Are you really allergic to antibiotics?

Novi, Michigan

ALLERGIC reactions to antibiotics can be severe, including symptoms ranging from hives and wheezing to anaphylactic shock. People with such allergic reactions are right to steer clear. The problem is that many, and probably most, people who say they're allergic to antibiotics actually aren't. For penicillin, the most commonly reported allergy, many studies have estimated that up to 90 per cent of claims of allergies are not legitimate.

Why would someone say they were allergic to an antibiotic if they weren't?