Can I take roxithromycin if I am allergic to penicillin

Penicillin and roxithromycin are both very common drugs in our daily life. Many people always confuse roxithromycin with penicillin. In fact, penicillin and roxithromycin are not the same kind of drugs. If you are allergic to penicillin, it will not affect the use of roxithromycin, unless you are also allergic to roxithromycin. These two drugs will not cause cross allergy, so you can take them with confidence.

Penicillin (Penicillin, or transliteration penicillin) is also known as penicillin G, peillin G, penicillin, penicillin sodium, benzylpenicillin sodium, penicillin potassium, and benzylpenicillin potassium. Penicillin is a type of antibiotic, which refers to a class of antibiotics that contains penicillin in its molecules, can destroy the cell walls of bacteria and have a bactericidal effect during the reproduction period of bacterial cells. It is an antibiotic extracted from Penicillium. Penicillin belongs to the β-lactam antibiotics (β-lactams), which include penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, monocyclines, cephamycins, etc. Penicillin is a very commonly used antibacterial drug. However, a skin test must be done before each use to prevent allergies.

The main function of penicillin

Penicillin is an important antibiotic with high efficiency, low toxicity and wide clinical application.

Its successful development has greatly enhanced human's ability to resist bacterial infections and led to the birth of the antibiotic family. Its emergence ushered in a new era of using antibiotics to treat diseases. After decades of improvement, penicillin injection and oral penicillin can now treat pneumonia, tuberculosis, meningitis, endocarditis, diphtheria, anthrax and other diseases respectively.

Following penicillin, antibiotics such as streptomycin, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline continued to be produced, enhancing human ability to treat infectious diseases. But at the same time, the drug resistance of some pathogens is gradually increasing. To address this problem, researchers are currently developing more effective antibiotics, exploring how to prevent pathogens from acquiring resistance genes, and developing antibacterial drugs using plants as raw materials.

Penicillin cannot tolerate the enzymes produced by resistant strains (such as resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and is easily destroyed by them. Its antibacterial spectrum is narrow and it is mainly effective against Gram-positive bacteria. Penicillin G is divided into potassium salt and sodium salt. Potassium salt cannot be directly injected intravenously. During intravenous drip, the amount of potassium ions must also be carefully calculated to avoid the formation of hyperkalemia in the human body, which may inhibit heart function and cause death.

Penicillin antibiotics are very low in toxicity. Since β-lactams act on the cell walls of bacteria, and humans only have cell membranes but no cell walls, they are less toxic to humans. Except for causing severe allergic reactions, their toxicity is not very obvious at normal dosages.

An intradermal test must be performed before using this product. Penicillin allergy tests include skin test methods (referred to as penicillin skin test) and in vitro test methods, among which intradermal injection is more accurate. Skin tests themselves are also somewhat dangerous. About 25% of patients who die from anaphylactic shock die from skin tests. Therefore, adequate emergency preparations should be made when performing skin tests or injecting medications. When switching to a different batch of penicillin, the skin test needs to be repeated. Dry powder can be stored for many years without losing its effectiveness, but injection solution and skin test solution are unstable and it is best to prepare them freshly. Moreover, for patients with renal excretion and poor renal function, the dosage should be adjusted appropriately. In addition, topical application has a high chance of allergic reaction and bacteria can easily develop drug resistance, so it is not recommended.