http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2002/05/10/eline/links/20020510elin009.html

Deep kissing blamed in woman's skin reaction

Last Updated: 2002-05-10 9:53:55 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with certain allergies may want to ask their lovers what they had for lunch before indulging in a passionate kiss.

In the case of one couple, at least, an amorous evening led to itchy, swollen skin for the wife when a medication her husband had recently swallowed triggered an allergic reaction. Doctors were able to pinpoint deep kissing as the route of transmission.

They note that such mouth-to-mouth contact may cause an allergic reaction in someone with a food sensitivity if the partner has recently eaten that food--although they are unaware of any previous reports of kissing-induced drug reactions.

Dr. Gennaro Liccardi and colleagues at A Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, Italy, report on the case in the May 11th issue of The Lancet.

According to the doctors, the woman had years before had a similar reaction after taking the antibiotic bacampicillin. This time, however, it was her husband who took the drug--leading to itchy, swollen lips and skin for his wife about 30 minutes after they had sex.

Liccardi's team zeroed in on kissing as the cause by having the husband take bacampicillin then kiss his wife 2 hours later.

SOURCE: The Lancet 2002;359:1700.

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