This saga started when my daughter was 2 years old. Today she is 9. She has had two severe reactions to penicillin - the first was undetected as such (she broke out in head to toe (and I mean head to toe) hives) and with the second, which was much more severe, she was diagnosed with serum sickness. The next time she needed an antibiotic, she was given a Cephalosporin (sp) and after a few days of treatment broke out in hives on her trunk. We discontinued the antibiotic and luckily her strep throat was "cured". The next time she needed an antibiotic, she was given a sulfa drug. After five days of treatment she broker out in a rash up and down both of her legs. Again we discontinued the antibiotic and luckily her strep throat was "cured". We went to an allergy specialist. She did a drug challenge with Zithromax which my daughter handled without a problem. Next time she needed an antiobiotic, we gave her Zithromax. Guess what? A few days into treatment, hives. We stopped the treatment, she recovered and we've been healthy since. This weekend she contracted possible pink eye (doctor wasn't sure but a friend has it). He gave her Cipro (the only eye drop he could find with none of the previously tried antibiotics). I have her one drop yesterday - ONE TEENY TINY DROP - and one today. This afternoon she broker out in hives on her arms and trunk. I need some answers or ideas as to what might cause this because I'm really worried about what we'll do if she gets really sick.
Q: My daughter has experienced skin allergic reactions to five different types/fams of antibiotics.
Hi Donnagio,
I'm not an expert on drug allergies, but one thing about allergies... the first contact sometimes does nothing more than sensitize you. Then, on the 2nd or 3rd contact, the allergy emerges. So that may be what happened with Zithromax.
This sounds like a serious allergy and will definitely complicate treatment for future bacterial infections. I would continue to work with your allergist to find a solution.
To your health,
Kathi
I am sad to her of your daughters drug prescription problems. I am in search of answers myself. We have a similar situation with my 11 year old son. He was diagnosed with strep throat 3 weeks ago. He is allergic to pencillin, same head to toe rash, so they put him on Keflex, he broke out in a rash 30 hours later on his trunk, we headed back to the doctor. This time they put him on Zithromax 1 tsp. a day. this seem to be alright. We ended up at the doctor one week later, still positive with strep, they raised his Zithromax to 2 tsp. a day. He started with diarrhea, I was thinking diarrhea was better than an itchy rash. I was wrong, yesterday, 4 days into the higher dose of Zithromax, My son had passed out in science class, with a faint pulse, numb in all his extremities, and headache with black spots, 911 was called. Come to find out he has had prolonged cardiac arrhythmia on Zithromax. So no more Zithromax for us needles to say. We are seeing a ear, nose and throat specialist, with lots of questions. I can feel for you, it is very frustrating when there are so many drugs out there, but they can not take any of them to get better. All you want as a parent is for your children is the best for them, and you are helpless, this is where my prayer came in yesterday. It is very comforting to know that there are other people stuggling with the same allergy issues.
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