Common symptoms include:[1] Some classes of medications have a higher rate of drug reactions than others.
Drug-specific risk factors include the dose, route of administration, duration of treatment, repetitive exposure to the drug, and concurrent illnesses.
[citation needed] People with immunological diseases, such as HIV and cystic fibrosis,[2] or infection with EBV, CMV, or HHV6,[4] are more susceptible to drug hypersensitivity reactions.
In IgE-mediated reactions, also known as immunoglobulin E mediated reactions, drug allergens bind to IgE antibodies, which are attached to mast cells and basophils, resulting in IgE cross-linking, cell activation and release of preformed and newly formed mediators.
[6] It may consist of topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines for cutaneous symptoms such as hives and itching.
[6] Corticosteroids are limited by a delayed onset of action of greater than 45 minutes as they act via gene modulation.