Reaction to Amoxicillin?

Updated on April 11, 2008
K.B. asks from Battle Creek, MI
44 answers

My son had a double ear infection last Thursday. He has been taking Amoxicillin for 7 days and I noticed a rash on the back of his neck & behind his ears today. Does this sound like a reaction to his meds or something else? Just curious if someone else has experienced this?

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice. My son went to the Ped. this morning. Sure enough, he has an allergic reaction. He is now on zyrtec syrup and Bectin (sp)? I never thought there would be such a delayed reaction to the medication! Thanks everyone, I appreciate your time and thoughts.

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B.R.

answers from Kalamazoo on

TAKE HIM OFF THE MEDS AND STRAIGHT TO THE DR! My son is allergic to it too and broke out in hives. The Dr will be able to tell you if that's what is causing the rash. If you haven't done it already, don't wait. Do it now

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G.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My daughter had a reaction like that (rash) to Amoxicillin when she was about 3 1/2 or 4. Ever since, when asked if she is allergic to anything, I list Amoxicillin. There are other penicillins that can be given in its place.

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L.G.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.,
I have a son who is 17 months old and can not take but one antibiotic. He has been on Amoxicillin so much in a spand of about 5 months that he bilt up a reaction to it. Yes it was a rash on his neck and back. He also had it under his arms and on the bottom of his feet. As for the double ear infections he had 6 in 5 months and they put tubes in in January and he has not had one since. If he is prone to them you may want to ask his Doc to send him to an ENT ( Ear Nose and Throat) and see if this might help. They now give him a shot when he needs antibiotics and it seems to help faster. Good luck.

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V.B.

answers from Detroit on

Yes my son had the same get him in today,it can get worse and will my son had trouble breating within 24 hrs of that rash.

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L.T.

answers from Detroit on

The same thing happened with my son after being on Ceftin. I hadn't even noticed the rash (that's how light it was) until we went back for the follow up visit with the ENT. He was the one who saw the rash and told me it meant he was allergic to that medication. There was never any other issue and the rash just went away. He hasn't been on that antibiotic since and I haven't seen it happen with any others.Obviously I would ask your pediatrician but your story is identical to what happened to us! Sounds like he's allergic!

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B.B.

answers from Detroit on

It does sound like a reaction. A reaction like that usually does take at least a week to show up. I would call your doctor, so that you can have another antibiotic prescribed, and start a course of benadryl. We found out last year that my 3 year old is allergic to penicillin, and several other medications. She started out with a rash that continued to spread, and then developed swelling in her hands, feet, and legs. After that, the swelling moved to her face, and around her mouth. We ended up in the ER where they gave her IV steroids, and benadryl. If she had been on the benadryl early and long enough, I believe that we could have avoided the painful and dangerous swelling.

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K.W.

answers from Detroit on

It could be but you should take him to the doctor to find out. The same thing happened to my daughter. It could also be rash that comes with some childhood virus (according to my doctor. You don't want your child to banned from amoxiciiin or other penacylin type drugs if it not necessary.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Call your doctor immediately! Any visible reaction while taking an antibiotic can be an indication of an allergic reaction to the medication which could even be fatal.

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K.H.

answers from Detroit on

It does sound like it. I am alergic to Amoxicillin and I get a red, hot itchy rash around my head and neck. It is deffinitly worth noting and there are alterninives they can give next time. Call the nurse at the doctor's office about it, they may recomend you give a dose of benedryl.

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E.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

It could be either the amox or it could be a viral rash. Children often get rashes along with a virus or infection that has brought on a fever. BUT to be on the safe side you should contact his doctor. Often it is the second exposure to medications that will have a stronger reaction, so don't chance it, call the doc.

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J.C.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, my youngest son is allergic to any penicillin product (like Amoxicillin)

The last time he had Amoxicillin when he was 4 (he is 8 now) for an ear infection, his back broke out in a rash and it was actually hives. The doctor diagnosed it as an allergy and he has not had penicillin products since.

I would suggest stopping the medication and call your doctor if you didn't already just incase it is an allergy.

Good luck,
J.

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K.I.

answers from Grand Rapids on

It definately would not hurt to call the Dr. to ask about it! I would think that is a reaction. Better to be safe than sorry!

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J.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hi... Yes, he is allergic to it. My son would be on an antibiotic once, then twice.. then on the 3rd shot, he'd bust out in hives. He did this with several antibiotics. Once he stopped taking any of them... he stopped getting sick regularly. He hasn't had any for about 8yrs now, he gets the occasional cold, but nothing major.

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D.T.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K. B. - That is unbelievable about your son because I just recently expierenced similiar side effects with my son. He is nine years old and has never had a problem with amoxicillin until two weeks ago when he also had an ear infection and strep throat. I noticed after one dose, three hours later that he developed a rash on his chest, stomach, back and on one of his legs. (It resembeled that of sun poisening). I immediately phoned the peditrician and we stopped the amox and she perscribed azithromicin and that was fine. I hope this helps.

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N.S.

answers from Detroit on

That happened to my son, he broke out in a rash while taking the antibiotic. It's a viral infection from the ear infection, so now the antibiotic will not work anymore and he needs to be switched to a different kind.

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D.H.

answers from Detroit on

Definately sounds like an allergy. Call your Dr. and let them know.

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J.A.

answers from Detroit on

K.,
He could be having a delayed reaction to the Amoxicillin. I would call his doctor and let him know. His doctor may change his medication if he was to continue to take the Amoxicillin for 10 days. J.

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B.G.

answers from Detroit on

K.,
The rash you son is experiencing could be a reaction to his medication or to some other stimulus. Most rashes are the body’s way of removing toxins from the body. Your skin in your largest organ and has many functions such as, protection, sensation, heat regulation, aesthetics, absorption, and excretion. If there is a build up of toxic materials your body has several ways of trying to expel this build up. It will try to process it thru the liver, eliminate it thru the kidney and bladder, or sweat it out thru the skin. When it is eliminated thru the skin there is a potential for the toxins to react with the skin, causing a rash. My advice would be to call the medical doctor who prescribed the medication and keep an eye on the rash. Note down and changes that you see, if it spreads or if your son complains of itching and let your medical doctor know. I would also recommend you’re your son drink lots of water, if he doesn’t already. Water helps to flush toxins out of the body faster and safely, as well as having other beneficial effects on the body. I would also recommend seeing a chiropractor to check and make sure your son’s immune system is operating at its highest potential.
Chiropractors are not neck and back pain doctors, we are nervous system doctors. Our bodies are self healing and self organizing. The central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and go to the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies) control how our bodies heal and organize itself. If there is any interference in the communication of our nervous system with the body, then there will either be increased activity or decreased activity, either way the body is no longer functioning at it’s highest potential. Chiropractors call this interference a subluxation (sub-lux-a-tion). This interference/subluxation is caused by three major life stresses- Physical stress (trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture); Biochemical stress (preservatives in food, drugs- prescription and over the counter, alcohol, smoking); and Mental or Emotional stress.
Seeing a chiropractor will also help in the prevention of ear infections and faster healing of colds and other childhood (and adult) aliments. Chiropractors just allow the body to heal itself the way it was meant to.
I am a Chiropractor at Khalil Family Chiropractic and Wellness, in Eastpointe, MI. Feel free to contact our office for any questions. Our office number is ###-###-#### and our email is www.khalilwellness.com

Yours in health and wellness
Dr B.

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D.E.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.,
yes is certainly does. Both my girls are 2 and 4 and are allergic to it. my one broke out in a rash my other one blew up like a balloon and we had to take her to emergency. I would perhaps call a nurse and its possible u have to stop that right away! Hope this helps!

D.

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L.D.

answers from Detroit on

Dear K.,

The same thing happened to my daughter. She had been on amoxicillin for 7 days, and then she got a rash. Her rash was all over her body, but thankfully it didn't seem to both her. We took her off the antibiotic, and it cleared up in a couple of days. The doctor said it was a side-effect, but not an allergy. And he said it's normal for it to take up to 7 days to have the side-effect show up. She has been on another antibiotic, and did fine.

I hope your son is OK!

L.

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A.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hello, My son also had a reaction to amoxicillin. It turned out he was allergic to the medicine. I would take your little one in and make sure that the rash is not an allergic reaction. My son started with a rash and then moved to hives.

A little about me:
I am a married working mother of two a 12 yr old girl and 11 yr old boy. My husband is wonderful

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S.F.

answers from Detroit on

Absolutely that most likely is an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. When my son was little he was on amoxicillin a couple of times but one time he had rash on his hand. I didnt tell the doctor about it because it was such a small rash. The next time he was put on it he was covered from head to toe with a rash, he looked like a burn victim. The Doctor said it could have killed him. My advice tell the Dr and never put your son on amoxicillin again.

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S.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hi,

My 14 month had a double ear infection a few months ago and had been taking her amoxocillin for a few days when i started to notice she, too, had a rash. I thought, okay maybe it is a heat rash or something because I have allergic reactions to things but more drastic reactions. Well when the rash started spreading we called the dr and he said to quit giving it to her and changed the med and the rash went away so I would say call your dr and tell them what is happening, my thoughts are it is probably an allergic reaction too. Good luck ...

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M.G.

answers from Jackson on

Yes, that definitely sounds like an allergic reaction. You need to contact his doctor and have him diagnose it today. If it is an allergic reaction, they will have your son stop taking the medication and make a note on his file. You will also need to include Penicillin as something he is allergic to.

Good luck.

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M.P.

answers from Detroit on

K.,

It could be a reaction to the Amoxicillin. It is a good idea to have the doctor check it. The reason for so many side affects from any prescription is that our bodies are very smart and they know when something that is not natural (aka synthetic) is put into the body. Prescription medicines are synthetic. Since every person is unique, the body reacts to medications differently.

I have experience working with young children and ear infections, in preventitive methods. If you are interested, let me know.

Good luck with your son.

M.

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M.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

it could very well be a reaction...i would stop giving it and get him into dr....my oldest son had this problem....

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S.W.

answers from Lansing on

Hi K.,
Yes it does sound like a reaction. My niece had the samething happen to her and she is allrigic to Pinnicilliln or any of he cillins, just like her mother. You will want to call the doctor and they can put him on something else.

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A.D.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, it sounds like a reaction to the meds. I have a 9-year-old son who needed an antibiotic for 10 days (his first one...for strep throat). He took the prescribed 3 chewables am and pm for 7 days. On the eighth day (am), I got a call from his school...few red spots (they had been worried about chicken pox. Went to pick him up, took him to our ped...she said stop the amoxicillin and give him some benedryl. By the time we got home, his entire body (including palms and the bottoms of his feet) was covered in red itchy splotches. He didn't FEEL bad at all, but he was embarrassed about his splotches. Anyhow...it went away by the next day pretty much (a few red marks still here and there...not so bad).

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L.W.

answers from Detroit on

Usually a rash from an allergy will appear within 24 hours. This is probably something else. I would just call the pediatrician and let them know. They will probably have you go in, but at least you mind will be at ease!

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C.S.

answers from Detroit on

It sounds like the rash my daughter had when on amoxicillin at about 5 months. Call the doctor and get a new medicine, make sure you allert your Rx of the reaction so your son doesn't end up on some other form of the med.

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

I reacted to Amoxicillin. It was a surprise to me that where before I'd been able to take penicillin, I couldn't anymore. And then having to take Benedryl to counteract it....knocks you out. Rash or hives, it's all a reaction

But if he's reacting ask the doctor for an alternative.

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D.S.

answers from Saginaw on

stop the amoxicillan asap. my daughter had a reaction to it too. the only way to really tell is if the rash spreads to the soles of the hands and feet. especially on the ears. my daughter had the same thing, but i'm sure it was the sun exposure from the beach.

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V.G.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, K. that sounds like a reaction to the meds. I had a similar situation with my daughter right before she turned a year. Doc said ear infection so we put her on Amox. I said that my husband is allergic to Penicillen, but the dr. said they would know if my daughter was until she took it herself. Within 3 days she had huge hives all over her body and literally could not move. She couldn't roll over or crawl (she wasn't walking yet). It was like she was paralyzed. It was the scariest thing ever. They determined she was definitely allergic. I would get it checked out ASAP.

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E.C.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, this sounds like a reaction. Call your doctor and he/she will probably have you stop treatment.

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M.M.

answers from Detroit on

Hello!

My daughter had the same reaction to Amoxicillin when she was your sons age and it was indeed an allergy! I'd give the dr. a call. Good luck!

M.

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M.J.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hello. MY daughter had the same thing and the doctor took her off of it. She also had it on her stomach. Hope that helps you out. Take care!

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P.R.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I would call your Dr, my kids are both alergic to the penicillon(sp?) family. The rash started on there tummies but Im sure its possible to start anywhere on their bodies.
Good luck!

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J.C.

answers from Detroit on

I am allergic to Amoxicillin, and I get a hive-like rash.

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E.R.

answers from Detroit on

My son had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin and had a rash that spread over chest, , neck, face... I first thought it was chicken pox or something like that. I would take you son to the doctor. If it is an allergic reaction they will prescribe something else for his ear infection.

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N.C.

answers from Detroit on

My son had an ear infection as well. He was put on amoxicillin as well. After taking it for about a week he also broke out in a rash. I took him to the doctor and she said that he is allergic to it. He has been on it before but she said that it could take a few times of taking it to find out if he is allergic. I stopped giving it to him and gave him benedryl. The rash cleared up and he was getting better. Hope that helps.

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L.H.

answers from Detroit on

like everyone else said, an allergic reaction. Call your doc, but more importantly stop the medication asap to prevent further problems.

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C.A.

answers from Detroit on

My son has had reactions similar to this. I am not sure though if it was a reaction to the amox. or heat rash. I have had two separate doctors say that one of his rashes could have been from the amox while another doctor (while we were on vacation) said it was a heat rash from the fever and warm sun (it was summertime). If the amox is flavored (orange based) then you may want to change to the white or try another med.
Either way...I am sure your little one is fine but I would go to the doctor regardless and get it checked out.

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L.N.

answers from Detroit on

Sounds like he could be allergic to penicillin. Call the doctor ASAP!

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J.J.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter is 6 now but when she was 2 she had the same reaction. I was giving her tylenol and Amoxicillin at that time. I took her to the doctor again and he said she had an allergic recation. Now she can't take that medication anymore.

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