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Original poster

unusual rash, result of taking antibiotics?

16 replies

meggymoo · 06/10/2005 21:56

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donnie · 06/10/2005 22:28

could well be....and amoxycillin is a moderately strong antibiotic. I came out in a rash just from using 'night nurse' flu remedy .If the rash isn't botheringhim I wouldn't worry too much but it's worth seeing the GP.

Original poster

meggymoo · 07/10/2005 09:33

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Lonelywitch · 07/10/2005 09:44

I am allergic to penicillin (amoxicillin is a type of penicillin). My allergy became apparent when I had a rash after taking it, but I have to say that my rash was a complete, all over body rash, not confined to one area. I would advise you to have your son's rash looked at by the doctor as, if it is an allergic reaction to the penicillin, he shouldn't have penicillin again in case of a more severe reaction. You want a decision like that made by the doctor.

skinnycow · 07/10/2005 09:50

yes i had this many years ago and it turns out I was sensitive to the ring of drugs which includes penicillan and cephalosporins. The rash wasnt itchy as in eczema itchy but was irritating like an itch you cant scratch

Original poster

meggymoo · 07/10/2005 10:05

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KBear · 07/10/2005 10:09

Sometimes they get a rash which is a result of the body fighting the infection and not connected to antibiotics - according to my GP that is!

Medea · 07/10/2005 10:19

My son had a rash after taking amoxyicillin when he was 2. . but it was all over his body, and it would come on after he took the dose, and then fade again a few hours later, then come on again with the next dose.

Then he had IV cephalosporins in hospital and his whole face swelled up--he was unrecognizable. They put piriton in his drip straight away, and he was OK.

So it doesn't sound like a typical allergic reaction, but you never know. Unfortunately it's a big deal to test properly for penicillin allergies. . .children need a "challenge" in hospital and there tends to be long queues for that. So even if you show it to a doctor, I don't expect you'll get very far, or that he'll be able to commit one way or the other. But I still think you should mention it.

Lonelywitch · 07/10/2005 10:36

I agree with Medea that it doesn't sound like an allergic reaction because it is confined to one place. Also, I have to say, I was never tested for a penicillin allergy because no-one (but me)seems interested in finding out if that was definitely the cause of my rash - maybe as Medea says, because it is not an easy process. I definitely had an allergic reaction to something though (I was taking another drug as well as penicillin at the time) and general medical opinion seems to be that it was far more likely to be caused by the penicillin than by the other drug which is not usually a cause of allergic reactions. Nevertheless, I don't take either drug now, just in case, and it is a real pain in the neck if I need ABs as my choice is limited. That is why you should take your ds in to the doctor meggymoo: they won't be able to say for derinite that it is caused by the penicillin, but they might be able to tell you if it is something else.

ghosty · 07/10/2005 10:47

On my DD's medical notes it says that she cannot take any penicillin for the foreseeable future.
A couple of months ago she came out in an awful rash all over her body whilst on amoxycillin. They started off as little spots that grew into huge weals ... the doctor said they were hives. At their worst they were like huge red raised weals with a pale centre. She looked like she had been burned
They were mainly on her legs, arms and neck ... some on her tummy and back but nothing on her face.

ghosty · 07/10/2005 10:48

Meggymoo, if you like you can CAT me and I can email you a photo of her rash ... if it helps .... The doctor asked me to photograph them and keep them as a record.

Original poster

meggymoo · 07/10/2005 11:28

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Lonelywitch · 07/10/2005 13:53

How did you get on meggymoo?

Original poster

meggymoo · 07/10/2005 15:46

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Lonelywitch · 07/10/2005 16:03

That is good news. It is a pain in the neck being allergic to penicillin IME.

donnie · 07/10/2005 21:52

I am also allergic to penicillin! in fact I am currently on erythromycin as I have a nasty throat infection but can't take normal penicillin based anti b's. It ain't the end of the world is basically what I'm saying meggymoo!

muminlondon · 07/10/2005 22:42

meggymoo, I had the same question earlier this year with dd - she had high temperatures and what looked like an ear infection and green mucus for a week so was on antibiotics, and suddenly had a rash starting on torso, spreading quickly to face especially behind the ears, then over the limbs. It lasted nearly a week, coincidentally starting the day she had finished the course of antibiotics. Our GP (who is hopeless) had prescribed the antibotics but suggested vaguely that it could be a food allergy. The other GP in the practice did wonder if it was a non-specific viral rash or penicillin reaction. I later mentioned it to a paediatrician who immediately said it was most probably roseola, also known as HHV 6 (sixth disease). The rash looked like this .

Although it may be different in the case of your ds, I was interested to read about how common roseola is and the typical age of infection (about 2).

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