Hives/swelling - penicillin

Yesterday we discovered Benjy is allergic to penicillin.
He had amoxycillin last time he had an ear infection and was fine, but yesterday morning I noticed a few spots on his tummy and his feet.
I thought they were flea bites as he'd been playing with the neighbour's cat.
I gave him his second dose after his nap and when I changed his nappy shortly afterwards I noticed he had a lot more. I rang the nurse at the GP and she said it sounded viral.
I showed hubby and by then it had gotten a lot worse and spread so I took him up to the pharmacy. The pharmacist advised us to go straight to the A&E.
Poor little puffy, itchy Benjy, he looked so uncomfortable!
I'm so glad I freaked out and took him to the chemist, what if I'd given him another dose thinking it was viral? (not that I blame the nurse, it would be so hard to diagnose a description of a rash on the phone!)
Is it weird that he reacted this time after tolerating it before?
Is it something he will outgrow? Not that it really matters I guess, thank goodness penicillin is easily avoidable.

Eeeeeeeek.


Edited by caraMel

I don't think you outgrow an allergy to Penicillin.
I am allergic to it and have been since I was a little baby. I come up in Hives if I go near it.

Not to worry though, they just give Sulphur based antibiotics which can be a little slower but work just as well

Mel, that would of been pretty horrible. We have been through that with Xanda, but his reaction was to a sulfur based antibiotic, so now we avoid those. It took two days for the rash to appear, so 4 or 5 doses. Once it did, it just spread like wildfire.