6 Month Old W/full Body Rash

Hi M.,
I experienced the same thing. My daughter started a full body rash after three days of antibiotics. It lasted for about three weeks and I was so tired of calling the doctor and bringing her in for them to tell me the same thing, "Let us know if it gets worse or if she experiences more issues like difficulty breathing." The only thing they did was tell me to watch her and they changed her to a different antibiotic. I ended up requesting the I take her to a dermatologist because the rash was still there. He determined that she was allergic to the meds and that it was causing excema and hives. It took a long time for it to leave her system because she had never been on any medication before and she was only 5 months old. She also was too young for me to give any benadryl to. The dermatologist suggested that I give her oatmeal baths for the discomfort and itching. He also perscribed an ointment that I could use three times a day to clear the rash. It took about three days to clear and she has been fine ever since. I would ask for a referral and then ask for a perscription if they really feel this is an allergy.
Good luck and let me know what happens!

It definitely is NOT too long for it to be caused by meds. My son has a penicillin allergy. He broke out with hives 10 days into taking amoxocillin. If the rash looks like hives (welts) do not give her any more antibiotics... give her benadryl and take her to the Dr.!

I know you have had a lot of responses, but I wanted to add my comment to the mix. My 4 YO was on antibiotics for the first time last week. She had been taking them for 8 days when she got a head to toe rash. My ped said since it was itchy he would rule it an allergy. I would not keep her on something that makes her that uncomfortable, benedryll only deals with the symptoms. There are plenty of other options to try!! Sorry for the poor little one. I have medicine allergies and it is no fun!

We had an allergy attack with our daughter and had to give her benadryl, too. As long as you follow the guidelines and your doctor tels you the correct dosage amount, i would not worry trying this a couple of times. Unfortunately, our ped said she can not really be tested for allergies until she is older than 2 since her immune system is still forming. Hence, I have no idea why she swelled up (there was also no changes in food, etc.). Does the rash bother her? There is also a rash that develops often times after a cold/infection that is pretty normal that I have seen. It covers most the body/face, but is not itchy. Give benadryl a try and it will help her sleep and hopefully, ease your worries!

When my daughter was about 9 months old she had an ear infection. After 9 days on the antibiotic she broke out in a full body rash. We called the doctor and they had us take her off the medicine and within a day the rash went away. It absolutely could be the antibiotic, ask a pharmacist when in doubt the doctor's office doesn't always know a lot about the medicine they prescribe.

I had a reaction like that when I was a teenager. I was on meds for a week, and on the last day I woke up with a head to toe rash. The doctor was sure I was allergic. Maybe reactions are different in babies, but I would get a second opinion.

I would definately take her to the doctor's to have them look just to be sure, although nearly the same thing happened to me. My daughter, then 18 months, was put on Amoxicillin for an ear infection. She vomited almost every two day while on the meds, though I'm still unsure of the actual cause of that, and after about 10 days broke out in a rash - many red dots but no fever. Sorry, but I've forgotten if it itched her. It was the weekendso we took her to the emergency room where we were quarintined (sp?), everyone fearing she had the measles. The attending doctor said she was fine, probably just a reaction to the medication. So I stopped it and the rash cleared up within a day or two.

It was, however, very scary, so for your and your daughter's sake, call the doctor again and get this cleared up ASAP.

Michelle, my daughter had a full-body rash(though she was about 18 months old) when she was put on the antibiotic Omnicef for an ear infection. We brought her back to the pediatrician to show the rash and he immediately switched her antibiotic to a slightly lesser strenth as a precaution (she has no other allergies we're aware of). To this day we don't know for sure that it was the Omnicef that caused the rash, but the rash did go away quickly after switching antibiotics. Our ped has made a note in her file to avoid Omnicef, just in case. Good luck to you!

I am not a doctor but I too experienced the same thing with my oldest daughter about 10 years ago. She too had an ear infection and was prescribed amoxicilin. Once she started the medicine, within 24 hours we noticed she had a full body rash. Her pediatrician decided that it must was an allergic reaction to the medicine. To this day she does not take any type of penicilin medicine. We always put on all forms that she has an allergy to amoxicilin. Why take the chance.

My family & I have always had very sensitive skin, it's good that you have already cleared new food and no other changes.--But what about too much detergent. Even if I do not change our detergent, if I use too much, or it does not get rinsed out enough, I & my children will break out in hives. TRy re-washing her clothes.

hiya.
it's probably hives-my 18 month old had an ear infection and got hives on her 5th day of antibiotics. the on call dr. thought the hives were from the meds, so she pulled her off. she got hives again a week later and her regular dr. thought they were environmental as opposed to being from the meds. we haven't seen any sign of the rash since. if you're uncomfortable go to the dr-absolutely.
other than that-we gave our daughter some benedryl and a tepid tub with some baking soda (a little) to make the water softer. a warm tub will possibly bring the hives out.
good luck.

When my son was younger, he too got a rash after completing antibiotics. The first time it happened, the doctor said that we would watch how he reacts in the future, because it could be an ammoxicilin rash (not necessarily an allergy). But, after re-occurances of the rash (always after being sick), he determined that it was a viral rash. I guess when their body is getting rid of a rash it can come out through their skin. My son at 18 months still gets a rash after getting over a strong virus/cold or ear infection.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter recently had a similar rash. Our pediatrician said that you can break out in a rash from the antibiotics even after 7 or 8 days or more on the medication. I would suggest calling the doctor back again and see if they can switch the antibiotic. I am surprised that they didn't want to see her???

it could be roseola? both my son's had it by 8 months. basically the baby has a high fever and after it breaks it is followed by a full body rash for about 2 or 3 days. it doesn't itch and there is no need for ointment. you can ask your doctor about it or look up some more info. on the web: www.mayoclinic.com/health/roseola/DS00452 (this is just one site but, info can be found on many!)

gook luck and get well soon!

Hi M.,
A full body rash dose seem like a reaction. How long after you were done with the medicine did she get a rash? I am allergic to sulfa drugs, which is an anti-biotic. I took it for 10 days and didnt get a reaction untill the last day.So it is possable to get a reaction later in treatment.
K.

Hello, I have had similiar experiences with meds and my children. My son when he was 11 months old within two days of being on omnicef broke out with a rash, the doctor told us to stop the medication and see what happens. Well what do you know by the second full day of not being on the meds, the rash began to disappear of course with a little help from benadryl. My daughter on the other hand, now 13 months, experienced the same thing at 11 months, she was on the meds almost till the end when she began to break out with a rash. At first the doctors were unsure if it was caused by the meds because she had been on them for so long but I did the same thing, nothing had changed with food, milk, or detergents. They told me to stop the medication, but days went by and the dots did not go away even with the help of benadryl. So they had to prescribe zrytec. The next morning the rash almost looked better. Now in her chart is that she is allergic to amoxicillon. I would get a second opinion, because if you have not changed anything then it is problem the meds. With my daughter I was a pain at the doctors office because they did not believe me that I thought it was caused by the meds. But I knew better, my son and I both have med allergies, so chances are so will she. good luck! amy

Hi M.,
my children at your children's ages have had a full body rash that was caused by a virus (according to our doctor) and there were no other symptoms. Sometimes these come at the end of a cold or some other illness...it only lasted a few days and was gone. Benadryl can definitely help keep them comfortable! I wouldn't worry...

Did your daughter have a High fever? My girls have broken out in a body rash Roseola after having high fevers. Also, I would get her in to your doctor either way so they can see the rash and will assure you that this is from a high fever and not a reaction to the meds. Also, if you do stop the meds keep in mind that you might want to have her finish out the meds of another kind. By stoping antibotics mid course it might not clear up the infection completly and she might develope the infection again. I hope you get some responses that help. PS.. you remind me of myself I had my twins (now almost 3) when my oldest daughter was 18mnths old. It is alot of work but so worth it. Enjoy.

Hi M.,

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was 2 years old. She was put on amoxicillan for her ear infection, and about 1 week later she woke up in the middle of the night freaking out that her legs were itchy. When I examined her legs, she had a full blown rash and she couldn't stop scratching. I immediately gave her Benadryl to take the itch away. It DOES work AWESOME. When I spoke with her pediatrician, he said she can DEFINATELY be allergic to it after that amount of time and to stop the medicine immediately. If your pediatrician doesn't believe it can happen, IT CAN! Remember, you as the parent can always tell the doctor your NOT giving your child a particular medicine because of your strong feelings that it doesnt agree with her. There is always other medicines out there that he can perscribe to her.

weird that they didnt have you stop the medication, my husband is allergic to alot of antibiotics but doesnt have a reaction till 5-7 days after starting a new med he starts with a small rash to a full body rash he also gets short of breath and has chest pain. My son had rosiola (sp) he had a high fever and a rash everywhere he was not on antibiotics at the time but he was sick before it started with a cold maybe it is that.

My kids used to break out in rashes when they had fevers, and my youngest would often get one when he was at the tail end of an illness. However, the one time my daughter was on amoxycillin, she ended up getting a major rash on the 9th day of a 10 day treatment (she was around 8 years old at the time). Turned out she is allergic. It can take a while of exposure to an allergen to show an allergic reaction. You might want to get a second opinion.
Good luck!! :)

I have a now 16 year old who was horrible at a young age at taking medicine. I found that it took several days to get him to take enough of the medicine (also for an ear infection) and when we did finally get him to ingest enough, we ended up with a full body rash, and he IS allergic to all the cyllins. Take the child back to your doctor or try a new one.

could it be roseola? or could she have had strep and now have a rash from that? I would ask for an appt so that the doctor can see it. You never know.

My daughter broke out in a rash two days after she was put on antibiotics from an ear infection my doctor took her off the medication and put her on something that began with a z(sorry I can't remember the name). A few days after the rash got worse she was covered from head to toe -a few days later it began to fade away. My doctor wasn't sure if it was a reaction to the medication or a virus however she did take her off the meds to be sure. This lasted about a week. That week I didn't change anything, food laundry detergent or formula. I hope that helped?

My daughter had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin and we ended up at the ER twice. I think some of those allergies have a delay. My daughter was on day 7 of the medicine and it was her second course before she started with the rash. The next day, it got worse, and proceeded to get much worse (even though we had her on Benadryl and stopped with the meds) to the point where her eyes swelled shut. It was HORRIBLE! They ended up giving her a different antihistamine and steroids to control the awful itch and swelling.

I found out that an allergic reaction to the 'cillin' drugs (penecillin, amox. etc.) is very common. Try the Benedryl but if your baby starts getting hives around the mouth, don't fool around with it. It can quickly close off airways. I'm allergic to penecillin myself, and even though 'they' say it's not hereditary, I talked to several people who say that it can be.

My daughter has a slight case of eczema this week, which I think can sometimes be caused by a hypersensitivity to something after the allergic outbreak. So that may be what you are dealing with?

Please don't hesitate to get it checked out if you have questions. I'm quite shocked they didn't want you to bring in a 6 month old to at least have her checked! That's crazy! I was lucky to have a super-cautious pedi.

Good luck to you...

You certainly have lots of responses suggesting it could be a reaction to the antibiotic. My daughter has had a rash on her hands and torso: not itchy, sometimes red/sometimes not, and bumpy. It doesn't match any of the symptom descriptions I've read for diseases. I think it could be a heat rash, particularly given the (finally) warming temperatures. Still, it's worth looking further into the other possibilities for your little one.
Good luck!
J.

it honestly sounds like an allergic reaction!! and no she has not been on the medication too long......the same thing happened to my son. on day 7 he woke with a rash. I gave him this medicine( not knowing) and when the doctors office opened I called. They immediately wanted to see him he ended up getting an epi pen and they changed the meds. DO NOT FOOL AROUND. stop the medication!

M., since I there are so many here who have had similar reactions, I say take a copy of some the these messages to your doctor. I was married to a doctor and sometimes they DO believe they are God. It may take too long to get a second opinion and the emergency room may be a little more expensive. Do a walk-in at your doctors office, I don't think the receptionist or the nurses will turn you away and if they do, it's definately time to switch peds.

Hi M.

I have a son who has a severe allergy to antiboitics. He had the same reaction first to amoxicillin (that time the doctors just said he had a reaction to something not necessarily the amox and gave him Zyrtec for the rash) then to omnicef (sp). The reaction to omnicef was so bad he ended up in Children's Hospital. The rash as you described spread over his entire body and then he had severe joint pain and was unable to walk for a day. They called it Steven Johnsons syndrom. My son's reaction came on day 7 of his antibiotics both times, so I would question your pediatrician's advise. I don't mean to scare you but this can be a very serious issue. My son is now 4 (this all happened first when he was 21 months then again at 26 months). Now the only antiboitics he can safely take is Zithromax. We have to be so careful to make sure he stays healty (He'll probably have OCD with all the hand washing he does) I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions. I would insist your daughter be seen or at the very least have her medical chart noted of the reaction to the antibiotic.

J. M
Tewksbury, MA

My 8 month old nephew had the same thing happen and it turned out to be chickenpox.

M., I would like to know what antiboitics your child was given. My 6yr old daughter broke out this week in a very itchy rash of bumps that looked like "goosebumps", not colored, just raised skin. She too, just finished antiboiotics (amoxicillin) but I didn't bring her to the ped. office because I figured all they would tell me is to put on lotion and change her sheets. It didn't seem alarming enough for me to bring her in, but the rash hasn't gone away much either. Now, I do have other factors in my case that could be the cause. I used a bit of pine sol in the laundry to disinfect her sheets from when she had the flu. I have since washed them again without fabric softener and we'll see if that helps. The other factor is that I had just put a memory foam topper on her bed and that could have caused a reation too. So the chances that it was the antibiotics may be slim, but I am not ruling it out. Nothing seems to help the itching though. I don't know what else could be the cause. Or if there something internally that has been dormant in her system and is now surfacing...? It's frustrating for both of us because even cortizone cream was not helping. I may be calling the pediatrician today for some advice. I hope your daughter has some relief soon. It must be worse for you because she can't use her words to tell you how she feels. At least I can probe my daughter with questions to get more info. Good luck to you.

Our now 15 month old had the same thing happen to her as well. Our pediatrician recommended benadryl and said it was caused by her infection/fever coming out. It went away with in 24 hours and she was fine. But I think if you are very concerned about it, you should definitely have your pedi. take a look at it. Good luck.

Hi M.

The rash is probably not from the antibiotics. Your pedi is correct that it is too far out from the start date. Ususally a rash would appear right away from an antibiotic. What it could be, is a result of whatever virus prompted the ear infection. Often times, if someone has a virus...they will break out in a rash after the virus has "broken" I would only give the benadryl if you think your baby is uncomfortable. If there is no discomfort, then let it be. If the rash seems to get worse, then you need to be seen at the doctors office.
Hope that info. helps

did she have a high fever for a few days as well? Roseola is a rash that develops after having a HIGH fever for a few days. My daughter had it at 8months... the fever was terrible then when it broke she got a rash all over.

Just wanted to let you know that you might want to look for a new pediatrician...my son was on preventative antibiotics for 2 months straight before having an allergic reaction (hives, bruising, joint swelling). He is no longer able to have sulfa medication.

It can happen at any time...people need to have it build up in their system and be exposed to it more than once for it to be an allergy...taking it daily for a week gives you both of those, and I would bet that she does have an allergy. You could take her off the medication and see if it clears. AND please look for a new pediatrician that knows what they are talking about!

Hey M., I feel your pain, and your daughters too. Depending on which antibiotics your daughter was prescribed, it could very well be the medicine. I went through the exact thing with my daughter when she was little. Come to find out she was allergic to the antibiotic. It took almost a week to find out that she was. It builds up in their system and too much of it can cause a reaction. Give her the Benadryl, not only does it help with the reaction to the antibiotics, it helps with the ear infection too. It will keep the nasal passages clear which in turn helps with the ear. Good luck! E.

My daughter had the same issue after being on antibiotics. She didn't get the rash until she was almost finsished with the antibiotics (almost 8-9 days) and the pedi said she had a mild allergy to the antibiotic (ampicillan). In the future, I would just not have your daughter be put on the antibiotic, even though it came out after it had been in her system for awhile.

Hi M.
I just want you to know that I too went through this when my son was a few months old and was told at the time by an E.R doc that he was having a reaction to his vaccinations that he had recieved earlier in the week. When we went to his pedi for a follow up we found out that he had a reaction to an antibiotic he had been given 2 weeks prior for an ear infection. My pedi told us that you can take a medication for weeks before an allergic reaction occurs. So I know alot of docs do things differently but I think the general concesus is that a reation can happen at anytime when taking a medication whether new or not.

BE CAREFUL! Our daughter was just diagnosed with Pencillin allergy and sounds like same symptoms -- I just signed online to ask for advice about it today! She was on amoxicillin for 7 days (with an ear infection) before any symptoms and by day 9 rash was full blown - all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes and no other symptoms - happy as usual. Our dr told us that a reaction to meds is not calculated - they can have a reaction on day 1 or 1 week after the meds are finished. And some kids can take it 20 times, and on the 21st time they become allergic. I would get a second opinion - he did tell us to stay away from all pencillin including others who may have administered it and have on their hands, etc. They said it is a smaller population but the next reaction could be much more severe (breathing problems, etc). I know you wrote this a few weeks ago but hope this information helps - especially if you plan on giving her penicllin again -- our dr told us our daughter will not have penicillin again for a very long time, if ever.

hi M., i am not an expert on drug reactions, but i had a major body rash drug reaction after 6 weeks on two antibiotics.....and it just happened overnight - i was able to tell them one afternoon i could not stop scratching, and they told me not to take the medications and see what happened.... and the next morning the rash was head to toe and everyplace inbetween....it took over two weeks to go away after they stopped the medications....so i think it could be the medications.....G.

Hi M.-
I thought I'd share my thoughts since my son had an extreme reaction to amoxicillin. He developed the reaction the second time he was on amoxicillin for an ear infection. He developed erythema multiforme. It was an allergic reaction which caused a raised, hive-like rash covering larger parts of his body and would go away througout the day only to return on other parts of his body-it literally covered his whole body but just not all at once. It really was awful. He developed swollen purple hands and feet and if i am recalling correctly, a fever as well. It took 2 trips to the Dr. and the ER to figure out what it was. Needless to say, he will never have penicillin again. What type of rash is it? Is it a hivey rash? If you are concerned, I would speak to the pediatrician for another look over. The pediatric dermatologist in the ER had told me reaction doesn't always come out right away. I hope it's nothing to worry about, but also seems to be quite a coincidence to have the rash at the same time-unless it really is a viral rash along w/ the ear infection. Good luck!

Hi,
I am allergic to omoxycillan. After taking it for a week I broke out in hives from head to toe, so I think your daughter may be allergic to the medication she was on for her ear infection. Benadryl helps! Hope she feels better soon!

I would make another appointment and bring her right back into the doctor asap. With rashed and especially allergic reactions they need to be closely monitored by your daughters doctor,,good luck to you

Hi M.,
I know this sounds weird, but has she been checked for strep? My daughter was allergic to it the first time she had it, and had a rash all over her body. It could be what caused the ear infection, and I don't know if the antibiotic would be the same for both.

It's worth looking into?! I hope she feels better soon!
M.

My daughter got a full body rash as the end stage of roseola. It was little tiny red bumps and lasted about 2-3 days. On the 2 days before the rash, she had a high fever (104ish), but no other symptoms. She was 11 months. I'm a little surprised that they don't want to see her. Call back the dr now that more time has passed, give an update and insist that they see her.

This exact thing happened to my son when he was 1 1/2, he had an ear infection and was put on penecillin, 1 week after we stopped the antibiotics, he woke up with the head to toe dots. I thought chicken pox but turns out he was allergic to the cyllin (all). You should probably never use those antibiotics again, there are others out there. Penecillin is made from some type of mold, therefore your child will also probably be allergic to mold, I know mine is.

Hi Michelle. Sorry to hear about your daughter's rash. It's not fun. My son has severe food allergies and is allergic to penicillan. Has she ever been on this brand of antibiotic before? It sounds like it is an allergy to the medicine, which for us was determined by an allergic for my son at 10 mos. old and not my pediatrician. No matter how long she is on it for, if it's the second time on the same brand is when an allergy can occur. I suggest you talk to your pediatrician about a non penicillan antibiotic or try a different brand. If your pediatrician does not agree find a new one. My son's pediatrician was fighting with me and kept suggesting benadryl like yours did. Although benadryl helps soothe and calm nervous system, the rash will keep coming back if she is allergic to it and keeps taking the same medicine. My pediatrician was no help. Allergies are not fun for a baby and is very challenging. Whether it's food or just the medicine. Hope this helps. Good luck and hang in there.
M. W.

Michelle she is your daughter you know her more than any one if you are not happy i would take her to the hospital. Ok they may say you are an over anxious mother SO WHAT it is better to be safe than regret you did not take her if it turns out serious which i am sure it isn't. But to put your mind at rset i would get a second opinion
Regards M.

Hi M.,

I think that you may want to get a second opinion about the antibiotics. My daughter had a reaction to Amoxicillin when she was a baby. She had a hive-like rash. It occurred at the last day she was given the antibiotics on a ten day course. My pediatrician said that she was most likely allergic to the medication and that the reaction can happen later. She hasn't had Amoxicillin since. Good luck to you!
E.

Your child is having a reaction to the antibiotic and you should have been advised by your pediatrician to stop the medication. Individuals can develop reactions to antibiotics when taking the antibiotic for the first time or the reation can sometimes be seen when taking the antibiotic for the second time so forth and so on. My experience in the past with my children having reactions to medications has been to stop the medication.
A Little About Me:
40 year old of 2 boys and I am also a nurse

DD (dear daughter) 1 broke out in roving bouts of hives (looked like huge swathes of mosquito bites) from penicyllin. Not sure how long after she started the meds they cropped up. Buzz the pharmacist to see what they think.

As mothers we know when something isn't right with our children. Listen to you intuition, regardless of what the doctor says. You're her mother. You know what you should do. Don't be awed by the title "doctor". She can ALWAYS go back on the antibiotic if it wasn't that. If it was the medicine make sure that it's noted in her medical chart even if the doctor doesn't feel it was.

I think that you should get a second opinion. My son had to have surgery at 6 month for hypospadias
He needed a catheter it in and he got a sulfur based medicine to keep his bladder from contracting. About 5 days into the meds he got a rash all over his body. The Doctor told me to stop med ASAP and that he is allergic to sulfur at high doses. He told me that because it took so long for the rash to come out that possibly prolonged use caused a reaction. I will have to wait till he is 5 for an allergy test, but that is what my Dr told me. Good luck
Your Dr should be safe rather than sorry and I would get another opinion at another peds office or an allergy specialist. Allergies are nothing to mess with and I am surprised that your Dr did not want to see her

M. my experience has been it doesn't matter how long you have been on a medication if you get a rash STOP THE MED. You can have an allergic reaction even if you have had the medication in the past without issue.

I will have to say that when our second son was about the same age, he had a double ear infection. They put him on antibotics also and two days later he had a full body rash with welts and all. We were told to discontinue the antibotic and given a new one. To this day our son is not allowed by the doctors because they said he was allergic to it. I would say the next time you need antibotics, to ask for a different kind perhaps one without a sulpher base to it. Good Luck and the benadryl will make him feel less itchy and uncomfortable at least.

Hi Michelle,

I would have your daughter looked at by the pediatrician. She could be having a reaction to the antibiotics and they need to see it. Also take a good picture of the rash for future needs. My daughter is allergic to amox, zithromax and bactrim and everytime I have to tell someone about the rash I wish I had a picture. Go with your feelings about your own child. Good luck.

My daughter at 10 months old came down with Fifth's Disease, they call it the 5th Childhood disease. She had a fever that went up to 105.7 (thank God no convulsions!!!) and a red bumpy rash all over her torso. Once the fever broke, the rash went away in about 3-4 days. I would definitely get another opinion, at that age, you don't mess around! Best of luck to you!

hey sweety.

yes. my son had the same reaction. the doctor's put him on amoxicillin {sp?} for an ear infection, and the same thing happened! 1-2 days into it he went to bed not feeling so well, so i checked on him every 10 minutes or so, and within a half hour he was COVERED with red dots!

i called the ER and they told me to just watch him closely and to get him seen by the doctor in the morning. i was scared outta my mind, but everyone told me to relax. just stop the medicine and that was "probably" the problem.

in the morning that was her "diagnosis". if the spots didn't go away by the end of the day to start taking away milk products. never had to do that. it was the meds.

my advice tho. trust your instincts! if you don't think the doctor diagnosed her right...i'd try the ER or even another dr.'s office. good luck with that tho! it's hard to get one dr. around here. let alone another one.

good luck hun! just make sure that EVERYONE knows about this reaction so it's not given to her again!!

take care!

kristi
bryant pond, maine