Conference moira::parenting

    We are not doctors, but the description certainly fits hives ...
    but they may not be caused by the Ceclor ... they could well be
    caused by something else ... 
    
    Have you changed laundry detergents lately or fabric softeners ... or 
    anything else similar ?  Or anything new in the house since the middle 
    of December that she might have developed an allergy to ?  New type of
    diapers ?  Rack your brain ...
    
    Try running her clothes through a wash without detergent and fabric
    softener to give them an extra extra rinse to be sure to get any
    remaining residues out.
    
    Good luck ... these things are sometimes hard to find.
    
    Stuart

    HI, I had an eperience with my older daughter when she was 3 (now 16)
        She would get what you described from exposure to cold, it was like
    tiny water blisters, not like hives I mean they wern't the big welts
    like as with hives. I think they called it cold uticaria, like an
    allergic reaction to the cold. she out grew it in a couple of years.
    We kept her dressed extra warm and allways had plenty of benadryl on
    hand.     

I will sometimes get one or two on my face although I haven't had any for
several years now.  I would get them when I was particularly nervous or if
I was very hot.  So you might look also for a change in her external environment.

ccb

Last week my son broke out after 10 days on Ceclor for an ear infection.
He had successfully been on this antibiotic before with no reaction.

The doctor said this is very common with Ceclor and showed my husband
pictures of other kids worse off than Brandon (and he was covered!).

Benadryl, warm baths with baking soda (1/2 box each time) and Aveeno
oatmeal soap helped him get over this.  He still has a couple of spots,
but nothing major.  

No more Ceclor for him!

Good luck,
Diane

	Someone mentioned hives looking like welts... I always figured
	they'd look like little red dots.

	Emily started Amoxycillan on Friday.  On Sunday, she woke
	up with a red mark on her cheek that looked almost like a wide
	scratch.  She has sensitive skin, so I figured she either scratched
	it or layed her face on a wet part of her blanket, which has given
	her a red spot before.

	My whole family was commenting on it on Sunday.  It seems to
	fade for a while and then turn red again at various times in
	the day, though I haven't checked to see if that coincides with
	her medicine.  Does that sound like hives ?  I'm concerned
	because my husband is allergic to the "cillan" family of antibiotics...

	Karen

    Karen,
    
    The coming-and-going aspect of your daughter's mark, and its
    location, remind me of eczema. This might be something to discuss 
    with your pediatrician.
    
    My son had a single patch of eczema on his cheek that came and went all 
    last winter and the one before. Now, at 5, he seems to be outgrowing it. 
    
    Lucy

    I'm pretty sure of this but allergic reactions dont take ten days to
    occur, They usually occur very shortly after you come in contact with
    what your allergic to.
    

    Re: -1
    
    I haven't found that to be so ... especially with antibiotics.  Both my
    oldest son and myself are allergic to Ampicillin ... took both of us
    almost ten days for a rash (all over the body) like measles to show up. 
    The Dr. said some times the "allergen" has to build up in the body
    before you show a reaction.  It's the same with most allergies unless
    it is an extremely severe one.  At least that's the way we seem to
    respond.
    
    Joyce
    

    There is a very fine line between allergy and sensitivity. 

    	True allergies *almost* always elicit an immediate response.

    	Sensitivities *almost* always take longer for a response to show.

    	In both cases, the treatment is usually the same, remove the
    offending materials.

    				Wendy

>
>    I'm pretty sure of this but allergic reactions dont take ten days to
>    occur, They usually occur very shortly after you come in contact with
>    what your allergic to.
>    

I hate to differ ... but it can take a long time to develop an allergic
reaction ... for three reasons off the top of my head ...

1) The first exposure to most allergens does not produce a reaction ... it
is usually second and subsequent exposures.

2) It may be a combination of substances that produce the allergic reaction.

3) Noticeable reactions may not occur until the allergen reaches some critical
amount in the body.




Just so we are clear on this a "hive" is generally a generally circular
raised welt but usually has no "centre".  Similar to the raised welt of
a mosquito bite, but without the spot in the middle where the bite occured.
It is a topical histamine reaction of the body.  They can vary from small 
to very large.  They often occur on the body in strange places, like the 
tops of your feet, or the backs of your hand, but may occur anywhere.  The 
size and height of the welt depends upon the amount of local histamines, 
which is why when you rub or otherwise irritate a welt, the welt grows.


Stuart

    Thanks all.  After examining her, the doctor feels this could last yet
    another week or two and it *probably was* some sort of allergic or
    sensitivity reaction to the Ceclor (since nothing has changed in her
    environment).  
    
    Gold Bond Baby Powder also helps the "itchy scratchies," which in
    Katina's case are welts of various size ellipses.  And, we should give
    her the Benedryl only if she needs it at night.
    

    Our pedi's opinion is that a reaction to an antibiotic can occur at ANY
    time, even if you've been on it before.  Case in point, I broke out in
    a severe allergic reation to a "cillin" product at almost 30, I had
    been on the antibiotic for 8 days.  I had been practically raised on
    some variety of "cillin" as a kid.
    
    Our pedi feels that a cortisone cream will usually help to reduce a
    rash, whether it's caused by something you've touched or something
    you've taken such as medicine.  I keep a tube of it on hand, and unless
    its an out of control, or all over body rash I'll try it for a day
    before calling the pedi.
    
    Has a dermatologist been considered by anyone?
    
    Lyn

    Opening this topic again.
    
    My daughter was on Pediazole for 7 days and again came down with
    hives, this time MUCH MUCH worse.  Her hands and feet were swollen
    within 48 hours.  She's on Prelone since yesterday; she's better.
    
    I'm worried sick about why this is happening, although her pedi
    is not that concerned.  We're anxious to take her to an allergist
    or SOMEONE to figure how why this happens.  My big worry is something
    is amiss with her immune system.  
    
    Any allergist recommendations (by MAIL please)?  Stories?
    Tara

     My daughter came down with hives also, but she was on a sulfa-based
    medication.  She was about 18 months old at the time, and spent most of
    the winter on antibiotics for repeated ear infections.  The doctor now
    ensures that she does not take anything that is Sulfa based.
    
     One time I did ask him if it would be okay if she tried it again, but
    he said no, because usually a second reaction is worse than the first.
    
     I guess I just want to say that I'm surprised the doctor prescribed
    the same medication which produced a reaction before.
    
    
      john

	Pediazole is sulfa (sulfer ?) based.

    sulphur (since you asked :-)

    
    My daughter came down with hives this past weekend (great mothers
    day ;} and I don't know what caused it.. she was not on medication
    and had no fever.. The dr. called them giant hives and said it
    could be viral.. I asked him if thought it had something to do
    with her MMR shot she had 2 weeks earlier and he didn't think
    so..Oh she also had her final Hib that she had missed the same
    day...
    
    	Has anyone else child gotten hives after immunization...??
    I mean MMR is for Mumps, Measles and Rubella?? Just curious!
    
    Thanks
    

Actually, I have heard of allergic reactions (hives) to the carrier used in
the HiB shots.  I believe it is the preservative used that causes the
problems.

Stuart

     I originally thought the doctor meant sulfur base drugs too, but
    found out that it is actually spelled sulfa. The dictionary lists sulfa
    drugs as a group of synthetic organic compounds which are capable of
    inhibiting bacterial growth and activity.

     The things you learn having kids!


       John
                      

    and to extend this a little bit further and explain the link between
    Sulfa and Sulfur (Sulphur if you prefer) ...
    
    	Sulfa drugs are based on Sulfanilamide ... these are amines of
      Sulfanilic acids.  The chemical compound being C H N O S 
    						      6 8 2 2
    
    
    	The S on the end being Sulfur and lending it's name to the
    organic compound.
    
    Stuart

    re .15 / .16 
    
    	Sulfur and Sulphur are generally accepted alternate spellings
    	of the same thing ...

    re .13
    
    There is really no particular reason to be overly concerned.  Allergic
    reactions to sulfa based medication is common (my chest turns a bright
    cherry red and I am allergic to virtually nothing ... except mosquito
    bites!)  Hives can be caused by any number of histamine reactions
    and so it is not uncommon for a doctor to represcribe something like
    a sulfa drug in case it wasn't actually the sulfa that caused it in
    the first place. Now you know for sure and both you and the doctor
    should now know very specifically that she is allergic to sulfa.
    
    If it was a respiratory histamine reaction, then you would have cause
    for major concern ... but hives are a nuisance reaction and not life
    threatening.
    
    Stuart

    Thanks for the replies here and in MAIL.  I entered my original reply
    after several sleepless nights, we're all feeling much better now!
    
    What so annoyed my husband and me is the doctor's attitude "well, she's
    allergic to Amoxicillin (blood in bowel movements), Ceclor (hives), and
    now Pediazole (hives and MAJOR swelling), so we'll just try other
    drugs, trial and error.  Don't worry.  Oh, and by the way, make sure
    she's breathing okay."
    
    At first he also refused to do a referral to an allergist for
    consultation, but he's relented because I pushed for it.  There are
    many allergies in the family.  One theory is that she actually
    has food allergies and the drugs simply overload her system.
    
    We'll be looking into it.  If I find out anything interesting, I'll
    post it here.
    
    Tara

    
    My boyfriend has similar problems with his son - it seems he's allergic
    to almost every known medication, and is CONSTANTLY getting ear
    infections.
    
    The last few times they gave him Vantin, and that seemed to do the
    trick.  It is pretty strong stuff though, and expensive (I think it was
    ~$70.00/treatment).
    
    I never thought to check about food allergies ... he's congested more
    often than not, and has very sudden mood shifts that seem to have no
    cause.  Hmmmm.  Unfortunately he eats EVERYTHING, all the time, so
    narrowing it down to one food or group of, would be very difficult. 
    That plus the fact that we don't see him all the time. )-:
    
    Good Luck!
    Patty

    To test for food allergies, eliminate one suspect food (such as
    strawberries) or food group (such as milk products) for a period of
    time, probably a week is enough.  If the allergic symptoms clear up,
    that's your food.  If they don't, try reintroducing the first suspect
    and eliminating the second suspect.  Keep a written record of your
    tests.
    
    You then might be able to narrow it further.  Such as, milk is okay but
    cheddar cheese is not.
    
    Allergies can also be caused by inhaled substances such as cat hair,
    pollen, or dust mites.
    
    Do as much trial and error as you can.  The doctor will be glad to have
    these results.
    
    Laura