Allergic Reaction to Amoxicillan

Updated on May 21, 2009
K.W. asks from Rowlett, TX
50 answers

My daughter had an ear infection and the doctor put her on amoxicillan. I started giving it to her last Sat. and then thurs. afternoon I had realized she had thrown-up and also had red bumps on her stomach and back. I just thought it was from her eating too much the night before and having the ear infection. But now it spread all over her body. Could this be an allergice reaction to the amoxicillan? Has anyone else had this happen to their child? I will be calling the doctor on Monday for sure if the bumps are still there. It's just that she hasn't been acting any different as if she's in alot of pain, but her appetite isn't that great and she's not drinking as much as she normally would.

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So What Happened?

Well I'd like to thank all of you who responded to my question about the amoxicillin. I stopped her on it Saturday morning. Well we went to the doctor today and he said it was NOT a reaction to the amoxicillan at all, but it was called 5th Disease. The doctor just said she probably got it from another child and most likely every child will get it and once you get it, you cannot get again. He said he could tell what it was from the way the red spots were on her body. Anyways, he gave us no meds for it and said it will go away in a few weeks. Also, he told us that the first 3 days before the rash appears on a child it contagious. So I just wanted to share this with everyone!! Again, thanks for all the responses! I will still be leary of the amoxicillin!

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B.H.

answers from Dallas on

The same thing happened to my son and it was an allergic reaction. Call you doctor and he/she may suggest Benadryl. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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D.C.

answers from Dallas on

Yes,this is an allergic reaction. Don't wait until Monday to call and don't give her any more. She's now allergic to penicillin. It can happen at any time at any age.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Dallas on

Hi K..

The same thing happened to my daughter, but she did not throw up, only red spots). She didn't show any signs of a reaction until 7 days after taking the medication. It was considered a non-alergic reaction. The doctor told me that it is very common. Only wish I had been warned that it was a big possibility so that I would have known what it was when it showed up.

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K.S.

answers from Dallas on

My 28 year old daughter had the same reaction minus the vomiting from amoxicillin when she was about 10. She got red splotches all over her face and body. Penicillin allergies run in my family, so I immediately took her off it and got her to the doctor.

I'm imfamous for taking her to school the next day and telling the kids that she had had an allergic reaction and I'd better not hear of anyone making fun of her or else.

Besides the fact that Amoxil is one of the cheapest antibiotics, it's no big deal that she's allergic to penicillin. There is lots of other stuff available today that they can prescribe. Just make sure she doesn't take penicillin again and let everyone know she's allergic.

It take exposure to it once to develop the reaction. There can be serious consequences from taking penicillin for her.

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

yes, it sounds like a reaction... I myself am allergic, same I get a rash and if gone in the sunlight, the rash starts to hurt. My youngest son also seems to be allergic. I would stop giving her amoxicylin and the bumps should go away...I would see the doctor again on Monday whether the rash is there or not, so the doctor can either take a look at it, or if it's gone, get a different antibiotic.... your daughter won't be able to take any anitbotics that is derived from penicylin (sp?)

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L.W.

answers from Dallas on

pencillin is the cure all. try getting your doctor to give your child a shot if pencillin. hope she gets better.

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C.R.

answers from Dallas on

It is definitly a reaction, my daughter had the same thing happen aboout 3 months ago and they had to give her arithromycin instead because she had red bumps all over also. You should call the doctor and dont give her anymore. My doctor said the bumps may go away but then come back in a few days. Good luck and I hope that she feels better soon.

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L.P.

answers from Amarillo on

Did you stop the amocicillan? My daughter had the same thing when she was 14 and had taken this since she was an infant and the doctor said it was an allergic reaction. Looked like she had hives from head to toe.

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L.R.

answers from Dallas on

Absolutely allergic reation...stop giving her the amoxocillan (made from penecillian). My daughter had the same red bumps. No more penecillian for her:)

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P.

answers from Dallas on

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics concerning ear infections: "A number of treatments are not recommended for young children with middle ear fluid. These include decongestants and antihistamines; prolonged, frequent, or low-dose courses of antibiotics; and steroid nasal sprays."

My daughter was prescribed antibiotics repeatedly for ear infections. She finally wound up at Childrens' Medical Center with an MRSA type pneumonia which required surgery to drain the infection from her lung. She had a 50% chance of survival. She was not quite 2 years old at the time. The physicians there told me it was from the mis-use of antibiotics to treat her ear infections.

There was even a warning to pediatricians at that time on the American Academy of Pediatrics website which has since mysteriously been removed.

Please get a second opinion from a more holistic doctor.

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M.L.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter had a reaction to amoxicillan when she was young, also. BUT her legs became so swollen and hard to the touch. It really scared us!! Doctor took her off immediately!!! So I definitely would stop the medication now and get advice from a doctor. They told us that it would only have gotten worse.

Since that time, Doctors have said to take the pencillin group of medicine. Not worth the chance.

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

That is definitely an allergic reaction-----stop the medicine immediately and give her benadryl to help with the allergic response. Call your doctor's office right away---I assume he has a service and will return your call on weekends. He should.

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L.

answers from Dallas on

If you suspect an allergy, call your docotor NOW! Or if the hives get worse take her to the ER ASAP!!! My daughter was on amoxicillan for 10 days, and a few days later, she had hives all over, and her feet swelled so bad she couldn't walk. We took her to the ER and she got a steroid shot, benadryll, and tylenol. Her feet were so swollen so fast, she had black ankles.

Give her some benadryll asap to see if the marks go down. God Bless.

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K.J.

answers from Dallas on

Why on Earth would you wait until Monday??! Allergic reactions are nothing to fool with. Call her doctor ASAP, they have people on call for a reason, and this is one of them.

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C.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hello K.,

Yes, that's an allergic reaction. No more penicillin-group antibiotics for her. take a picture of the bumps so you can show the doctor. and Yes, that happened to my daughter.
Good luck and I hope your daughter gets well soon. ~C.~

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E.J.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter had the same problem do not give her the amoxicillan. We found out that she is allergic to sulfates in amoxicillan. I thought she was getting the chicken poxs at first cuz it started off as small dots than it spread all over body and I knew it wasn't poxs. My BIL is a doctor and was here when it happened and our pediatrician couldn't figure it out so my brother in law suggested we quit giving her the amoxicillan and we did and she started to feel better and we figured out we can no longer give her amoxicillan.
I wish I could send you a pic of what she looked like so you can make a comparission.

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M.E.

answers from Dallas on

Wow, I am so sorry I did not read this earlier. YOU NEED TO STOP THE ANTIBIOTICS RIGHT AWAY. The same thing happened to my daughter and we ended up in the emergency room. They said one hour longer and she would not be able to breath. Please take her to the ER if you have not already. It will get worse to where she will not be able to breathe. I am very worried and if you could contact me and let me know that she is ok I would feel so much better. Take care and bless you.

M. E.
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V.A.

answers from Amarillo on

Yes it is absoulutely a reaction to the med. stop using it and see the pediatrician. My daughter is also allergic to it, which means that she cannot take ANYTHING even remotely related to it, INCLUDING AND MOST DEFINATELY PENICILLAN. Amoxicillan is a dirivitive of penicillan, they are the same drug family, anyone who tells you to take your child for a shot of penicillan after a reaction to amox is wrong.

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C.B.

answers from Dallas on

yep- she allergic- don't give her any more and inform your doctor. She might be able to get another antibiotic- I use lavender/olive oil for my kids earaches- the Lavendar and Olive have antibactierial properties and they also sooth the sore ear. I do 3 drops every 3 hours until they are feeling better. I mix about 5 drops of Lavender into a small vial with the Olive oil(I use extra virgin olive oil) I use the Olive oil as a carrier- Lavender by itself is a little too strong.
If your daughter is allergic to Amoxicillan she is allergic to all forms of Penicillin(sp?). I have 3 kids who are allergic.
good luck1
~C.

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K.M.

answers from Dallas on

Both of my girls have had this rash, it could be an allergic reaction, but it could be the virus leaving his body. My doctor told me sometimes a rash can occur when a viral infection leaves their body. It is my understanding that most ear infections are viral and not bacterial I would be more concern on why your doctor is prescribing an antibiotic for a viral infection. My doctor prescribes ear drops to control the pain until the ear infections goes away.

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K.B.

answers from Dallas on

That sounds like she is allergic...that's what happened to my son...don't give her anymore until you can take her to her doctor.

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S.F.

answers from Dallas on

I would stop the medicine immediately and get her in to see the doctor today. If the bumps are there, that is usually the first sign of an allergic reaction. My son had the same reaction to Ceftin, another antibiotic he was taking for an ear infection. The bumps started on his little legs, then spread up to his torso. I called the doc and they told me to stop the Ceftin right then - and only give him Motrin for the pain until I could get him to their office. Upon arrival, they quickly decided he was having an allergic reaction to Ceftin. They had to prescribe something else. Please act quickly, hives are only the first sign of the reaction on the outside, she could be having the same thing happening in her throat as well.

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A.L.

answers from Dallas on

K.,

The same thing happened to both my daughter and son. Each of them had taken the meds many times before and the dr. explained that an allergic reaction to a medication could occur the 1st time or develop and occur the millionth time. More than likely, the red bumps are hives from an allergic reaction to the medicine. Both of my kiddo's drug allergies presented this way. Amoxicillan is a penicillin based drug. You should quit giving the medicine to your daughter ASAP because if it is an allergic reaction, it could escalate to breathing problems. Give the appropriate dose of benedryl for your daughter for the hives, and more than likely they will go away after 24 hours or so on the benedryl. You didn't say, but if you daughter goes to a Cook's Childrens doctor, you can call the office and they will put you through to an on call nurse who will help you out and advise you on what all you can do until you can speak with the doctor. If she begins to have breathing issues, take her to the er or call 911.

Good Luck,
A.

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S.L.

answers from Dallas on

My son had taken amoxicillan at around age two. The reaction spread quickly, so now he cannot take anything from the penicillan family. Just make sure that you call your doctor about the reaction so they note it in the babies file. And always remind people that need to know that she is allergic to it.

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D.W.

answers from Dallas on

When I was a child, I got a rash from amoxicillan and I've never taken it since. I also always tell doctors when they ask if I'm allergic to any medications.

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P.C.

answers from Dallas on

It is very likely she is having an allergic reaction. Amoxocillan is penicillan. I would go ahead and all your pediatrician and find out what he would like you to do next.

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M.M.

answers from Dallas on

I'm surpised to see so many poeople saying this isn't a big deal and advising you to wait to call you're doctor. My son is allergic to amoxicillan as well, and when we found out about it the doctor had us come to the office immediately. When we got there he was taken straight in and they quickly checked him and gave him steriods to negate the effects b/c his throat was swollen so much that he could barely breathe. The nurse later told me that if we would have gotten there any later he would have stopped breathing all together. I could not tell that he was having such a hard time breathing b/c he just seemed tired.
I just want to tell everyone this to urge them to take allergic reactions seriously. Even though most reactions are not as severe as my sons, I would hate to have a child whose reaction is severe suffer the consequence of a parent being told that this is not a serious situation.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

K.,
This definitely sounds like an allergic reaction; which means she cannot have any penicillin products anymore. My daughter went through this a couple of months ago. She had hives from head to toe and a horrible rash in her privates. I had to let her run around naked so she could get some relief! I did take her to the doctor and they told me to stop the meds and make sure her all of her doctors~ present and future~ know she's allergic to penicllin; it should be marked on her charts. Penicllin (that's what is in amoxicillan or anything cillin, I think) is actually a very common allergy. The thing about allergic reactions is that it could be very minor one time and then the next time it could be something major like breathing problems(this is also what the doctor told me. Basically, hives weren't a huge deal, but next time it could be serious). So, I would definitely stop the antibiotics and take her to the doctor on Monday to get his/her opinion. Also, if the vomitting is more than one incident and continues, I'd take her to an urgent care place today b/c that is a bit more serious a reaction than just a rash. Hope this helps; I didn't intend to sound scary about it. I'm sure she is fine, you just need to be alert and aware so you can make sure she doens't have a more serious reaction. Most reactions are pretty minor, but sometimes it can be serious. I also used Aveeno baby oatmeal bath to soothe the itchy from the hives. My daughter's skin is very sensitive, so everything I use on her skin is Aveeno(bath,soap,lotion) now (except I use Cetaphil to wash her face).

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S.D.

answers from Dallas on

My son had a similar reaction while taking Amoxicillan and it was due to an allergy. I would call your doctor ASAP because they'll probably want to call in a different prescription for your daughter.

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

definitely call the Dr asap or take her to an after hours medical place. It could be an allergic reaction should could have something else going on. You need a Dr to look at this.

Penecillin (and amoxicillin) allergies are quite serious and potentially deadly. The good news is there are plenty of other antibiotics available. Take her to the Dr asap.

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M.A.

answers from Lubbock on

Definitely sounds like an allergic reaction. This happened to my daughter when she was in 1st grade. She had taken Amoxicillin many times before, but this time was different. I took her straight to the doctor where they gave her steroids and started her on a different antibiotic. A year later, same thing happened with Eurythromycin (sp?). Now, about the only thing her doc ever prescribes is Keflex. BTW, we did oatmeal baths to help with the tching/discomfort.

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V.L.

answers from Abilene on

ALL 3 of my kids have had an allergic reaction like that to amoxicillian. What the Dr. told me to do was give them Benedryl or another allergy medicine as long as it was not to severe a reaction. After that they just never got amoxicilian again. All kids are just fine.

E.C.

answers from Dallas on

K.,

It sounds like the exact thing that happened to me as a kid when I took penicillin. You might want to call a nurse line or something to see if you should continue giving it to her.

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R.C.

answers from Dallas on

She needs to see a dr. One SIDE EFFECT of amoxicillin is a rash that can LOOK like an allergic reaction but isn't and appears after you have been on it for several days or more. The paperwork that came with your prescription should talk about this also. Only a Dr can tell the difference between them. Many people all ages get the amoxicillin rash and it doesn't always mean they are truly allergic to amoxicillin and penicillin alot are just the side effect of only amoxicillin. You can look on wikipedia for more information on it and pictures, but only a DR can make the determination. So go get her looked at!

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B.T.

answers from Dallas on

K.,
My daughter, who is now 30, has had several severe reactions to amoxicillin. Terrible rashes, etc. bumps in her mouth, long-time required to throw it off, etc. She doesn't even attempt to take it any more. Clearly it is highly toxic for at least some people, if not for all. I'd avoid it like the plague. And develop some kind of warning system for your child, like one of those bracelets that people wear to notify care providers of a several allergic reaction to a drug.
B. T.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Yes it is prob an allergy and this same thing happened to my daughter (not the throw-up though). Discontinue use.
It is no big deal. The dr will swith the med to another one and tell you to put that she had an allergic reaction to amoxil on her med records. Amoxil is pennicillian, a common allergy and not something to mess with nor something they can't easily work around these days!

Good luck!
T.

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C.A.

answers from Dallas on

My niece had this problem but it happened within the first three days she was on it.

Call the pharmacy (number should be on the med bottle) and ask to speak to a registered pharmacist and ask them if they think that this is an allergic reaction to this medicine. Or call the dr.'s office and leave a message with the answering service NOW.

It may be un-related but medication allergies in the form of rashes can later turn into problems breathing which of course is life-threatening. Call the pharmacy now and see if they can help you figure out if this is a reaction to the medicine!

K.D.

answers from Dallas on

While you should definitely call your doc, I just wanted to let you know that my son gets hives almost every time he gets a nasty illness. Great big awful looking hives. Sometimes it is how I know something is coming. We deal with it with benadryl and they start fading. They do not itch or hurt him. So definitely call your doc, but it might just be garden variety hives like my son gets. Good luck...isn't it amazing how this always happens on sunday? Does your ped. have a good on-call service. If not, consider switching to "pediatricians of dallas". They have someone you can talk to 24/7 about anything. Good Luck.

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E.C.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, sounds like a reaction to me. I would stop the medication immediately and put a call in to the doctor. If he doesn't call back within a specific amount of time, I would take her to the emergency room. You don't want her to dehydrate.

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

I'm not sure how old your daughter is but my son had an allergic reaction to amoxicillan when he was about a year old. He was lethargic and like a new born baby and his fever spiked up.

Has your daughter thrown up any more? If not, the rash could actually be due to her illness. Sometimes, when a child has a virus (which could cause ear infections), the virus leaves the body via a rash. For some reason this tends to happen in younger children more frequently than older children.

Most antibiotics will affect a child's appetite but, just to be safe, I would actually call my doctor before I give her another dose.

Best wishes!

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S.M.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, that could be a reaction. My son had a reaction and the only thing he had was the bumps. They told me to take him to urgent care, and STOP giving him the antibiotics. They diagnosed it as a drug rash and said he is allergic to pennicilin (sp?) So, I wouldn't give her ANY MORE medicine until you talk to a doctor. Apparently, this can be pretty serious, even though it doesn't seem so right now.

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A.S.

answers from Dallas on

My 1st baby had little red bumps as a reaction to amoxicillan and I kinda freaked out and thought she was allergic. I later read somewhere that in infants, tiny red bumps are a fairly normal/common reaction to amoxicillan and not something to worry about. The not eating could still be related to the ear infection. That being said, I would definately check with your doctor to make sure that it is not anything more serious. Good luck!

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O.J.

answers from Amarillo on

My DD had an allergic reaction to Amoxicillan after completing the week of dosage. At first I thought it was a heat rash because it just appeared at her diaper line. I didn't worry about it till it had spread up her chest. I wouldn't wait till Monday if it is an allergic reaction. If there is a Urgent care clinic in your area, I would take her there just so that it would be documented that she did in fact have an allergic reaction. If it's not documented some Dr's will continue to prescribe the medication. All they really will do is check her ear infection to see if the Amoxicillan cleared it up and they will give her Benadryl to clear up the allergic reaction. Hope this helps.

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M.B.

answers from Dallas on

You've gotten enough responses, but yes that is an allergic reaction and you need to stop the amoxicillin immediately. The rash should subside and she may need some Benadryl. I had that same allergic reaction and it is serious (it can become anaphylatic) and it is listed as a potential side effect of amoxicillin. So, this should be a reminder to everyone to ALWAYS ask for the medication insert or look up online the potential side effects of any Rx medication. There are other abx that she can take. One thing to keep in mind is that folks that are allergic to penicillin are often allergic to mold in general, so you might want to keep an eye on her with peanuts, mushrooms and even corn - both the peanuts and corn can be contaminated with fungi.

If she's not feeling better, that also means the abx is not likely working. Also, you might ask the doctor about giving her probiotics (4 hours away from abx) - that will help replace the good flora that is killed by the abx that doesn't discriminate good from bad.

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

My son had his first ear infection when he was 6 months old and was given Amooxicillan. After a couple of days he broke out in horrible rash all along his belly and back. I took him in the day he got the rash and they said it was an allergic reaction. It never seemed to bother him, but still we stopped giving it to him. Call your doctor they can give her something else.

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C.D.

answers from Dallas on

Both of my daughters have allergic reactions to this medication. Once I saw what was going on (stomach pains/cramping), I called and had them change to a different antibiotic.

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C.W.

answers from Lubbock on

I'm allergic to amoxicillan and that's almost exactly what happenes to me. It didin't get any worse than that but the redness spread to my whole body and it got a little itchy. I had it a couple of times and each time it got worse so they don't use that for me anymore and I always write down that I'm allergic to anything in the penacillan family when I fill out forms, just in case.

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E.S.

answers from Dallas on

It sounds like it's an allergic reaction to the medication. My sister is allergic to amoxicillin that's the same reaction she had when she took the medication many years ago now. If she starts to itch you can try some Benadryl, but other than calling the doctor Monday and stopping the medication the rash probably won't go away nor will the chance for vomiting. She might not want to eat b/c she doesn't want to vomit again so she's just avoiding food. Good luck!

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A.

answers from Dallas on

Stop giving her the antibiotic. Antibiotics build up in your system as you take them each day. That is why it has taken several days for the reaction to present itself. At some point, your child got as much as her body could handle and started reacting. Go see your doctor right away. My daughter went on Benadryl and we gave her oatmeal baths until her rash got better, but depending how much additional antibiotics your daughter got, it may be more serious.

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C.S.

answers from Lubbock on

My baby hasn't had a recation but I took it once in college and had the red rash like bumps all over. I didn't seek medical advice but I determined it was from the medicine and haven't taken it or penecilline since, just to be safe.

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