Daughter has a virus and has hives

[jeebee]

I have given her an antihistamine, and it hasn't responded. I don't think she's having an allergic reaction to anything, she has been sick. She has hives everywhere, it's not looking better, or worse. She is not having trouble breathing but we are about to go to bed, she is in bed. I can't give her any more antihistamine, it's only supposed to be every 12 hours and it's only been about 6 hours since the last dose. She was acting fine when she went to bed but that was a few hours ago. What should I do at this point? Of course it's the middle of the night, I don't want to rush out to the ER for nothing.

ETA: yep, checked again and I am about 95% certain it is hives. It looks like hives and a lot of the spots have joined together.

[bluedaisyma]

Are you sure it's hives and not just a virus rash? Ds has had norovirus and niw an ear infection and has been itchy for weeks

Sent from Future Dwight

[jeebee]

Originally Posted by bluedaisyma Are you sure it's hives and not just a virus rash? Ds has had norovirus and niw an ear infection and has been itchy for weeks Sent from Future Dwight

How do you tell the difference?

It looks like hives to me... it is welts. It started off as small bumps on her arms, legs and feet, and spread to her face and is on her face neck, and it looks slightly swollen. I am assuming it is hives because apparently this is very common when a child has a virus and she has been quite sick?

Just wondering if it is something to be concerned about, like is it going to progress during the night into anaphylaxis or does that not really happen with viral hives??

[bluedaisyma]

I think when hives are a breathing problem it's pretty apparent right away, not later. Having said that, even when my kids outgrew co-sleeping, if they were sick like that, they'd sleep with me.

Sent from Future Dwight

[jbug_4]

My dd gets hives from viruses a lot. They usually respond to benedryl. So if they are not responding to benedryl then they are probably rash. If she is acting fine and had them since you first gave the antihistamine (6 hours right?) she should be out of danger as far as allergic reaction and breathing problems. That usually happens right away or at least with in the first few hours. 6 hour breathing reaction happen occasionally but are pretty rare. I'd take her in to the doc just to verify it part of the virus if its the first time it has happened. The first time it happened for dd we freaked and almost took her to the emergency room. We didn't but went to the doc the next day- funny how that kind of stuff always happens after hours. They lasted for about 2 weeks after the virus on and off. After the first day we did not give anymore benedryl because they didn't itch. Now if there isn't any swelling we don't take her to the doc. Of course facial swelling for us means Epi and ER. But since that first time she started getting hives just about anytime something happened- illness, stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, etc. Since all of those things weaken the immune system the hives respond the same way they do an allergy. Let me tell you her first month of school was interesting.