Erythema Multiforme/ Bactrim Reaction

Hi K. - I also am allergic to Penicillin, Amoxicillin and then had a reaction to Bactrim - same itcing, hives, difficulty breathing, etc... Doctor in the emergency room said I had an allergic reaction to Bactrim and should stay away from all sulfa based drugs. The reaction will be worse each time I am exposed to it. So, I don't know if this is a commen link but I think you should definately follow up and get a second opinion, and also take him off the bactrim in the meantime as this is nothing to mess around with.
Good Luck

Hi K.--I, too, am allergic to both penicillin and sulfa drugs, although I developed my allergies as an adult. My 24 yr old is allergic to penicillin and my 17 yr old allergic to sulfa. On me, each allergy created a different kind of rash. I would assume that your son is allergic to both, and I don't think it is out of thte question to get a second opinion. The best way to avoid reactions to meds is to not have to take them in the first place. Be sure your child gets LOTS of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Processed foods and chemical additives will stress his immune system. If you would like to know more about the kinds of foods that will strenthen and balance (to minimize allergies) the immune system, feel free to contact me. Hope this helps, be well. D. M ###-###-####

Get him allergy tested by a pediatric allergist. Also, if in doubt... ALWAYS get a second opinion. There is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. Doctors are not God... they do not know everything. Often times one doctor has experience with something another does not.

K.,
I am an adult now and have developed allergies to sulfa,all forms of cillins (amoxicillin, penicillin, ect.) and all anti-inflammatory medications. Each reaction I have is worse than the last. Allergic reactions to medication can be fatal. If you have any questions wether or not it is his medication, stop giving the medication, contact your physician and ask for a different one. The only antibiotic that I have tried that doesn't have an adverse reaction yet, is Keflex.

My daughter is allergic to amoxicillin and Bactrim, in fact the bactrim reaction was a lot worse! (she took these antibiotics on two different occasions a couple of years apart) The bactrim made her so sick, they had to treat her with some other meds to help with the allergic reaction. I would stop the bactrim right away. My doctor is with MMPC (Dr Dennis Mogle) he is great. I know that amoxicillin and bactrim are two differnt families of antibiotics but you can be allergic to both. My daughter is now 5 and came down with an ear infection last week and just finished a course of azithromycin with out any problems.
Good luck

Hi K., If you have any of the Bactrim left, an allergist can test him easily. Find out for sure.

Hi K.. My husband is an allergist, so I am quite familiar with your situation. Although rashes and reactions to medications can suggest an allergy, the only way to determine if it is a real allergy is to have allergy tests done. Sometimes medications, foods and other things can be irritants (and should be avoided accordingly), but not necessarily true allergies. I would encourage you to have allergy testing done by a pediatric allergist for your son because true allergies can be life threatening. Sometimes the ingredients in one medication are found in other medications as well, and if this is not an allergy your son is experiencing, you could be limiting the use of antibiotics and other medications unnecessarily. I hope this helps!

sounds like an alleric reaction to the bactrum...my dd is allergic to sulfas and zithromax. she gets hives though. She is also allergic to tamiflu-rash.

Hi K.,
My sons are both allergic to certain antibiotics. So am I. What my pediatrician told me is that being allergic to something in particular (like bactrim) is NOT hereditary. What is hereditary is the propensity to have allergies in geneneral. My youngest son is allergic to PCN (hives AND rash)and Omnicef(red blotches), I think that enventually we will have a blood draw done to see if he is actually allergic to the Omnicef, because the doctor was really unsure at the time. You may consider this, especially if he ever needs blood drawn for a different reason, you could have that checked too.
Good luck.

We had a similar situation when my son was 2yrs old. Erythema can be scary and serioius! The dr. said the same, it is likely due to the virus itself. We were nervous it was a reaction to motrin we had been giving him for secondary ear infection. Two years after incidence, have not had a recurrence. We gradually tried motrin again. This is our experience. Erythema mulitiforme can also be due to meds, but I believe our dr. was right on with our son's situation.

FYI, my son had TERRIBLE itching and joint pain with the erythema. It was the hardest experience we've had to date - I felt so helpless. Best of luck to you!

I know some people are uncomfortable with this, but it has been my experience that a chiropractic adjustment can help all sorts of things... even ones you wouldn't naturally attribute to the spine. I have four kids, two with food allergies, one was a preemie, one with asthma, one allergic to amoxicillin, one with ear tubes..... since I started taking the youngest to a good chiropractor occasionally, he seems happier and healthier. He was a VERY late walker and has since become an independent walker. I plan to take the others as I can. Any illness you can solve without antibiotics is good to me~ though you may need them sometimes. Hope all goes well~

K.,

I just had my 18 month old in the ER yesterday for the same thing! She had a double ear infection and was on amoxicillin for 3 days when she started getting some hives on Sat am, I immediately stopped the amoxicillin but we ended up in the ER Sunday afternoon when her ankles were swollen, her eyes almost swollen shut and she started making strange motions with her tongue. They diagnosed her with Erythema Multiforme and said the only thing we could do was Benedryl and Motrin. It is horrible as she is not sleeping at all since she's up scratching every 30 minutes for the last 2 days now. This is awful and I'm not sure how I'm going to get thru the next week! In any case, our dr said that it was most likely from the virus that caused the ear infection, but I think I will have my daughter tested before we try amoxicillin again as I never want to have this again! I would take your son to a pediatric allergist, ours is with St. Joes in Ann Arbor (Dr Leflein) and he's pretty good with our son who has food allergies if you are concerned with what he is allergic to. Good luck!!

Hi K.:

Been there! Same scenario with my daughter. Let the rash clear itself - do not use any perscribed steriod on the rash it will make it worse! My normal Peds doc at the U did that and it became extremely bad, horrible.

It is a learning phase, especially when they cannot talk to us and tell us what is wrong! You know now - I am told by Derm at U of M not to use anything on the rash, it worked, and cleared up in less than a week - it took almost a month to retreat completely. They also stipulated not to use Bactrim again until she is over 3yrs old, and then just test it first.

I know how you feel, our babies:-)

M.