Swelling above my upper-lips after taking various medications
Hi,
About a month ago, I (36 y.o man) took one paracetamol capsule before bed, and when I woke up, I suddenly felt that the inner part above my upper lip (the mustache area, but on one side) started to swell. After 3-4 hours, it almost completely gone. I should mention that when I took that paracetamol capsule, I was trying to be funny in front of my girlfriend and placed it between my upper lip and gums, as if I had one big tooth.
Two weeks ago, I took paracetamol again, around 6 AM, when I woke up, and went back to sleep for another two hours, and the same thing happened exactly when I woke up (as if the reaction was “waiting” for me to wake up) - swelling above the lip, on the inner part, on one side. No other side effects. After a few hours, it went away.
Last week, I took Omeprazole for heartburn in the evening. Immediately after that, the exact same area swelled in the same way, only this time a bit more significantly. It took several more hours for the swelling to go down (it completely subsided by the next day afternoon).
Have I developed an allergy to one of the inactive ingredients in the medications? What could it be? Besides going for allergy tests (I have an appointment), have you heard of a similar phenomenon?
Thank you
Hi,
!
First, I am sorry you are experiencing this reaction to medications that you have probably been taking for years. It is quite possible for people to develop allergies/sensitivities to medications they have been taking for years. It could be a reaction to one of the inactive ingredients or to the medication itself. It's hard to say. Hopefully, testing will narrow down what's causing your reactions. Some people learn they are sensitive to the binding agents used to form capsules and pills. Some find it's the medication itself causing the issue. And again, testing should help narrow that down.
My biggest concern is that the reaction seems to be worsening with the Omeprazole. So, I would talk to your doctor about that and verify that it's still safe to keep taking it while you wait for your appointment.
I do hope you get to the bottom of this and I would be interested to see how your test results come out, if you feel comfortable sharing that here.
My last suggestion would be to write down the symptoms you experience and see if you can note any patterns or worsening issues.
Best, Erin, Team Member.
