Lynchburg – Most people who believe they are allergic to penicillin likely aren’t, according to a doctor at UVA Health.
About 10% of people report an allergy to penicillin, but studies show up to 90% of those individuals can actually tolerate the drug, said Dr. Timothy Kyin, medical director of allergy and immunology at UVA Health.
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“The allergy can wane over time,” Dr. Kyin explained. “Approximately 50% of patients lose their sensitivity five years after reacting, and that percentage increases to about 80% in 10 years.”
10 News anchor Rachel Lucas spent decades thinking she was allergic to penicillin after a severe reaction to amoxicillin during childhood.
After meeting Dr. Kyin, who is passionate about penicillin delabeling, she underwent testing to see if she could safely take penicillin again. She recalled breaking out in hives and waking up with a full-body rash after her first dose as a child.
“I’ve avoided penicillin for years,” Lucas said. “That allergy label has made it harder to treat common infections, even when penicillin is the first choice.”
Dr. Kyin said when patients avoid penicillin, doctors often prescribe broader-spectrum antibiotics that can cause more side effects and increased costs.
“So, penicillin tends to be the first line of antibiotics for most conditions I can think of. And when you can’t take penicillin or you think you’re allergic, doctors pick other antibiotics. Those antibiotics tend to have broader off-target effects, which leads to more complications. There have been plenty of studies showing those associated costs—not only to healthcare as a whole, but also to patients themselves, since these other antibiotics are probably more expensive than penicillin. So, there’s an impact on the bottom line for both the healthcare industry and patients.”
To determine if Lucas’s allergy was real, Dr. Kyin started with skin testing at his clinic in Lynchburg. The test involves tiny injections of penicillin products to check for a reaction. Lucas’s test showed no allergic response.
“That means your body is not recognizing penicillin products as a problem,” Dr. Kyin said. He noted that 98% of similar tests come back negative.
The final step was a supervised oral challenge, where Lucas took a dose of penicillin under medical observation. Half a dose was given, and she was observed for 30 minutes. After no reaction, she took the full dose and waited an hour with no issues.
“After all these years, I’m not actually allergic to penicillin,” Lucas said, surprised and relieved.
Dr. Kyin said removing the allergy label can be life-changing. “It opens the door to the safest, most targeted antibiotics when they’re needed.”