14 Month fever and rash

Hi all,

just wanting some advice from other mum's out there as I'm not getting any real answers from the Doctors so want to see if anybody else has been in the same boat as me.

Last Friday my son started to get a temp which he has had on and off until Monday. Got as high as 39.9.
On Sunday night we took him to the hospital who advised that he had tonsillitis..

Gave us antibiotics which he had one dose Monday night and one Tuesday morning.
Tues morning he started to develop a rash on side of face which spread down his back and wee bit on tummy.
Got a doc appt and they are unsure what's going on so have switched his antibiotic just encase it was a reaction.

Today his rash has spread ( started new antibiotic yesterday and today) it's all around his tummy and back, eyes, cheeks and around his bum etc.. His temp is normal.
He has a cough, runny nose and not himself.
He's very quiet and will just sit or lay for hours watching TV then spark up for a bit but then goes quiet again.

Doctor's office has said if there is any change to ring again but should I be pushing it or just sit and watch? Has others out there had something similar or a reaction to antibiotics?

Any help or advice would be great ( first time mum )

Thanks Sam

Hi sam,
My son had a similar reaction to his first dose with antibiotics but it was only a mild rash and they thought nothing of it (they the doctors) when he got sick again they gave him the same antibiotics and the rash grew and got worse. Turns out he is allergic to Penacillin(please excuse me im sure i just spelt that wrong LOL) so now he get antibiotics that does not contain penacillin. but it did take a few days for the rash to start to clear up!
did your docs change his antibiotics to one that doesnt contain penacillin?
Maybe you should ask them if they didnt could it be a factor in why your son maybe getting a rash?
Im sorry i wasnt much help. But i would watch him and if he get a fever again i wouldnt waste anytime and personally would prob just go straight to the hospital!
Hope all turns out better for you and bubs soon
All the best

Hi SoLucky

thanks for your reply.
The new antibiotic doesn't contain penicillan as they thought it might have been a reaction to this. He's had the penicillan type antibiotic before and no reaction in the past.

I've taken his temp's today and he at one stage was at 34.9, 35.5 and now 36.1... I'll take it again soon and if lower than 36 I'll ring the surgery back again..

Did your son's rash spread even after you stopped giving it to him?

Thanks again for your advice..

At that temperature (39.9) it is possible it was actually a viral infection and the rash could just be related to that? Have they considered that possibility?

Hi Sam,

It sounds like maybe it could be a vial rash - they are pretty common, and my boys have both had them. Generally a red, spotty rash, sometimes a bit splotchy, and seems to mostly start on the face and spread to the torso, sometimes the limbs as well. It can happen on the tail end of a virus, or at the start - a couple of times DS2 has come down with a rash and that's how I know he's about to get sick. Other times it has come up just as their symptoms are starting to ease.

DS2's paediatrician has told us that bacterial tonsilitis is very rare in babies and toddlers (can't remember what age it's more common from, seem to think about 5 years??) and that generally the source of tonsilitis in that age group is viral. Viral infections can hang around, and be very nasty; sometimes antibiotics help to clear them up but often they don't, it just needs to run its course. A bacterial infection should start to clear within 24-48 hours of the first dose of antibiotics, provided you're taking the right ones. If antibiotics aren't helping then it probably is viral.

This is just general advice based on my personal experience of course, your doctor's advice is what you should listen to, and also your motherly instincts - those first and foremost in fact, remember doctors can be wong and if you're not satisfied with a diagnosis don't be afraid to query it. You should always have him seen if you are concerned, and I would take him back to the hospital or GP if things don't start to clear up soon or if you are worried.

Hope he's better soon, it's awful when they're sick sad

Thanks all for your help on this.

The Doctor did say that it could be viral it's hard to tell she said...

The rash started out as pin pricks then today they seem to have merged together..

He has actually started to come right this afternoon... Following me around the house and talking his jabber talk which he hadn't been doing for the past few days...

Hope that's it for now as Last weekend we had the tummy bug as well!!!

Thanks again for help and advice it's always good to hear others thoughts on this sort of thing.