Allergic Reaction to Penicillin - Prescribed Steriods, when will it end?

Question

My 8 year old is allergic to penicillin, 12 days ago he was diagnosed with a pneumonia and given Omnicef. He did fine on the medication until after he was done taking the 10 day prescription. On day 11 he woke up with spots that soon would cover his whole body with welts or hives. I immediately took him to the doctor because I knew from the previous experience with penicillin what was going on and didn't want him to land in the hospital with an IV again. She prescribed steriods and antihistimines orally. The welts subsided for the afternoon, only to reappear today. He is still on the steriods. I was wondering how long we can expect to wait before the steriods actually start working, and the Omnicef will be out of his system? Anyone know?

Answer 1

Cefdinir/Omnicef is a cephalosporin related to penicillin. If your physician knew that your son was allergic to penicillin it was not appropriate for them to prescribe cefdinir. For those with a reaction to penicillin there is a 5% probability that they will react to cephalosporins. Perhaps your physician did not regard your son's previous reaction to penicillin as a serious one or they may have simply made a mistake. We all do - but - physicians rely upon the pharmacist to catch our mistakes. If your pharmacist knew of your son's penicillin allergy they should have questioned the appropriateness of cefdinir. That having been said oral corticosteroids have an onset of action in 6 to 8 hours with a peak action in 24 to 36 hours although several days may be required for symptoms to resolve and they are generally prescribed for 5 to 10 days. The corticosteroid should have been prescribed in the same dose each day rather than a decreasing dose each subsequent day. The latter is an embarrassingly common error. When corticosteroids are prescribed in decreasing daily dosages generally only the first day's dose is adequate. This is a major source of corticosteroid failure. It is necessary to slowly withdraw the corticosteroid only if it has been prescribed long enough to suppress adrenal production of cortisol - which takes 3 to 4 weeks. In this circumstance the dose is generally declined over weeks not days. If you need more information please let me know your daughter's weight and the name and dose of the corticosteroid prescribed. I wish you both the very best of health and may God bless. [e-mail]

Answer 2

Yes it is, I trust you have contacted your G.P. and have taken him off the medication. He may swell especially around the eyes, Any kind of reaction is normally apparent after three or four days. Tonsillitis is horrible, (I know I had mine out, many years ago, but havent forgotten how painfull it is to have. I also had a reaction to Penicillin). This may sound "barking mad" but my mum used to boil Turnips which is a naturally strong antibiotic, you boil them until they become pulp and drink it like soup. I still do that now, when I am not feeling that great. Worth a try, just got to get your son to drink it. Good luck, wish him better.

Answer 3

What should I avoid while taking cefdinir?

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, stop taking cefdinir and call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
Avoid using antacids or mineral supplements that contain iron within 2 hours before or after taking cefdinir. Antacids or iron can make it harder for your body to absorb cefdinir. This does not include baby formula fortified with iron.
Taking cefdinir with products that contain iron may cause your stools (bowel movements) to appear red in color. If this discoloration looks like blood in your stools, call your doctor.


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Answer 4

I would give the dr. a call and make sure he is responding to treatment.

Good luck!