My son was on an antibiotic for an ear infection. He had to stop a couple days early because of vomiting that occured for several days. Then a couple days after stopping he developed a rash that comes and goes throughout the day. The MD said it is hives likely due to the antibiotic and the rash can occur for up to 2 weeks. The rash pops up in different areas on his body (especially face) thoughout the day and is itchy. Has anyone had experience with this that they can share? My second question is that it might not be from the antibiotic but from something he ate. He currently is not eating foods/cereal only nursing. My worry is that it could be something in my milk, more seriously lactose which would mean that I might have to stop nursing. Does this sound like a lactose allergy? I don't think it would show it's face at this point in the game, would it?
The rash finally cleared up after about a week. I don't believe it was from the milk, probably the antibiotic. Thanks so much for sharing your experience/stories.
My niece had a bad rash, It was from the antibotic she was on. The doctor gave her a stronger dose of benydrl and it went away. Ask the doctor about that.
My dd is allergic to several antibiotic classes and has food allergies. Antibiotic rashes can occur for up to 2 weeks. I think they also moved around. I'd start a food diary for yourself and see if his rashes coincided with what you ate. Also write down his symptoms. I'm not sure of the timing though, like if you had dairy today and a rash showed up tomorrow. If it continues past 2 weeks, I'd think about eliminating 1 food top allergen for a couple weeks and see what happens (milk, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs). You can always see an excellent allergist at Children's Memorial in Lincoln Park. 1800-Kids-Doc they have appointments in Glenview on Wednesdays too (where we go).
good luck!
Hi S.:
I do not have experience with allergic reactions to antibiotics, but my 3-year old has multiple food allergies. I would strongly encourage you to find the exact cause(s) of his rash before you consider discontinuing nursing. If this is the first time rash appeared in 6.5 months, chances are it's not something in your diet. However, if your baby boy is allergic to certain foods, you would want to explore that further before you start introducing solids... Moreover, if your son does have food allergies, by eliminating allergens from your diet and continuing to nurse as long as possible, you'd be increasing his chances of outgrowing the allergies. I think it would be beneficial to consult with experienced nursing moms (e.g., by attending a La Leche League meeting in your area or contacting LLL leaders- the info is easily found on line) or even a pediatric allergist. I don't know where you live, but if you are interested I can recommend ours- with offices in Naperville and Downers Grove. I wish you and your precious boy all the best! Z
I recently had a rash due to an antibiotic and it lasted about 3 weeks and it came and went several times, so that definitely could be it. Also, food allergies generally show hives on the trunk area shortly after eating so this doesn't sound like a food allergy to me. But, I'm not a doctor (just a Mom with a sensitive child and I am sensitive myself as well). I don't know if a lactose allergy would present differently in a very young child either, so that might be worth checking on. I would watch it for a few days and really pay attention to when it comes out. Keep a log of where it is, time of day, what he was doing, last feeding, etc. to see if there is any pattern. If it is from the drug, it should slowly disappear in the next week or so. If it doesn't, call your doctor again armed with your "log" and take it from there.
Good luck,
Mauree
S.,
I have some experience with hives with two of my children. Very important to know that hives can be brought on by a virus or illness. Was this the first time your son had this particular antibiotic b/c allergies generally don't appear until subsequent use of a drug or food. Be sure to keep a very detailed record of this incident to compare to in the future should this happen again.
Good luck!
K.
my son has/had an allergic reaction to milk protein in my breast milk (not a lactose intolerance, but an allergy to casein, the milk protein). it showed up not as a rash but as small bits of blood in his stool. i kept nursing and went on a dairy-free / soy-free diet (apparently a decent % of kids w/ milk protein allergies are allergic to soy as wekk). i'm still on it and its not bad at all. i've gotten really used to it. that being said, it doesn't sound like the same reaction your son is having. my son (also 6.5 mos old) DID have a rash (mostly on face) following amoxycillin for an ear infection. it didn't bother him though and ultimately went away when we took him off the meds. could it be exzema your son has?
S.
I am not sure what antibiotic your son was given, but I personally have had a very similar expereince with the antibiotic sulfa after being prescribed it after a kidney infection. I don't know if this is even an antibiotic that is given for ear infections, but I thought I would share anyway. The reaction that I had to the medication was actually a blessing in disguise because many soaps, products, etc. have something called Sodium Sulfate in them (I guess it is a lathering agent). Come to find out the Sulfate in the products is like the Sulfa drug and I was allergic to them as well. My drug reaction helped me clear up years of reactions that I had with soaps, shampoos, etc. but never could identify.
Like I said, not sure if this even is applicable to you since it might not be the same medication- but who is to say there miht not be a similar experience for you down the line. Just thought I would share in case.
Thanks,
K.
Sounds like a reaction to the antiobiotic to me. I've had that reaction to sulfa drugs in the past.
DO NOT stop nursing. Your son is not allergic to your milk. A milk intolerance is an intolerance to proteins and lactose in COW milk, not human milk. The best thing for him is mamma milk.
If you have stopped the antibiotics- I'd wait for a week and see if the rash goes away.
If you have concerns that it is something from your milk- I would advise stopping dairy products yourself. If he's reacting to your milk-- most common thing is your intake of dairy products but it doesn't sound like a dairy issue to me.
Keep nursing-- it'll help keep the infections away as well!
Also check www.kellymom.com for great advice!
It sounds like an allergy to the antibiotics since it coincided with that. I definitely wouldn't stop nursing, especially after 6.5 months. If it is an intolerance to milk--he probably wouldn't get hives--that would be more intestinal like diarrhea. If it is something you ate--you can keep a log like someone suggested, but this only makes sense if you ate something new recently.
I personally get hives myself. Hives can be so variable and can be triggered by so many things. However, after a series of painful test (painful at the time--I was 6), I discovered that mine come from a weakened immune system (I get them after I have been sick--I currently have them now because I have had a bad cold for the past week) or from stress. When I was a kid--I got them all the time. The best thing is to keep track of when he gets them and what was going on at that time. Hopefully the Dr, will never prescribe that antibiotic again and he will never get it again :)
