoia.

My mom often finds that prescription drugs affect her much more, or much less, or much differently, than other people. She ABSOLUTELY will not take Vicodin (also generically called hydrocodone I believe) EVER again because it gave her horrible, terrifying dreams that seemed very, very real to her. I believe that she also experienced some mild-moderate hallucinations while awake, but was embarassed (?) or didn't want to alarm us (?) by mentioning them.

I haven't heard of these types of issues with NyQuil, but that doesn't mean they can't occur. Everybody's body chemistry is a little different-and some folks are way different, but still within the normal-ish range. (Valium makes my mom peppy and energetic. And she needs 5-6 shots at the dentist to get numb, whereas it takes me 1-2. ) Go figure!

Bottom line: I think people often intrinsically know how to heal themselves. (I'm not one of those quacks who shuns modern medicine & wants to get back to the "good ol' days" of leeches and blood-letting.) If you suspect these medicines are giving you problems, you are probably right!

Answer 3

What you're experiencing isn't an allergic reaction as such. But it is a severe sensitivity. I myself can't take a normal dose of narcotic pain killers without getting sick.

Is there a history in your family of sensitivity to petroleum, by any chance? There is in mine- so a lot of us read the ingredient lists with a fine-toothed comb before we buy shampoos, lotions, or medicines.

Meanwhile, the next time you need a procedure done, tell the doctor so you can figure out some alternate means of treating symptoms.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Seek your medical professional on this one. No other answers should matter.