Drug intolerance

Drug intolerance or drug sensitivity is a lower threshold to the normal pharmacologic action of a drug. It is not to be confused with drug allergy. Drug intolerance is uncommon and idiopathic, thus extremely difficult to predict except in persons with a prior history or a family history of intolerance to that specific drug. Some drug intolerances are known to result from genetic variants of drug metabolism.

Examples

• Tinnitus after a normal dose of aspirin
• Liver failure (possibly also kidney failure) after a normal dose of acetaminophen

Fatal poisoning can be caused to a breastfed newborn baby due to normal use of codeine by the mother.

• Fatal poisoning in a breastfed newborn baby due to normal use of codeine by the mother.^[1]

Analgesic intolerance

Intolerance to analgesics, particularly NSAIDs, is relatively common. Its cause is believed to be variation in the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Symptoms include chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, asthma, gastrointestinal ulcers, angioedema, and urticaria.^[2]

See also

• Aspirin-induced asthma
• Adverse drug reaction
• Contraindication
• DRESS syndrome (Drug hypersensitivity syndrome)
• Drug tolerance
• Food intolerance

References

1. Madadi P, Koren G, Cairns J, et al. (January 2007). "Safety of codeine during breastfeeding: fatal morphine poisoning in the breastfed neonate of a mother prescribed codeine". Can Fam Physician. 53 (1): 33–5. PMC 1952551. PMID 17872605.
2. Förster U, Olze H (April 2008). "[Analgesic intolerance (AI). Key position of ENT physicians for early detection of this condition]". HNO (in German). 56 (4): 443–50; quiz 451. doi:10.1007/s00106-008-1701-6. PMID 18389300.