There are two types of amoxicillin rashes, one that’s more commonly caused by an allergy and one that isn’t. HivesIf your child develops hives, which are raised, itchy, white or red bumps on the skin that appear after one or two doses of the medicine, they may be allergic to penicillin. If you notice your child has hives after taking amoxicillin, you should call your doctor right away, as the allergic reaction could get worse. Don’t give your child another dose of the medication without talking to you doctor. You should call 911 or go to the emergency room if your child is having difficulty breathing or shows signs of swelling. Maculopapular rashThis is another type of rash that looks different. It often appears later than hives. It looks like flat, red patches on the skin. Smaller, paler patches usually accompany the red patches on the skin. This is described as a “maculopapular rash.” This type of rash often develops between 3 and 10 days after starting amoxicillin. But an amoxicillin rash can develop at any time during the course of your child’s antibiotics. Any medication in the penicillin family, including the amoxicillin antibiotic, can lead to pretty serious rashes, including hives. They can spread to the entire body. Amoxicillin is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. The drug comes in many different forms, including capsules, tablets, and liquid. One of the common side effects of amoxicillin is a skin rash. Amoxicillin comes from penicillin, which is known to cause allergic reactions in some people. An amoxicillin rash can be mild or severe, depending on how sensitive the individual is to the medication. It can be red or purple and can spread across the body. Amoxicillin rash may also show up as hives, which are red or white bumps that develop on the skin. Or, it may appear as a maculopapular rash with areas that resemble flat, red patches. Share on PinterestAmoxicillin may cause a rash in some people. Doctors are not sure why some people develop an amoxicillin rash. People who break out in hives do so usually because of an allergic reaction. The development of amoxicillin rash without any additional symptoms may, however, indicate that the person does not have a true allergy. Amoxicillin rash is more common in children with girls being more likely to develop one than boys. Children with the condition known as mononucleosis, or mono, who take amoxicillin, are also more likely to develop a rash. These days, doctors rarely prescribe amoxicillin for children with mono, as it is a viral rather than bacterial condition, and they do not consider amoxicillin to be useful. The type of rash that develops depends on whether the person is experiencing an allergic reaction to amoxicillin or not. A maculopapular rash will usually appear around 3 to 10 days after a person first takes the medication, although it can occur at any time. The rash will resemble small, flat, pink spots that appear in a symmetrical pattern. The rash is not contagious and usually begins to fade after 3 days but may take up to 6 days to disappear. People taking amoxicillin may also develop hives. Hives appear as raised, red bumps that can come and go and change location and are usually very itchy. If hives develop after a person takes amoxicillin, it may be because of a penicillin allergy. If someone develops hives after taking amoxicillin, it is vital that they seek medical advice, as soon as possible, as the rash can spread and become more severe. If breathing difficulties or swelling occur alongside the rash, they should call the emergency services for immediate medical help. Share on PinterestAn amoxicillin rash may disappear after a person stops taking the medication. A person who develops amoxicillin rash will usually find that the rash disappears when they stop taking the medication. If there are no other symptoms besides the rash, it may be that a person does not need any additional treatment and the rash will go away on its own. Because a rash could be a sign of an allergy, however, it is essential to stop taking the medication and consult a doctor, as soon as possible. An allergy to amoxicillin could be dangerous, and symptoms could worsen quickly. If a person experiences an allergic reaction to amoxicillin, they may also experience: • hives • itchy skin • difficulty breathing • swollen lips or face Again, if a person experiences swelling or any breathing difficulties, they should call the emergency services. If the rash is itchy then over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medication, such as Benadryl, can help alleviate symptoms. A doctor may also recommend a steroid cream to help get rid of any itchiness that continues after the rash has gone. The dosage of amoxicillin for adults and children varies, depending on what condition it is treating. Generally, the dosage for an adult is higher than that prescribed for a child. People are usually given amoxicillin orally, by injection or by intravenous infusion directly into a vein. Both adults and children can experience either type of amoxicillin rash. Other known side effects include: • dark urine • diarrhea or an upset stomach • skin blistering or peeling or becoming looser • feeling fatigued or weak • headache or dizziness • difficulty sleeping • seizures • unusual bleeding or bruising • yellowing of the eyes or skin • difficulty passing urine or passing less urine than usual Share on PinterestAn oatmeal bath may help to relieve the symptoms of an amoxicillin rash. Treatment for amoxicillin rash depends on whether the rash is due to an allergic reaction. In mild cases with no additional symptoms, a doctor may not prescribe any treatment, and the rash may disappear a few days after a person stops taking the medication. If a person develops hives or experiences any of the other symptoms associated with an allergic reaction, they should seek medical advice, and they may need other treatments to help stop the reaction. Amoxicillin rash may be itchy, in which case a doctor can prescribe medication to stop the itching. This could be in the form of an ointment or topical cream, or a tablet. Other treatments for amoxicillin rash include an oatmeal bath to relieve itchy skin and drinking plenty of water to flush out any toxins that are causing the reaction. A person who develops amoxicillin rash should follow any instructions given to them by their doctor. If the rash disappears by itself, a doctor may recommend that the person finish their course of medication anyway. If symptoms worsen or the rash is very itchy, a doctor will likely recommend the person stops taking amoxicillin and takes a different drug instead.
While you may not experience allergic symptoms the first time you take a drug, your body could be producing antibodies to it. As a result, the next time you take the drug, your immune system may see it as an invader, and you’ll develop symptoms as your body releases chemicals to defend against it. These symptoms may include:
Penicillin causes most allergic drug symptoms. Just because you show allergic symptoms after taking penicillin doesn’t mean that you will react to related drugs, such as amoxicillin, but it’s more likely. Also, just because you had a reaction to penicillin (or any other drug) at one time doesn’t mean you will have the same reaction in the future. Antibiotics that contain sulfa drugs, such as Septra and Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim) and Pediazole (erythromycin-sulfisoxazole), occasionally cause allergic reactions. Nonantibiotic drugs containing sulfa are very low-risk. DiagnosingDrug allergies can be hard to diagnose. An allergy to penicillin-type drugs is the only one that can be definitively diagnosed through a skin test. Some allergic reactions to drugs – particularly rashes, hives and asthma – can resemble certain diseases. Your allergist will want to know the answers to these questions:
Your allergist will also want to know whether you have had a reaction to any other drug. If you can, bring the suspected drug with you. This will help the allergist recommend alternatives as needed. During a physical examination, your allergist will look for problems that are part of the drug reaction, along with nonallergic reasons for the reaction Depending on the drug suspected of causing the reaction, your allergist may suggest a skin test or, in limited instances, a blood test. A blood test may be helpful in diagnosing a severe delayed reaction, particularly if your physician is concerned that multiple organ systems may be involved. This rare reaction is known as “drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms” or, more commonly, “DRESS syndrome.” If a drug allergy is suspected, your allergist may also recommend an oral drug challenge, in which you will be supervised by medical staff as you take the drug suspected of triggering a reaction. (If your reaction was severe, a drug challenge may be considered too dangerous.) Management and TreatmentIf you have a drug allergy:
AnaphylaxisAnaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction that can simultaneously affect two or more organ systems (for instance, when there is both swelling and difficulty breathing, or vomiting and hives). If this occurs, call 911 and seek emergency medical care immediately. If you are caring for someone who appears to be having a severe reaction to a drug, tell the emergency care team what drug was taken, when it was taken and what the dosage was. If your allergic reaction to a drug is not life-threatening, your allergist may give you:
Drug desensitizationIf there is no suitable alternative to the antibiotic that you are allergic to, you will need to undergo drug desensitization. This involves taking the drug in increasing amounts until you can tolerate the needed dose with minimal side effects. This will most likely be done in a hospital so immediate medical care is available if problems develop. Desensitization can help only if you are taking the drug every day. Once you stop it – for example, when a chemotherapy cycle ends – you will need to go through desensitization a second time if you need the drug again. Penicillin AllergyNearly everyone knows someone who says they are allergic to penicillin. Up to 10% of people report being allergic to this widely used class of antibiotic, making it the most commonly reported drug allergy. That said, studies have shown that more than 90% of those who think they are allergic to penicillin, actually are not. In other words, 9 out of 10 people who think they have penicillin allergy are avoiding it for no reason. Even in people with documented allergy to penicillin, only about 20% are still allergic ten years after their initial allergic reaction. Penicillin, famously discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, is prescribed today to treat a variety of conditions, such as strep throat. Despite its efficacy, some people steer clear of penicillin for fear of experiencing an allergic reaction to the medication. Anyone who has been told they are penicillin allergic, but who hasn’t been tested by an allergist, should be tested. An allergist will work with you to find out if you’re truly allergic to penicillin, and to determine what your options are for treatment if you are. If you’re not, you’ll be able to use medications that are safer, often more effective and less expensive. Penicillin Allergy SymptomsMild to moderate allergic reactions to penicillin are common, and symptoms may include any of the following:
A less common but more serious, sudden-onset allergic reaction to penicillin is anaphylaxis, which occurs in highly sensitive patients. Anaphylaxis occurs suddenly, can worsen quickly and can be deadly. Symptoms of anaphylaxis might include not only skin symptoms, but also any of the following:
These symptoms require immediate attention at the nearest Emergency Room. Epinephrine, the therapy of choice, will be given in this urgent care setting, but should also be self-administered via autoinjector as soon as possible by patients who have already been prescribed and are wisely carrying this device. Penicillin Allergy Testing and DiagnosisAn allergist is your best resource to help you evaluate the safety of taking penicillin. In addition to assessing your detailed history about a prior allergic reaction to penicillin, allergists administer skin tests to determine if a person is or remains allergic to the medication. These tests, which are conducted in an office or a hospital setting, typically take about two to three hours, including the time needed after testing to watch for reactions. When safely and properly administered, skin tests involve pricking the skin, injecting a weakened form of the drug, and observing the patients reaction. People who pass penicillin skin tests by reacting negatively to the injection are seen as at low risk for an immediate acute reaction to the medication. The allergist might then give these individuals a single, full-strength oral dose to confirm the absence of a penicillin allergy. Those with positive allergy skin tests should avoid penicillin and be treated with a different antibiotic. If penicillin is recommended, people in some cases can undergo penicillin desensitization to enable them to receive the medication in a controlled manner under the care of an allergist. Penicillin Allergy TreatmentThose who have severe reactions to penicillin should seek emergency care, which may include an epinephrine injection and treatment to maintain blood pressure and normal breathing. Individuals who have milder reactions and suspect that an allergy to penicillin is the cause may be treated with antihistamines or, in some cases, oral or injected corticosteroids, depending on the reaction. Visit an allergist to determine the right course of treatment. If you were told you are allergic to penicillin but have never been tested, it’s time to see an allergist. |