Penicillin allergy- inherited?

[LittleOne76]

Just wondering, both me and DH are allergic to penicillin and I'm wondering what the chances might be that DS is also allergic. We won't know until he tries it I guess but I'm a not scared to try.
Is anyone else allergic with a DC who is also allergic?

I don't know the answer, though I am allergic and so is my mum. When DS was in SCBU I insisted they only give him non-penicillin based drugs, just in case he had inherited the allergy (though he turned out not to), and they were happy to oblige. Interested to see if anyone here does know

I've recently finished allergy tests (reacting to weird things, family history including fatal nut allergies) and the consultant said that having allergic parents can make you generally more prone to allergies than the rest of the population but it doesn't direct which allergies you'll have. Makes sense as the only thing I have in common with other allergy family members is hay fever and that's very common.

Direct? Dictate.

my son is allergic to penicillin which i found out about when he was a baby - just about 4 months old. he got a rash and didn't look very happy after i gave it him, so i went back to the doctor who said it was an allergic reaction. then i found out my mother in law is allergic and she told me it was inherited. i wouldn't be afraid to give it your dc, just try it and see - especially if you are aware there might be an allergy, but you won't know for sure unless he tries it.

i wouldn't be afraid to give it your dc, just try it and see - especially if you are aware there might be an allergy, but you won't know for sure unless he tries it.

Sorry, I think that's very dangerous advice - I had a full on anaphylactic reaction when I had it as a baby, and swelled up. Was rushed to hospital and given medication to counteract the reaction, it was very serious.

I am allergic, as is my sister and her two daughters - have never given it to ds, I always explain when gps etc ask and they avoid prescribing it for that reason. You can apparently pay to find out if you are allergic through a bloodtest, I think, so may do that one day. But please don't 'try it, just to see!'

Both my brother and brother-in-law (my childrens' uncles, but not related to each other) are allergic to penicillin. I wasn't surprised to discover DS was allergic too. We don't know about DD as she has never had any antibiotics.

I was advised the same as CharminglyOdd. However, both of my ds's have allergies to foods within the same food types (one allergic to eggs, lentils, peas, beans, all nuts, kiwi, the other allergic to milk, lentils, peas, beans, all nuts and mango) - this may be coincidence, but the doctor did also say what we often assign to coincidence may not be, but the knowledge is not there yet to assume otherwise.

I'm allergic to penicillin, with no known family history of it (oddly, my adoptive Mum is also allergic!). DD1 is not allergic, and we haven't had the occasion to find out with DD2.

However, my allergy didn't materialise until I was in my early 20s, so I still keep a close eye on DD if she has an antibiotic.

Doctor suggested to me that my allergy, my psoraisis and DD's possible asthma are all part of the same issue though.

I am and three out of four of my DC are too. No others (that we know of) in family.

My youngest was recently very poorly and they decided that as we were in hospital already, but she really needed penicillin over anything else, they would give it a bash. She was fine with it. The older three are very definitely allergic to it though.

I am allergic but have no idea if DS is. We both have eczema. Hadn't even thought about it until now

I am allergic and 1 out of 3 of my dc also is.
My dr said it's not directly inherited and advised try and see with each dc even though my reaction to it as a child was severe.

Yes, I've met several doctors who say it's not supposed to be inherited - but then say 'But here there obviously a strong familial link'. (Four people?!!)

I notice an earlier poster said they were willing to try on doctors' advice because they were in hospital already. That seems much more sensible.

Feenie - that was me. DD3 had pneumonia and the other ABs they had tried just weren't touching it. I'm really glad they did - frankly, I would have taken anything for her just to get her better soonest.

Of course! Thank goodness she wasn't allergic - hope she's recovered fully now.

Thank you. Not fully recovered, but a different child from a few weeks ago!

My ds is allergic to penecillan and his grandfather is also allergic to it.

I assume it's like other allergies in that if you have a parent with allergies/asthma/eczema then you are more likely to suffer with them too but not necessarily the same ones. My husband is asthmatic and allergic to nuts, my DD has airborne allergies to cats and DS is allergic to milk, wheat, eggs and (possibly) nuts plus has asthma & eczema. OP I would definitely err on the side of caution and avoid pencillin for your children unless given in hospital.

Oh, just remembered something else: often an allergy to penicillin doesn't show on the first exposure but the second (I was fine the first time I had it, hospitalised the second). So don't assume that everything is ok from just one dose

That's true of most allergies including bee stings families

Oh, didn't know that! Learn something new....!

My dad is allergic to peniciilen, none of us children are ( 3 of us). We have the atopicness in our family and DS has epi-pens (not penicillen allergic though)

My friends DD1 is very seriously allergic but neither her or her DH (or their parents) or her DD2 is.