SeekingSimplicity Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 I'm trying to figure out what in the world he's reacting to. They put on their swim suits this afternoon and went out to play in the hose. Where they were playing, it's grass... no other plants. He's never had a reaction like that to grass, so I'm not sure that would be it. BUt that's all they did was run around in the water from the hose for a few minutes. They came in, dried off, put on clean clothes. He kept complaining about his back being itchy. Then he pulled his shirt off and he's covered in hives from neck to waist, front and back. I gave him some benedryl, and rubbed some caladryl on it. I jsut can't imagine what it would be that caused it. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 (edited) Hope your dc feels better soon! Edited May 9, 2010 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Does he have hives in the area where his swimsuit was covering his body? If not, it could be a "sun rash" (http://www.ehow.com/how_2073748_treat-sun-rash.html). Both my kids and I have gotten this a few times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilkin Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Did you put a sunscreen on him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Hives are tricky to pin down. Has he, or anyone he spends time with, had a viral illness recently? Viruses are common causes of hives, and sometimes the affected individual never showed any other symptoms of the virus. And even if the hives are viral in origin, a stimulus like water or sunlight or rolling in grass can be the immediate trigger. If it continues for more than a week, I'd be happy to share more of what I know about hives (I'm a chronic hives gal), but hopefully they'll clear right up in a day or two at most! If the oral benadryl doesn't give relief, you can try an oatmeal bath (like Aveeno) or topical benadryl. However, be careful with the topical benadryl. If applied to too large an area of skin, as it is absorbed it will give a much larger systemic dose than would be safe for his weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 NO we didn't use any sunscreen. He does have hives on his lower belly, near his privates. It's under where his trunks were. DH wanted me to take him to the after hours clinic. I'm afraid though, that when we get there the benedryl will have worked, and there wont be anything for them to do. I'm just going to keep an eye on it for a while and see. Strange, strange, strange. There's no telling what triggered it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 My son did this once after eating some candy. Since then, he has eaten the same candy, done the same exact things he did that day, etc. and no hives. It is baffling, isn't it? :( I hope your son's hives go away soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 Hives are tricky to pin down. Has he, or anyone he spends time with, had a viral illness recently? Viruses are common causes of hives, and sometimes the affected individual never showed any other symptoms of the virus. And even if the hives are viral in origin, a stimulus like water or sunlight or rolling in grass can be the immediate trigger. If it continues for more than a week, I'd be happy to share more of what I know about hives (I'm a chronic hives gal), but hopefully they'll clear right up in a day or two at most! If the oral benadryl doesn't give relief, you can try an oatmeal bath (like Aveeno) or topical benadryl. However, be careful with the topical benadryl. If applied to too large an area of skin, as it is absorbed it will give a much larger systemic dose than would be safe for his weight. His dad had a sinus infection that he went and got antibiotics for last week. Other than that everyone has been healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 My son did this once after eating some candy. Since then, he has eaten the same candy, done the same exact things he did that day, etc. and no hives. It is baffling, isn't it? :( I hope your son's hives go away soon! Thanks. My dd did that with some marshmallows once. I don't know the deal was. It is baffling :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 DH wanted me to take him to the after hours clinic. I'm afraid though, that when we get there the benedryl will have worked, and there wont be anything for them to do. I'm just going to keep an eye on it for a while and see. . make a picture. I've got a beautiful photo (of the baby covered in spots) in one of my dc's medical chartof her covered in spots when this happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 You know what? I think it's spreading?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Did he eat anything he hasn't eaten for awhile? My dd2 did this a few weeks back--the only thing I could figure out is that we had eaten cantaloupe with dinner & haven't really had any since last summer. I've never seen a reaction quite like that so it made me nervous...but it was gone a few hours later. I hope it goes away soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Was he possibly still wet when he put the shirt on? My youngest was allergic to polyester only when it was wet. Finding swimsuits with no polyester was a huge challenge. Fortunately that allergy went away after a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Maybe from the swimsuit itself? When my son put on his shin guards for the first time this season this is what happened - they are hard to clean well. Different from a swimsuit, but I know sometimes swimsuits get a bit mildewy if the suit is from last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 You know what? I think it's spreading?! Hives may spread and disappear and reappear for a couple of days. That is the normal course of hives. If you notice any trouble breathing, or if he starts vomiting, definitely call your health care provider. Or call your health care provider now to ask what things you should be on the lookout for. Don't feel bad about calling; that's what s/he is there for. Unless he develops new symptoms, it is unlikely that an urgent care clinic would be able to do anything beyond what you've already done (administer oral antihistamines). They'd look at him, confirm that it is urticaria (hives), and tell you to make an appointment with your primary care provider. Hang in there, and do call your health care provider if it would make you feel more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 I second the possibility of a polyester allergy. My middle son has that, yuck. This is a really bad allergy season too, so anything in the air could cause that or a build up of pollen of some sort in the hose that he may have splashed on himself when the hose first came on. Do you put pesticides or weed killers on the yard? I have a son who gets hives so bad he requires steroids to reduce the swelling caused from pesticides. Personally I would take him in, because the docs may be able to give him epinephrine which works better than benedryl. He may get oral steroids for a few days too. That is better than staying up all night watching him for signs of respiratory distress too, trust me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 Was he possibly still wet when he put the shirt on? My youngest was allergic to polyester only when it was wet. Finding swimsuits with no polyester was a huge challenge. Fortunately that allergy went away after a few years. Really? Huh. I need to go check the fiber content on his shorts then. We usually don't use polyester clothes, but with swim wear we make an exception because that's all I've ever seen. I haven't looked at the label but I bet it is synthetic. I never thought about an allergy to clothes. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 After I posted that it was spreading I went ahead and took him to the ER. It had gone from bumps to huge red patches that were blistering! ER doc thought it was a reaction to the pollen in the air. She gave him a pill, and a shot. Then an Rx for Zyrtec and a steroid. Since we've gotten home, some of the redness has cleared up and he's starting to look and feel better. So I'm glad we took him in, he'll probably sleep a lot more comfortably tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 I'm glad he's feeling better! It sounded miserable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 I'm glad he's feeling better! It sounded miserable. Thank you :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Glad he is doing better. Allergic reactions can be very scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImAhomeSCHOOLmama Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 I'm trying to figure out what in the world he's reacting to. They put on their swim suits this afternoon and went out to play in the hose. Where they were playing, it's grass... no other plants. He's never had a reaction like that to grass, so I'm not sure that would be it. BUt that's all they did was run around in the water from the hose for a few minutes. They came in, dried off, put on clean clothes. He kept complaining about his back being itchy. Then he pulled his shirt off and he's covered in hives from neck to waist, front and back. I gave him some benedryl, and rubbed some caladryl on it. I jsut can't imagine what it would be that caused it. :confused: PLEASE give him a shower first! What ever it is, you have to get all traces of the cause off! Shower then give him oral benedryl~!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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