Expert: Samantha Mattingly - 2/22/2008

Question
here goes... I'm 17 & I've had an ear ache on and off for a few months now, and it became worse over the past week. On Monday, I went to my doctor and she said that I have fluid in my ears. She gave me a prescription for Allegra-D 24-hour, which I began taking on Wednesday morning. I called my doctor back on Thursday and explained the terrible side effects that I was experiencing: fast heart rate, extreme dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, occasional headaches, dry mouth, and insomnia. My doctor told me to stop taking the Allegra, so I didn't take it this morning. However, now I feel feverish (I keep checking, but it seems to only hit 97.8-98.2 or so), but every time I take my jacket off I feel extremely cold again. I also got a very intense headache this morning (although it only lasted 5-10 minutes.) I made sure to eat breakfast, but now my headache is back and I still feel feverish; I have the blurry vision (I do also have an astigmatism...); and my neck feels a little sore. I've been going to a chiropractor in August due to the headaches, and I apparently have tight muscles in my neck. Before the chiropractor,  I was absolutely convinced that I had a brain tumor, but I had a CT scan on July 3, 2007 that was clean.

I honestly feel like I'm going crazy because of all of this pain -- I still have the pain in my ears, the headache, and the aforementioned symptoms. Do you think that the Allegra is still in my system and it will just take a little while to clear out? I'm so scared that I have encephalitis or something... please help.

Answer
Dear Emily,

I am not a doctor, but I think that giving the Allegra D as not the best option that your doctor should've done.  I recommend going to the drug store, and buying some ear drops over the counter.  It should help with the ear ache.  And it does sound like you have an ear infection, maybe a case of the flu.  Usually when you get pain in your body (aches) it can be the flu.  I would recommend you going to the doctor again to see if that is waht it is.  I think the Allegra might just be still in your system, but wait a week and if they symptoms do not clear up, go to the doctor again and see what is up.  But the Allegra is probably stil in your body; no worries for now.