any ideas on clearing a reaction to medication?

[AngieW in Texas]

My 17yo started on a Z-pak on Tuesday. She got through 2 doses and then stopped. She had extreme dizziness (could barely walk) and massive headache and a lot of vision effects.

 

Originally, they called in a replacement antibiotic, but they called me back and told me to NOT to have her take it in case she reacts to that too. They said to only have her take that if the respiratory infection gets a lot worst or her fever spikes.

 

At this point, the major problem is her reaction to the medication. Her original symptoms (on the verge of pneumonia) have subsided a great deal, although she will probably continue to cough for another week.

 

Azithromycin has a 3-day half-life, so the effects are going to continue for a while. The effects are not as bad as they were, but they are still very bad.

 

Is there any way to make this stuff leave her body faster? 

 

At least this reaction isn't scary like what happened with the prednisone. 

[matrips]

I don't know about medicines, but when the kids eat something they are sensitive to, Epsom salt baths are recommended. They help remove some of the toxins or something.

 

Hope she feels better soon.

[Joules]

You could try something like Benadryl in case histamine is the cause of the reaction.  Or sometimes baking soda or alka-seltzer, like you would use for acid indigestion, might help.  It really depends on the reaction and the mechanism.  Both an antihistamine and antacid are mild and shouldn't cause other problems.  The only other thing I can think of is activated charcoal?

[Lizzie in Ma]

Chlorella tablets will help get it out as well.  We use the Sun brand on Amazon. Has to be a broken cell wall version.

Lots of fluids, lemon water but with a straw so it doesn't damage her tooth enamel. 

And I agree on the Epson salt baths as well.

[Tap]

Has the doctor re-examined her to make sure that this is a reaction to the medicine and not a progression of the illness itself? Those symptoms also happen to be signs of a sinus infection.

 

I have odd side effects to medicine, so I get it, I really do.  But I would also want to make sure that she isn't getting more sick, but just in a different way that you are expecting.

[Mergath]

I definitely wouldn't give her anything else to try to clear it out faster. If her symptoms get worse, you'd have no idea if it's a reaction to the antibiotics, complications from the original infection, or whatever new thing you gave her. 

Edited March 28, 2016 by Mergath

[MEmama]

I'd just let it pass through without having her anything else until then, if possible.

 

When DS was very little I had an extreme reaction to ZPac too. It caused depression in me, uncontrollable crying and desperation. It was awful. All I could do was hide in the kitchen and cry on the floor. I feel so thankful that I managed the awareness that it might be medication related, I was a real mess and had never felt so terrified. As far as I recall, my doc took me right off it but I think I waited to take something new (it was for a sinus infection gone out of control).

 

Good luck. Reactions are scary. :(

[Starr]

I wouldn't mess around on your own. Usually it's something like prednisone that's given and she's already allergic to that. But I would have the doctor listen to her lungs and be sure she's improving.