Dear Editor: Kakes et al recently highlighted a case where pancreatitis was suspected to be caused by doxycycline.1 We appreciate the authors for highlighting this uncommon case and rais- ing awareness about drug safety worldwide. Additionally, we have included some key points related to this circumstance. The case report indicates that cephalexin was initiated to treat a surgical site infection and was taken for 4 days at a dosage of 500 mg 3 times daily. The patient was switched to a dif- ferent antibiotic due to stomach discomfort. It is important to note that the initial adverse reaction experienced by the patient – stomach upset – could be attributed to gastritis or early signs of pancreatic injury. For example, a case reported by Alim et al mentions acute pancre- atitis due to cephalexin in a 55-year-old female who took 500 mg of cephalexin preventively. She presented to the emergency department (ED) 3 hours later with sudden upper abdomen pain radiating to her back. Her lipase levels were 889 units/liter on initial tests.2 Afterward, she received doxycycline treatment for 10 days. Throughout the antibiotic regimen, ibuprofen 800 mg was taken intermittently for 7 days. Additionally, aside from the author’s cita- tions, several other cases provide strong evi- dence linking suspected ibuprofen use to the progression of pancreatic damage resulting in pancreatitis.3-5 It is evident that the first injury was caused by cephalexin, followed by con- tinued injury from doxycycline and ibuprofen.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1098-1861 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -