My son, 13 months, was diagnosed with a allergic reaction to cephalosporins. He was on the antibiotic for the full ten day treatment (he had strep and a doctor that ignored our concerns). It has been over 4 weeks and his skin is starting to peel and the red bumps still come and go. We put him on steroids when the rash seemed dangerous but he has been off of those for over 2 weeks now and the extremely itchy rash is still present. Has anyone had a similar experience? How long will this go on and when should we go to a dermatologist? His neck and ears seem the most sensitive and peel the most, what worked the best with those areas?
Take him to the dermatologist immediately. He needs to be evaluated for Stevens Johnson syndrome. Don't wait...this condition is serious. If it is not SJS, then at least the dermatologist can help. Www.mayoclinic.com/health/stevens-johnson-syndrome/DS00940
My daughter is allergic to cephalosporins as well. She did not have the trouble that you describe at all, and she did steroids as well.
I would say have him checked again. As you may know, sometimes you can develop cross-allergies once a reaction takes place. I know for me, for example, I became allergic to neosporin, and once that happened, I developed a cross-allergy to many other things. I wonder if this could be the case with your son. Perhaps he just became super-sensitive to something that wouldn't have otherwise bothered him during this reaction period.
Fun times, right? :-) Good luck...
Gosh. It happened to our daughter when she was about 9 months (?) old... she is 9 years now... so I can't remember exactly. She developed a bumpy rash sort of all over on about day 5 of the antibiotics (for an ear infection). My MIL thought it looked like measles. I called our doc, and she said to immediately discontinue it was a reaction to the antibiotics and call if they got worse or breathing issues, etc (it was a Sunday). Took her in the very next morning, and they put her on prednisone.
Said she would look bruised from it.
She never did look very bruised. But it took a few days for everything to look normal again. I'm sorry I don't recall exactly how long. It was determined that she was not "allergic" but WAS "hypersensitive" to cephalosporin antibiotics, and I burned that into my mind. EVERY medical document I fill out for her has that information on it. We never have had any further issues related to it.
If it has been a month, I think I would seek a 2nd opinion. Either from another pediatrician or perhaps a dermatologist, like Gina suggested.
Keep us posted.
@GINA I ask that you never ever post that kind of statement to a mom on here like that again. You can really scare the heck out of a mother especially if it's a new mom. I am not saying this to belittle you or anything else, but she was asking for advice, not something like that to scare her! So I am asking please don't do this anymore.
@A., I think now would be a good time to take your son to a dermatologist and let him/her check it out and see what they say. And then from now on put on your son's records that he is allergic to cephalosporins Which I also think runs in the penicillin family which my son and I both are allergic too as well. Good Luck to your son as well as you.
