The Mommy-Files – Hives, Hives Go Away, Please Don’t Come Back Another Day!

Yesterday, I wrote a post on Allergic Reactions to Medications. My 11 month old son had an ear infection and the doctor prescribed him a medication on Saturday. On Tuesday, he woke up with huge hives all over his poor little body. I took him to the doctor and the doctor said it was definitely an allergic reaction to the medication.

Day 1 of Hives:

Day 2 of Hives:
Here are some things to know about Allergic Reactions to Medications:

1 – If your child has an allergic reaction to a medicine, DO NOT give the child any more of that medicine until you consult with your doctor (please note: I did not give my child any more when I noticed the reaction, but some parents may be unsure about this).

2 – Have Children’s Benadryl on hand. Consult with a doctor or your insurance’s nurse hotline to find out how much to give your child. My child is 11 months old and weighs over 20 pounds so I was told to give him 3/4 teaspoon up to 4 times a day. **Note: this will not make the hives go away, but will help to calm them some and relieve the itching for your little one.**

3 – Hives will not go away immediately! It takes at least 24 hours to get the medication out of the system. Hives are the body’s way of reacting to the medication (it helps us to know that something is wrong).

4 – Hives have a tendency to increase in size rapidly and jump around the body. You’ll notice that the hives will take different forms and shapes and appear on different parts of the body. This is normal.

5 – Look for any difficulty breathing or lack of eating or drinking. If your child is having problems breathing, call 911 right away.

6 – Your child’s face may look slightly puffy, however, if it is swolen and the swelling doesn’t go away after benadryl is given, call your doctor immediately.

7 – To help keep your child comfortable, you can give him a bath with just water – no bubbles. You may consider adding baking soda, which can help relieve some of the itching

8 – If your child is allergic to a medication, be sure to write down the name of the medication and store it in a safe place (it might be ideal to write it on your child’s vaccination record).

9 – Keep your child hydrated. Give him plenty of liquids (whether water, juice, or milk).

Good luck! Hopefully his hives will be gone soon and the ear infection won’t return!