April 2013 Moms

Pinicillin

Ava was diagnosed with a sinus infection yesterday and prescribed an antibiotic. I didn't notice until it was filled that she was prescribed amoxicillin. My husband's family is allergic to penicillin and it almost killed his sister. We live 30 minutes from any medical care so we decided to wait until this morning when we took her to daycare, just down the road from the hospital, to give it to her. She did fine and didn't have any reaction. Now I'm too scared to give her any more! Why does this kind of thing always happen when the doctor is closed? I don't know what to do- mess up an antibiotic dose or risk the super small chance of an anaphylactic reaction?

Re: Pinicillin

  • Ava was diagnosed with a sinus infection yesterday and prescribed an antibiotic. I didn't notice until it was filled that she was prescribed amoxicillin. My husband's family is allergic to penicillin and it almost killed his sister. We live 30 minutes from any medical care so we decided to wait until this morning when we took her to daycare, just down the road from the hospital, to give it to her. She did fine and didn't have any reaction. Now I'm too scared to give her any more! Why does this kind of thing always happen when the doctor is closed? I don't know what to do- mess up an antibiotic dose or risk the super small chance of an anaphylactic reaction?
    If she didn't have a reaction when she first took it, the chances of her having a reaction later is slim. Just keep watch right after you give it to her if you're worried. 

    Anaphylaxis occurs within seconds or a few minutes at most, if she was severely allergic to it. I am allergic to erythromycin. The two times I've ever taken it, as a baby and as a child.. anaphylaxis happened immediately.
     
     
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  • If she didn't have a reaction the first time, why would she have one later on?
    Not being snarky; since she's had a dose already and shown no reactions, I'd assume she'd be fine to continue with them.
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  • My understanding is that anaphylaxis is more likely to occur in subsequent exposures when your body has had a chance to create a strong response to the allergen. The first exposure is more likely to cause mild reactions that may be difficult to notice when the person can't tell you their symptoms. My husband's first reaction came after his third dose. 

    I should have just waited until we could get a safe alternative. My problem now is stopping something we already started.
  • My understanding is that anaphylaxis is more likely to occur in subsequent exposures when your body has had a chance to create a strong response to the allergen. The first exposure is more likely to cause mild reactions that may be difficult to notice when the person can't tell you their symptoms. My husband's first reaction came after his third dose. 

    I should have just waited until we could get a safe alternative. My problem now is stopping something we already started.
    This can -sometimes- be the case, where it takes a few times for the allergy to get severe. Though it isn't always the case. Even though she cannot tell you if she is not feeling well, even a mild allergic reaction would make her seem off either in her mood or physically (rashes, itchy/watery/red eyes, etc.). If she was normal in daycare and when you picked her up and she had no rashes, or anything different.. then chances are she is fine. 

    When can you go back to the doctor? In the morning? Because if that is the case, then if you are really really worried about it, don't give her the dose and get a different type tomorrow morning. But if you cannot go until Monday, I would do the amox and keep a careful eye on her for the first hour after she took the dose. Sinus infections are no fun. I hope she gets better soon.
     
     
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  • If you're that worried about it, call the on call line and tell the doctor and ask if you can get a different drug.  You gave one dose, it's not going to be the end of the world to stop it now.  And, it's sinusitis, it's not going to be earth shattering if you wait a couple days to start treating it until you could talk to your regular doctor on Monday (in fact, the literature would suggest that it really doesn't make a difference one way or the other whether you treat most sinus infections). 
    Thanks. This actually makes me feel a lot better. We would have shrugged off meds altogether but she's been fighting it for close to a month and started to refuse to eat. I just got all worked up when I started playing the what-ifs in my head. 
  • Thanks @clandestinex. That's a good point about her behavior. I just needed to be talked off the ledge of panic. We'll get it worked out tomorrow and I'll hang my head in ftm overreaction shame.  ;)
  • My SIL is allergic to amoxicillin...they gave my niece penicillin for ear infections, it was her fourth time on it before she broke out in a severe allergy reaction to it. I can understand why you would be nervous!
  • That's interesting Kraven. Thanks! My husband knows all this stuff but tends to panic worse than me and second guesses everything he knows when it comes to her. We're being really careful with it over the weekend. The chance of a problem is small but the risk is too much not to take seriously. 
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