Son Allergic to Sulfatrim

I have the same allergy. It will take a couple of days for the rash to go away. It should stop itching with the benadryl. My boys both have an amoxicillin allergy and the reaction you are describing sounds exactly like their rash. It is normal for it to get worse before it gets better because it takes time for the body to metabolize the medication that is already in their system.
As long as it's not affecting his breathing I wouldn't worry about it.

S.

I'd insist he be seen right away. I think if I were in the same situation I would go to the ER or any other doctor I could. I would strongly consider getting a new pediatrician. He sounds like he is too busy for his patients.

My son is 18 mo and has been very well, so I'm sorry I have no real good advise on the ear infection problem, other than to say if it was minor the antibiotics should have taken care of it, so I agree with the last poster who said it could be viral. In any case, your doctor should see you if you think your son sneezes funny! Any concern of yours should be enough for him to see your son, PERIOD. Also, I am a big believer in holistic care and there probably are some wonderful remedies you can offer your son for a minor infection, even if it is in conjunction to the meds to help him maintain a healthy balance. You never know what you will find in way of natural treatments unless you ask. I hope you get some with this posting. One thing I have heard so many times is the "miracle" of breast milk; how drops in the ear has cured stubborn ear infections, has held of when exposed to or cleared up pink-eye. I don't know if this is still an option for you, but I would give it a try if it is. For the rash, give him an oatmeal bath, Aveno make a nice baby version. That should help. Good luck.

HEllo,
I just recently went through the same issue ith my 10 month old daughter. He had multiple ear infections that Amox wasn't help so they put her on Cefzil for 10 days she was fine the whole time and on the tenth dayshe woke up with a rash from head to toe (ears, eyelids, groin everywhere). SO like you I called the DR and they asked if shewas breathing OKI said she was fines they told me that they could get her in later that AM. Once there the DR said she was having an alleric reaction to the Cefzil and told me to give benedril until 24 hours after the rash disappears. That was about days later. They also suggested Aveeno oatmeal bath b/c alot of time with rashes like this once the rash starts to go away they could peel. Since then she has had a few more ear infections and has been put on Azithromax (I think a childs version of a Z pack) and Amox. I also called my pharmacy and told them about the reaction so if I ever brought in another prescription they would alrady know if it contained what she is allergic to. I do believe that if when I called about the rash they would have sent me to the ER if I aid she had problems breathng b/c they did ask me several times while I was therehow hr breathing was and checked in her mouth for swellin gof the tongue and throat. Not sure if this helped but good luck.
C.

so sorry you had that experience. Honestly if you had brought him in they would have told you the same thing as the dr told you over the phone. Although it probably wasn't the best bed-side manner...
Many ear infections will clear up on their own anyway. I'd try some infant saline nose spray (obviously non-medicated). Also load up on water! Hope he feels better soon.

I have never heard of a doctor being so nonchalant about a possible allergic reaction. My daughter has had allergic reactions to different medicines and her doctor sent her for further testing to be sure that we knew all of her medicinal allergies. She may have been overboard but I would prefer that. You may want to ask for some additional testing to be sure you know which medicine actually caused the rash. I have some great info on allergists if you need help. Good Luck!

B. O

Allergies to sulfa drugs are very common - I have it as well - love that itchy rash! Be sure he doesn't take it again because subsequent reactions can be worse. My mother had a very severe reaction to sulfa for example - breathing passages closed up! Fortunately there are plenty of other antibiotics that your son can take.

There are also allergies to Benadryl sometimes so if he's getting worse, take him off that too and the sulfa reaction will fade away on its own. I don't think you need to bring your child in to the doctor - save the copayment! There is nothing they can do for him at this point - just taking him off the meds will do it.

My son was allergic to the amoxicillin - so he used to take a sulfa drug when he got sick. So he is the opposite of me. He hasn't needed anything in years though since he no longer gets colds or flu or ear infections. I have a lot of friends whose kids just don't get sick either - no strep, no ear infections, no bad colds, etc. just by using a good nutritional supplement. You could consider boosting your child's immune system to prevent more illnesses and also to help his system fight that rash. Let me know if you'd like to talk to some other moms who avoid this whole thing you are going through!

I do not feel that the doctor handled this situation appropriately. I think you should have been given a same day sick appointment to have the doctor look at the rash and prescribe an alternative treatment. If nothing else, take photos of the rash to show the doctor at your next visit.

I would also begin asking other moms for referrals for a new medical practice that is more sensitive and responsive.

Good luck and hope your son is better soon!

My son is also allergic to this class of medication and your prespective/concern is absolutely normal. If you are still concerned, you should absolutely take him back in. It may seem routine to the ped., but putting your mind at ease (and your childs health)is the priority. My ped. also told me to give him benadryl (which I did), but I took him in anyway. Better to be safe than sorry. Your smart to go with your intuition and from what I understand, it's a common allergy. What a lucky little boy to have such a good Mom!! Hang in there!

Hi S.
My first reaction is--Get another Doctor! If you are questioning their service-then there is a problem. My children are grown (25 and 23) so I don't have a valid opinion of Today's Dr.s (it really is different with the HMO's etc) But your son should not have been put off that way. Antibiotics are serious-and they hand them out like candy.
Secondly-avoid the antibiotics altogether with nutrition.
Reliv's Kid's Now gives them all the nutrients they need in a shake they will enjoy.
Easier for you that way.
J. h

It could be roseolla. A virus that first starts off as a low-grade fever around 101-102. Then when the fever breaks it turns into a rash. Rosy cheeks, rash all over torso. My son had it after his ear infection so alot of people think it is a reaction to the medication. You can tell the difference because roseolla doesn't itch and an allergic reaction is very uncomfortable and itchy.

I don't know too much about it, but I was under the impression that Benadryl took away the itching and discomfort, but not the rash itself. I could be wrong though. My son got a head to toe case of hives from amoxicillin. My doctor did want to see him, and they said not to give him any more penicillin medications. I think it is a little odd that they didn't want to see him. If you really think he should be seen, call back and make an appointment, and tell him your concerns about the amoxicillin not working.

Change pediatricians right away! Your Doctor and the office staff should have insisted you come right in and look at the rash. Make sure you are giving the right dose of benedryl and it will take a few days for the rash to disappear, even longer. My daughter is allergic to four types of antibiotics and each presented with a different rash and some took longer to disapper than others. Any allergic reaction should be seen as an emergency. Good luck and I hope your little one is feeling better soon.

I think I would start looking for another pediatrician. My son is allergic to various meds and the way we found out was because he would have reactions to them. The doctor always told me to give him Benadryl but all to make sure we came into the office. It can be a very serious thing to have a reaction to sulfa.
I also would have a doctor that dismissed my feeling about the seriousness of the situation. My doctor has always said " you know your child better than anyone. If you feel there is something wrong or some reason to bring him in, I am not going to second guess that".

Get a new doctor. There are a few other antibiotics that you can take to get rid of an ear infection. As a parent who has had 1st hand experience with allergies and reactions, this is nothing to take lightly. The rash probably will take at least a week to get over, but the benedryll with help with the itching. Are there any other doctors in the practice? If not, I would get a new doctor, one who cares about your concerns. Afterall, this is not your 1st go around at being a parent, so you have to do what is in your families best interest.

My gut reaction is to tell you to find a new pediation at a new pediatric office. For an alleric reaction to cover his whole body and them not want to see him sounds crazy to me! Also you want to make sure that they put the allergy on his chart!

Best of luck!

I am allergic to sulfa drugs. I fould out as an adult. I had the same reaction, rash head to toe, hot to the touch, itchy and irritable (obviously). I also was vomiting and nauseaous.

The benedryl might take a little while to clear the rash up entirely. You might also want to try to give your son a bath with oatmeal, aveno, or something that is supposed to soothe the skin. You also need to encourage him to drink. The more fluids you can convince him to have, the faster the sulfa will get out of his system.

I treat my kids ear infections along the same lines as Shari. My youngest just had an ear ache this past weekend so I added some crushed garlic to olive oil and heated it in the microwave. Once it cooled off enough so it wouldn't burn I put a few drops in her ear and plugged it with a cotton ball. I also added some Children's echinacea to her juice and gave her Homepathic chamomilla. She was better by nightfall.

Books I recommend, and use all the time, are Everybody's guide to homeopathic medicines, and Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants and Healing Childhood Ear Infections: Prevention, Home Care, and Alternative Treatment.

Good luck!

NO NO NO! Your child is likely allergic to the amoxicillin. They should have advised you to stop taking it IMMEDIATELY. An allergy usually comes out after the second course, which is what your son is on. My daughter broke out in hives when given amox. for the second time (ear infection) and the doc. told me to stop the amox. and bring her in for her to be seen. At the doc appt. she immediately gave us Benedryl sent us to Hasbro ER as these rashes can get scary so fast. In fact, we ended up back at the ER the next day when my daughter's eyes started to swell shut. Horrible, horrible stuff. Some steroids and stronger antihistimines helped, but it was still a few hellish days. Amox. allergies are EXTREMELY common, I discovered, and your doc should know that and I would urge you to push the amox. allergy question. If you get push back, go to the ER. I'm not kidding! I don;t mean to scare you but this can affect their breathing. Usually antihistimines (and sometimes steroids) work, but your son shouldn't have to suffer like my daughter did. Terrible. Good luck!!

it sounds as though you are definitely not satisfied with your doctors push you aside approach and I can't blame you. You are ultimately the deciding factor, if you are not comfortable with what you are being told, bring him in and if his doctor continues to act in such ways, I suggest you start looking for another one ASAP. I would too be concerned and would want to know what is going on and I don't agree with the continuation of the Amox. clearly as they stated he mush have some kind of resistence to it so why continue having him take it!?! doesn't make sense. I say do what you feel is the right thing to do and don't hesitate, you have every right to get down to what is going on with your child. Best of luck.

I'd start looking for another doctor once this crisis is over with! This one obviously lacks empathy, so listen to what your gut is telling you. From an herbalist standpoint, I would second Shari's advice. If you cannot find mullein oil, in a pinch you can warm fresh garlic and olive oil together and make your own (keep under 120 degrees). Both ingredients have antibacterial properties that have been utilized for thousands of years. Best of luck to you!

Steph, you need to trust your pediatrician. Really. If you cannot you need to find one you can trust. This is imperative.
I do not believe an allergic rash would disappear in one day. SOOO I would give the child Benadryl at the proper intervals for several days at least and might up the dose.
As far as the Amoxicillin goes, it would take longer than a day or so for it to do its thingy, but I wonder if the child is having a reaction to amoxicillin? Takes several days and usually more than one course of meds for a reaction to start.
It is a very good antibiotic especailly in children .
That being said, if it were my child, I might think of withdrawing all the antibiotics. At this point it would be difficult to pinpoint which one he is allergic to and the ear infection will likely clear up on its own. There are drops to sooth his ears while this is going on.
We never had medicines for ear infections...my dad would blow pipe tobacco in our ears...sounds odd but it worked.
Try to sort it out intellectually not emotionally and figure out ( with a trusted doc) what exactly is going on.
I do not mean to diminish your concern..allergies to antibiotics can be severe and in some cases, life threatening.
If the child's throat and face start to swell, ER as soon as possible. There is the possibility of anaphalactic shock where their breathing tubes can swell shut.
Most of all, find a doctor you can trust, stop all meds except benadryl until you find one.
Relax, tincture of time and this, too, shall pass.
Best wishes and God Bless
Grandmother Lowell

First of all I have never had my ped tell me not to bring my children in if I was concerned about something even when it was something that seemed silly after we got there. I would suggest that you insist he be tested for the allergy because some vaccines contain sulfer my cousins didn't get a few shots bc of a sulfer allergy. Your son's ear infection migh tnot even be bacterial they can be viral if its viral they just have to run their course the reason they always prescribe antibiotics for an infant/toddler ear infection is because they can't describe the pain and discomfort that they are having so it precaution so that there won't be a chance of perminant damage if left utnreated. I'm not sure if zythromax (sp) or augmentin (sp) contain sulfer but they would be good ones to try my nephew has been on them when he's had back to back ear infections. My son has allergies and benadryl always helps it even helps his eczema so if its not helping his rash it may not be an allergy it could be related to what ever virus or infection is causing the ear infection my oldest gets this funky rash everytime he is sick some kids just react that way when they are fighting off infection or it could be something else either way I would take him to the dr if it were me.

Hi S.,

Regarding the ear infection, my kids are a little older, however, we have had great success "curing" ear infections with natural methods.

We use Garlic and Mullein oil (can get in at Whole Foods) in their ears at the first sign of an ear infection (this is why it is easier with older kids since they can tell me when their ear hurts). We just warm it up by holding the bottle in our hands for about 5 minutes, and then we put 2 drops in each ear, and some cotton to hold it in (if needed). As a side note, you have to know that their eardrum isn't perforated, which I read is about 5% of ear infections. In addition, we use homeopathic medicine, and echinachea. A book we use a lot is called Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child.

I hope this helps regarding ear infections. Regarding the doctor, I agree with everyone who said get a new doctor! I would also be hesitant to continue antibiotics without being more sure you are in good hands, and that the antibiotics are that important.

Good luck!
S.

Maybe I am spoiled by my own dr's but I am worried about your pedi's reaction to your son's problem. I realize that it is more expensive to go this route, but if the rash doesn't clear up from taking the benadryl and he spikes a fever again from the amoxi, I would take him right to the emergency room. Rash is indicative that he has an allergy to the sulfatrim or any type of antibiotic he may be placed on. The fact that he spikes a fever from amoxi has me a little worried too. However, I know there is at least one other medication out there that can be tried for ear infections as I have always had problems with ear infections, though it may not have been prescribed because of his age. If you do wind up taking him to the emergency room, make sure you tell them everything as you told us here because that will help them treat him and, with a little luck, find a medicine that will help him get rid of the ear infection that he won't have a reaction to. I wish you and your son the best of luck!

I do not have children allergic to sulfa drugs, but I am allergic to sulfa drugs. If I were your pediatrician, I would have asked you to come in. Definitely avoid sulfa drugs from now on. My doctor found that my WBC level dropped when taking a sulfa drug.

When my sister was a toddler she had a similar rash develop as a reaction to amoxicilin. It was all over her body! Scary- but not serious. I think it can be fairly common and can happen with any type of medication.
The Benadryl was exactly what was needed. You can safely double the over the counter dosage of Benadryl. (as per my pediatrician's instructions- but feel free to check with your child's dr.) You may have to dose him a few times to get it to clear up.
As far as the ear infection goes- as long as your child is healthy in general- most ear infections clear up in a week on their own. Since your child is already showing signs of antibiotic resistance- I'd avoid antibiotics as much as possible. You can buy over the counter ear drops to help with the symptoms and give Tylenol for the fever.

Above all- relax! It's okay! Don't go to the dr. unless it's necessary. Your pediatrician is aware of the issue and doesn't seem overly concerned. Why take your child into a germ infected doctor's office when it's not necessary?
-S.

Dear S.:

I would run to the er faster than a cheeta. An allergic reaction is not to be taken lightly!! There could be serious consecuences for your little one, specially if you see the rash getting worse and invade any mucose area in his body.
My daughter is also allergic to the sulfas family, and we also find out the hard way (infection at 19 months old= high fever=treatment with sulfa=rash and more fever)thanks goodness our pediatrician isnot only always available but very compasionate and understanding, his main advice is "when ever you see -because you more than anyone knows your child- that he is not his regular self and seems in any kind of disconfort, seek help because with little ones things can scalete very quickly". I am a first time mom and certaily know nothing about the way "natural" is suppose to look but i do not run any chances specially after what we already went trough.
My daughter is two now and has needed treatment for infections two more times (amoxicilin seems to work find for here, because is a penicilin based drug), but if for your son it didn't do it, you have every single right to ask for a different medicine or a different pediatrician.

Good luck

O.