MiraLAX warning....

[pneal 5]

So I've never been allergic to any medications my entire life. I've tried tons of laxatives and stool softeners before. Even as a dieting fad. So I haven't had a BM in a couple of days and decided what the heck, I've read on the forums to try Miralax.

I take a half cap full to try. I thought the whole cap looked HUGE. Within 5 minutes I started to get shortness of breath and within 25 minutes my body was broke out in welted hives burning and itching BAD! My breaths were getting worse and DH told me to swallow a Benedryl and put my clothes on.

We packed up our 4 y/o Thor and headed to Kaiser ER. They immediately put me on IV and administered an EPI pen right above my heart. Now if you don't know what this is...it's a powerful adrenaline shot they hold with 2 raised hands and powerfully jab into you. Like in that movie Pulp Fiction when the chick O.D.'s!!!!!!! My throat was closing! I thought I was going to die! They then put liquid Zantac and nausea meds in my IV. I felt better so I had Fuzzy (DH) take Thor home...poor guy. My blood pressure was super low as well. They kept me for 6 hours.

Needless to say at 3AM I was dischargerd sent home with Predisone, Benedryl, Zantac, and an extra EPI pen just incase I need to self administer another shot....UGH!

So my point is, sometimes it sounds so easy to hear/read that taking this OTC drug as simple as a stool softner is o.k. I almost learned a hard lesson with my life. Thanks to Fuzzy's fast thinking. The RN's said him giving me that Benedryl saved me some time. I didn't even want to go! I thought it would pass!

I now know after I came home and read the back of the MiraLAX that I'm allergic to "Polyethylene Glycol" and if you don't know.......please folks find out first!

[Susanne 32]

Oh gosh, that sounds wild! I am glad everything is OK now. I am wondering if after surgery we are just more sensitive to all kinds of things?

I for example, have been a caffeine junkie all my life, coffee, espresso, energy shots and drinks - the more the better. Now, coming off caffeine for the surgery was a bitch, but I made it.

So, come New Years Eve - 2 months post surgery - and I am tired at 9pm. I had started up a little bit of coffee again, so I thought I have some sort of energy shot in the cupboard. I divide the small bottle amongst two shot glasses for me and hubby. I drink my glass, and a minute after I feel like I am getting warm. And then I am getting warmer. And then I am getting hot. And then I start to itch - all that maybe within a few minutes.

I go to the bathroom, and it looks like I am turning all red and am getting hives from my scalp down...it was at my shoulders and I could almost watch it move down. I called my husband and he was laughing/worried/laughing/worried. It moved down to the boobal area but then luckily started to recede again. About 20 minutes after the energy shot, the whole thing was over again...

This was by no means as bad as yours, but a similar reaction to something that shouldn't do any harm in general - over the counter herbal stuff.

[pneal 5]

Susanne, I agree! That's why I was worried about Peanut Butter on mushies! Be careful with the hives, my hubby's swift reaction saved me.

I haven't done any coffee yet. Ironically the yahoo next to me drank 8 large redbulls in 10 minutes. His heart was racing.

[Dawn 16]

Very Scary!!! I have had many allergic reactions throughout the life so I totally feel for ya! Glad your DH was able to think fast and also get your to the ER!

[juliarh 35]

wow, I am sooo glad you're ok!! that is truly scary. I never in a million years would have suspected that someone could have an allergic reaction to Miralax. Thank God you're ok! Big, big hugs!

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

Scary, especially with such a benign drug - not even really a drug, really! I had a bad bout of nausea on my 1st day post-op in Mexico and the nurse gave me some anti-nauseant in the IV - the second she pushed on the syringe, you could see hives rising up my arm right along the veins! They stopped immediately, so thankfully, the rash just stopped at my elbow and I never got any systemic symptoms, but they sure got more than they bargained for. I checked the name of the drug when I got home, and it's not used in North America, so I decided not to bother with a medic alert.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Whoa... sorry you had to go through that!! That sounds awful, scary!! I'm glad you're ok though now... Hugs!!!

[NJMOMof2 17]

That is an eye-opening story!!! So glad it worked out well. I am going to check now to be sure we have benadryl in the house all the time!!!

[Dansha 16]

WOW!!!! How scary. Good thing hubby was there. I am going to get some Benadryl tomorrow.

{{{HUGS}}}

Deb