To make a long story short...my otherwise very healthy 4 y/o was prescribed cephalexin (and also at the same time griseofulvin) last week on Thursday. In hindsight, after the first dose I noticed some bumps on his arm and a pink patch on his cheek. But I did not think anything of it. After the 2nd dose all of a sudden I noticed crazy rashes all over his body-face, arms, legs, back, neck, ears (oh, his poor ears). I stopped the meds and took him in to the weekend clinic on Saturday-Dr. thinks is allergic reaction to the cephalexin (as opposed to the griseofulvin, since would be more common). So we stopped the meds for a day, started Bactrim, and have yet to restart the griseofulvin, and are taking Benedryl. I do not really doubt our medical course of action, or that this is an allergy given that no one else in the family has it, that is not really my question...but it is now Tuesday and my son still looks horrible. Red, raised, crusty, orange peel bumps over his while body. And still itchy of course.
Has anyone been through this? How long will it take for his beautiful skin to get back to normal? Any (tried and true) suggestions for topical relief? Anything I can do to make him look better faster? He feels fine now, but it is just so sad to look at him, not to mention he is really missing being at school.
I have had allergic reactions to multiple antibiotics and it takes a long time for the rashes to go away. In fact, for me, they continued to get worse for 5-7 days AFTER stopping the drug. It may take 10-14 days to get better.
Good luck,
C.
Serious Side Effects of Cephalexin
Some cephalexin side effects can indicate a potentially serious complication. If you experience any of these problems, stop taking the medication and contact your healthcare provider. These side effects include but are not limited to:
* Hives
* Severe or watery diarrhea
* Blood in stools
* Throat or mouth sores
* Unexplained bleeding or bruising
* Severe rash
* Itching
* Wheezing
* Difficulty breathing or swallowing
* Swelling of the throat
* Peeling of the skin.
Based on these studies, the most common side effects with cephalexin occurring in either adults or children include:
* Diarrhea
* Headache
* Upset stomach (dyspepsia)
* Nausea
* Confusion
* Dizziness
* Unexplained rash
* Yeast infection.
Rare Cephalexin Side Effects
Rare side effects with cephalexin occur in less than 1 percent of people taking the drug. Because these side effects are so uncommon, it is difficult to tell whether they are because of the medication or something else.
Some of these rare side effects include but are not limited to:
* Hallucinations
* Fatigue
* Joint pain
* Bloody diarrhea
* Vomiting
* Anemia
* Low platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia)
* Vaginal discharge
* Confusion
* Seizures
* Serious intestinal infection (enterocolitis).
Incase you are going to try griseofulvin. . .
Side effects griseofulvin:
Known side effects of griseofulvin include:
* Hives
* Skin rashes
* Confusion
* Dizziness
* Diarrhea
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Impairment of performance of routine activities
* Inability to fall or stay asleep
* Nausea
* Oral thrush (yeast infection of the mouth)
* Upper abdominal pain
* Vomiting
* Swelling
* Itching
* Tingling in the hands or feet
* Loss of taste sensation
* Sensitivity to prolonged sun exposure
* Sensitivity to alcohol, with a disulfiram-like reaction
* Possibly a teratogen inducing mutations
* Can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives
Liver disease--Griseofulvin may on rare occasion cause side effects affecting the liver.
Since your child reacted to cephalexin it would be fool hardy not to think he will react to griseofulvin. My son was also "skin reactive". He took no western medicine drugs other than the occasional generic anti-biotic and topical ointments, mostly from the health stores. Today he is super healthy.
As the South Park saying goes, "Drugs are bad". These designer dna drugs pin point one symptom and create several more unwanted ones. This info is on the internet. Don't give your kid anything until you look these up.
Find a Naturopathic DR. who is not going to poison your child.
Go on the internet and click on google and ask Alternate remedies for....
You get amazing results.
Skin loves aloe vera gel. Get the organic health store version.
GOOD LUCK.
Please try Aloe Vera. It heals skin "magically". It has to be the pulp or pure form of it, not just lotion that contains it. I have tried it on burns, cuts and rashes and it works amazingly.
You are doing what you need to do for now. Keep up the benadryl and if necesarry give him baths with epson salts (although this may hurt open sores).
I am concerned that the reaction has lasted so long. Have you taken him to see his regular pediatrician? Is there anything else that could cause a reaction?
Also, just so you know there is a 10% cross-over of allergic reaction to between penicillin/amoxicillin and cephalexin. If you are allergic to one there is a 10% or better chance you will be allergic to others.
Reactions can last, but take him back to your ped., the one who prescribed the drugs in the first place.
Stephanie
Was the doctor sure it was an allergic reaction? Could it be chicken pox? Were they red bumps that blistered and crusted over? That sounds more like chicken pox. Ask the pediatrician. Try using a chicken pox remedy, warm bath with some of the Aveeno oatmeal bath stuff, etc.
I had a reaction to cephalexin too recently. Only I didn't get a rash, just extremely blood shot eyes that lasted for almost a month, it was horrible. The eye doctor said it was definitely an allergic reaction. I am allergic to penicillin (a cousin of cephalexin). I found out I was allergic to it when I was a teenager, I got a horrible rash from it. I'm 32 now so the doctor didn't think I would react to the cephalexin, but I did. You may want to be very careful if you need to give your son penicillin in the future, he may be extremely allergic to it. You may even want to have him tested. Hope his rash clears soon!
Wow, that sounds really dreadful. We do have allergies in our family, but haven't had a reaction exactly like that. Hives tend to go away as soon as an antihistamine is taken. Rashes do frequently last longer. In reactions to food, I would say a severe rash might take five days to go away. I've had bad reaction from plants (ivy) that has taken four weeks for the rash to go away. In one case, it was so bad, I had to go on a steroid (prednisone).
Is it crusty because of scratching? The absolute most important thing is to not scratch it. It could get infected on top of everything else. There are stronger meds than Benedryl. I would ask your ped. A warm (not hot) bath, followed by a lotion (like Cetephyl) will help keep it moist. Be careful, though, because many lotions might sting. I found that sometimes a cool compress helps. However, since it's his whole body, that won't work. Maybe try it on any particularly itchy spots.
Also, although allergies are genetic, it is a general susceptibility that is inherited. So, if anyone in the family has ANY allergy, to foods, pollen, dust, pets, bees, etc., that would qualify as a family history of at least some allergies.
Good luck!
D.
My daughter had an allergic reaction to amoxicillan when she was an infant. She was covered in head to toe hives and even after stopping the antibiotics, it took almost a whole week for the rash to go away. She looked horrible, but other than being uncomfortable from having an unresolved ear infection, it didn't seem to bother her too much. Other than giving her benedryl to keep her comfortable and so she didn't itch, there wasn't much you can do to make the rash go away. It has to run its course. Just try to keep him comfortable and busy until it passes.
Have you called your son's primary doctor? My daughter had a similiar allergeric reaction to sulfa. Her reaction they called target, the spots around her body would move. i would call his doctor and ask his opinion. Urgent care on the weekends do not specialize in children.
In the past year, both of my girls have had allergic reactions to antibiotics. My 12 yr old had her rash for over 10 days! The Dr. prescribed a prescription anti-rash medication, Hydroxyzine, that worked 10x better than Benadryl. It made her pretty groggy, so I'm not sure if they can prescribe it for a 4 yr old?? She also recommended using an over-the-counter cream called Sarna (Sarno?) that I found at Target. It smells really minty, but my daughter said it worked great.
Both girls had rashes that were super itchy, all over, and moved from day to day.
