Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)

It's Steven Dubner. Until last year. I believed that I was allergic to penicillin. That belief caused me some unnecessary trouble. And I am not alone.

As I learned, 10% of Americans believe they are allergic to penicillin, but true penicillin allergies are much rarer than that. So We made an episode about it, which we first published last year. Since then we have heard from a ton of listeners who checked out their own alleged penicillin allergies, and you may have run across this topic on the HBO Medical Dra Pit. Hanging a gram of Ansa. Wait, he has a penicillin allergy. No, pen fast was negative, we're okay. I'm always saying I got a rash with some oxacillin when I was too. Yeah, probably not a true allergy. Go ahead and give it, Kim. Most people who think they have a penicillin allergy actually don't.

But many, many people still avoid penicillin based on a faulty diagnosis. So we decided to replay this episode for you today. As always, we have updated facts and figures as needed. All your feedback is welcome. Our email is radio at freeconomics dot com. They say it is always a good idea to express gratitude. So here's what I'm most grateful for right now.

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