Reaction to eye drops?

[Dinny]

Hi, my dd had a bad allergic reaction last week to something. She's 19 months and it's the first time anything like this has happened - can't think what caused it, except she had been on anti-bacterial eyedrops for conjunctivitis the preceeding few days (finished about 36 hrs before reaction happened). Asked paed if it could be that and he said it was unlikely, but I just wanted to see if anyone had had any similar experience. Thanks, Dinny

Are you sure it was an allergic reaction. DS1 regularly has a severe 'nettle rash' type reaction after any type of illness. It is quite common in children but can be very scary if it is severe and you haven't experienced it before.

I doubt it would be the eye drops - if she was allergic to them I think she would have had a reaction much more quickly.

If it is post viral eurticuria (sp?) to give it its medical name, then it is nothing to worry about and will vanish as quickly as it arrives.

Yes, that's what it looked like, nettle stings. It was everywhere - it went after 4 days of anti-histamines.

Will look up eurticuria on net, thanks, Snugs.
ps does your ds have anti-hist to get rid of rash? The first nurse that saw it said it was a blanching rash but the doc said it was allergic reaction.

Hiya Dinny

Yes, anti-hist worked, but usually I find it goes quite quickly on its own anyway and so I hold off on the anti-hist unless DS actually complains he is itchy.

The rash usually starts like nettle-rash with distinct individual spots, which quickly run into each other and can appear as if they are blistering - a bit like chicken pox but much quicker - and pretty much cover the body. In my experience, they have reverted back to the nettle rash stage within 2-6 hrs; minimal spots at 24-36 hrs and gone all together by 36-48 hrs.

It might still be worth keeping a diary for food, drinks, creams applied etc for a few weeks and monitor if your dd has any other reactions - just to rule out allergies.

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Thanks for your posts - that is exactly like her rash, Snugs. She wasn't really that ill beforehand though - a cold and then conjunctivitis.

Robinw, I do live in the UK - we panicked and took dd to A&E with her rash as GP surgery shut -we saw a paediatrician there (there is a paediatric A&E at our local hospital). I took eye-drops to show him but he said it was unlikly. After reading your post am going to think about asking for testing though. He did say they'd test if it happened again. Hmmm, should I wait and see...? Dinny

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Robinw, I did switch fabric conditioner about 10 days before - dd too had huge white wheals with red background all over her. However, they have gone now (I stopped using the fabric conditioner and rewashed all her things in non-bio). Maybe that was it...