Allergic to Idiocy

People's allergies say a lot more about themselves than you might think. If a patient hands me a typed list of about 100 or so drug allergies I know right off the bat that he has a complicated medical history. For one thing I know the patient has tried hundreds of different medications for actual or perceived illnesses and symptoms and for another thing I know that the patient is likely a very anxious type of person. It would be really rare to actually be allergic to that many medications and generally it only takes a little probing to determine that most or all of the allergies listed are not allergies at all. Sometimes the things people list are downright comical and I thought I'd share some of the more bizarre "allergies" I've come across in my career.

1. Water- causes patient's skin to dry out
2. Certain personalities- cause patient to break out in hives
3. Plastic- causes patient to become anxious
4. Tape- rips off body hairs when removed
5. Reglan- causes patient to FOAM AT THE MOUTH
6. Salt- causes thirst and dry mouth
7. Sleeping pills- cause drowsiness
8. Caffeine- causes insomnia
9. Carbohydrates- make patient get fat
10. Certain fragrances- cause male erection

And yes, I have had patients look me straight in the eye and in all seriousness tell me about these "allergies" they suffer from. Sometimes it's really tough to keep a straight face.