Scary

Poor Erik ended up in the ER last night with a significant allergic reaction to Dial Body Wash.   I had been able to control the hives pretty well throughout the day with Benadryl and Claritin (It started at 6:15 in the morning after he took a shower with Victor who innocently scrubbed him up with his body wash).  It was still the worst hives he has ever had by a long shot but he wasn't having any other symptoms.  I talked to the pediatrician around 1 pm to make sure I was giving an appropriate dose of Benadryl.  I was -- he told me Erik could have a total of 30 mg during the day plus the 5mg of Claritin I had given him.  I should wake him up at night after 6 hours to keep him "dosed".

Anyway, things were fairly well controlled. I looked at his rash the last time around 4:30pm.  It was still bad but not any worse than the rest of the day.

I left for a doctor's appointment and ran some errands.  When I got back around 7:30 Erik was due for the last 6 mg of Benadryl and itching like crazy.  Victor gave him the dose and took him up for a bath.  I went to check on him and saw that his hives had spread over approximately 75% of his body.  Way way worse than a few hours ago.

We headed to the ER around 8pm.  When we got there he started coughing and coughing.  It was fairly mild but after about a half an hour or so his cough became very intense, he could barely catch his breath in between, and started vomiting.

I suspected this was a respiratory response/distress secondary to the allergic reaction.  I called the nurse who confirmed that he had wheezing throughout his lungs.  His pulse ox was 95% so not really low but he was very uncomfortable.

They gave him another 12.5 mg of Benadryl (now up to 43 mg for the day -- a lot for a 33 pound kid) and a dose of Decadron (steroids).  He was able to calm down over the next 30 minutes or so and within an hour was sound asleep in my arms.

We got home around 10:30 pm.  He slept until 5 am (with me right next to him - not really sleeping).  I gave him another 12.5 mg of Benadryl and was able to get him to go back to sleep until about 8 am.

This morning his rash is down to about 30-40% of his body -- much less angry than last night.  He is still coughing some and has mild wheezes throughout his lungs.  The steroids max effect should peak later today so I am sure he will be okay but hearing him cough and wheeze always makes me anxious.

We are supposed to give him 12.5 mg of Benadryl every 4-6 hours until the rash is gone.  Please pray that it goes away quickly and his cough/wheeze resolves.  I think he will be fine but definitely makes me nervous.

I am so thankful that I took him in when I did.  I am not sure what I would have done if he started coughing/wheezing/vomiting while I was home still?  Would I have called the ambulance?  given him the epi pen? or just sped as fast as I could to the ER?  I am glad I didn't have to make that decision.

I was able to hold it together completely until the drive home from the ER.  I just cried the whole way home.  It is still is making me cry to think about it and I am so thankful he is okay.

One comical moment -- he puked all over his pants/underwear while in the ER which got wrapped up in the sheet and put in the laundry.  I had an extra set of clothes in the car but I wasn't able to go get it so I had to carry him outside in his shirt with a hospital gown wrapped around him.  He didn't wake up when I put him in the car so he rode home with a naked bottom half.  Good thing it is still mild weather here!

Here are some photos I took on my phone while in the ER....

I didn't take any photos of his legs but they were pretty much one large red welt.  His bottom and groin were even affected.  Awful!


Leg photos at 11:00 am on Saturday (30 hrs after initial reaction - post 70mg of benadryl, 5mg of claritin, and decadron).....