Woman, 31, with severe allergy to penicillin goes into anaphylactic shock after swallowing her partner's SEMEN 'because he had taken a course of the antibiotic'

March 12, 2019  22:26

A woman suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction to penicillin after performing oral sex on her partner.

Doctors in Spain who treated the 31-year-old have now urged anyone with drug allergies to 'be aware' of the potential risk from oral sex.

The unidentified woman swallowed her lover's semen and afterwards began to vomit, struggle to breathe and break out in hives.

The patient, from Alicante in Spain, went to hospital with suspected anaphylactic shock. It is unclear how long after her sexual encounter she sought help.

She revealed she had an allergy to penicillin but denied having taken the drug, or any unusual foods, before performing fellatio.

Doctors ruled out a rare semen allergy when the woman admitted she had never suffered any symptoms in her previous sexual encounters.

Medics then discovered her 32-year-old partner had taken amoxicillin-clavulanic acid – a form of penicillin – to treat an ear infection.

As a result, the doctors at Hospital General Universitari d'Alacant suspected her anaphylaxis was caused by 'seminal transfer of amoxicillin'.

The case, believed to be the first of its kind ever recorded, was published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports.

Susana Almenara, lead author of the report, has now urged anyone with known drug allergies to 'be aware' of the potential risk and ensure they use condoms.

She said: 'We think that as clinicians it is important to be aware of this phenomenon so was to inform and prevent potentially serious reactions in sensitised patients.

'We also recommend condom use during treatment with drugs that can induce hypersensitivity responses in partners.'

Ms Almenara added: 'This is the first case reported of a suspicion of amoxicillin-induced anaphylaxis in a woman after a sexual contact with a man who was taking the drug.'

She revealed there has been a 'few reports' of allergic reactions related to drugs being transferred through sexual intercourse.

Allergic reactions to amoxicillin, in particular, have occurred through kissing – but this is the first to show it could happen through oral sex.

The man, who also wasn't identified, took the medication four hours before having any sexual contact with the woman.

The woman was given a dose of adrenaline, steroids and salbutamol to combat her reaction and open up her airways.

Her shortness of breath was completely resolved after six hours. She had fully recovered a week later.

Ms Almenara and colleagues asked her to return to hospital so she could be studied – but she did not attend a follow-up appointment.

Writing in the case report, she said allergies to a protein in semen have been recorded in rare cases, causing symptoms to occur during or after sexual intercourse.

But allergic reactions can also be induced 'by the transfer of allergens (drugs or food) present at low concentrations' in semen.

Ms Almenara said it was unlikely the woman had an allergy to protein in semen because she had never suffered a reaction after performing fellatio before.

She admitted it is often difficult to find the causative agent of some allergic reactions but said drugs are the most common cause of anaphylaxis in adults.

She added: 'In cases of anaphylaxis, it is essential to make a correct and early diagnosis in order to initiate adequate treatment and to avoid fatalities.'

Ms Almenara quoted figures from another study that showed around one in 250 penicillin treatments result in an anaphylactic shock.

Writing in the journal, she added: 'We have detected some concern about this issue in consultations carried out by sensitive patients in internet forums.

'This concern on the part of patients is accompanied by a lack of scientific information around this question.'

Ms Almenara added even the smallest presence of an allergen, such as penicillin, in semen could lead to anaphylaxis.

Source: The Daily Mail

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