Speedy advice needed please on amoxicillin. . .

[expatkat]

I had to give dd some amoxicillin for a raging ear infection. Her brother is allergic to it. She, at 17 months, has never been exposed to it except when she was breastfeeding & I had to take it for something.

She just had her first dose. If she turns out to be allergic, when will it become clear?

I think I read/heard somewhere that they tend not to express the allergy on the first exposure, but on the second. Meaning: she shouldn't show an allergic reaction to this course, but to her next course of antibiotics, next time she has an infection. (And that's what happened with ds.)

I'm in the middle of nowhere & need some reassurance that she's not going to go into anaphylactic shock on first exposure. Also, nanny is going to be using the car for something, so I need to know it's safe for me to be without a car for a few hours.

Many thanks in advance, expat.

Oh, i'm not sure exactly how soon a reacion would occur. From what i can remember, my dd came out in a rash within a few hours of her first dose, and although the doc said that the rash could of been due to her illness, they have 'Warning allergic to penecillin' on her notes, just in case, it wasn't her illness.

I came out in a rash - not sure if initial reactions can be worse - have some liquid Piriton handy

I was told the same when when I was younger SueW as I came out in a rash when I took the lovely banana amoxicillin, it turns out it wasn't the penicillin I was allergic to, but the banana flavouring!

Maybe an idea to phone NHS Direct expatkat and ask them signs to look for and what to if (touch wood) should an allergic reaction occur.

Both dd1 & 2 are allergic to amoxicillin. DD2 who is 20 months now came out in a rash during the second day of her first course of antibiotics. It was quite fine and only in a small patch at first. It was not until about the third day that it became very obvious that something was wrong as she got a rash all over and red, itchy eyes. I have been told that you can grow out of the allergic reaction so I am not sure whether dd1 is still allergic or not. HTH

Hopefully you already know she is OK. But you are right, the first exposure to something usualy triggers a milder reaction. DD came out in a bright red rash all over her body within a couple of hours, which died away over the next day. Docs did say that it could be much worse upon re-exposure. But that would have been re-exposure on the next dose, not the next course.

Reactions don't tend to occur until 2nd course!!

I get itchy on penecillin - no rash just itch like a whole herd of creepy crawlies are having a party on me.

She's had two doses by now, and no reaction yet. (!) Thanks everyone for your help.

My dd had an allergic reaction on the 7th day of an 8 day course of amoxicillin. My dh had given her some egg (she was only 5 months) that day too so we weren't sure whether the reaction was to the egg or the amoxicillin. Anyway, we were in the usa and I immediately called the paediatrician in a panic. She reassured me that anaphylactic shock from allergic reaction to amoxicillin is not likely. She suggested giving her the 8th dose the next day and watching her closely. She didn't get the reaction again. And since then (she's now 17 mo.) has had amoxicillin several times and eggs many many times and has shown a reaction to neither. Conclusion is, don't worry. If you are in the usa get some benedryl or similar antihistimine so that if she gets hives, you could at least make her comfortable.