Hives From Omnicef (Page 2)
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I took Omnicef 300 mg 2x a day..I took them for 11 days..was suppose to take for 3 weeks..At the palms of my hands started itching..and were very red..than my left foot started itching..I stoped taking the medicine 1 day ago...this happened on the weekend...of course...I am taking bendryl...about every four hours..Now my left calf has hives..both wrists..have hives..my bikini area..is covered with hives..and of all things..my right ear..is flame red and itches...also my right knee...I called my doctor today...she said stop the medicine..I said I did...she said take bendryl 50 mg 3 times a day..which I am..and I think more..This is so weird..that it has hit such different parts of my body..ohhh. I forgot...how could I forget...tonight..my butt started to itch...and its just covered in hives...Has anyone else had this problem with Omnicef...I think I would rather have the bladder infection than go thru this

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I'm glad you mentioned getting anxious bc I know for a fact that my rash is from cefdinir. I have been off it for 13 days now. At the beginning, the doc prescribed methyl prednisone taper pack which did nothing. After 5 days of that when I started having trouble breathing and itching was still awful on hands and feet, ears and back of head, and whelps appearing when my skin was scratched accidentally, toweling off after shower...I called doc and got a 5mg prednisone 4xdaily for 6 days, 2x for 2 days, 1x for 2 days. I am on day 8 of that now and still waking up with burning sensation and if I scratch my skin it whelps for 10 minutes and then goes down, and like this reviewer suggests when I get stressed or feel my blood pressure rise, the whelps break out even more or I begin tingling in those sensitive areas - inside thumb, neck, chest. It's such a strange feeling bc the tightening of the airway is distressing. I was prescribed an inhaler bc it felt like asthma for the first time in my life. My body has had a stress response before (my whole life) and never responded with hives so I know this to be just another symptom of the allergic reaction...but must be worsened by some natural hormonal reaction in our body. AnD certainly is worse in the summer heat.

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Took generic omnicef (cefdinir) for 10 days for strep throat. Ninth day woke up covered in hives. Almost three weeks, lots of Benadryl and six days of prednisone later and I still have them every day. They pop up everywhere!! Took this same antibiotic 3 months ago with no reaction but not this time!! I'm going crazy!!!! Hydrocortisone cream and oatmeal baths make it bearable for a bit. Skin is bruised and sore from scratching in my sleep. Hoping this ends soon!

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Taking 300mg Cefdinir 2X a day. On day 9 I noticed hives and a day prior to that my right eye had started twitching as well. I knew immediately it was the Cefdinir. I started taking 10 mg of Loratadine and Benadryl at night. I wear loose clothing and keep the house cool to help avoid the rash being worse. I apply coconut oil with lavender oil all over my body, It is the most helpful. I am on the 9th day of hives and still no sign of relief. I even had a steriod shot the same day as starting the antibiotic. And my chart at the doctors office is marked no Augmentin cause of hives. Why would the Nurse practitioner give me a penicillin related drug anyway? How was I to know they are related. I can assure you this won't happen again. I trusted the nurse practitioner with blind faith, because she said I tolerated Cefdinir in the past. ??? I will get to the bottom of this with my regular doctor if these hives are not gone by Monday.

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Taking 300mg Cefdinir 2x's daily. Day 10 (last day of taking it) - broke out with hives/rash, almost resembles mosquito bites - on my waist. Later on in the day it had spread to my knees, ankles and wrists. I have taken 3 doses of benadryl, only to stay up all night bc of the itching - and the rash has spread to my elbows, face, scalp and ears. Pretty much covered in it.

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When I was five I took Omnicef for Pneumonia, and that was the worst mistake I (actually my mom) ever made. Let's just say, I almost died. I broke out in hives and a rash (though they're kind of the same thing) and I started having trouble breathing. I went to the hospital and I was told that my lungs were on the brink of collapsing. I was put on a nebulizer for about a month.

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I have sore throat, my dr said I have strep throat .he gave me augmenting 875 for 10 days but in the second day I had diarrhea and but I didn't stop taking and the fourth day my doctor prescribed me omnicef 300 mg for 7 days/2 per day ,in the third day I had burning on my thong but my doctor advised me to keep taking this medicine .i explained him my sore throat doesn't improve but he asked me to finish up my medicine. I had headache tiredness on my back of legs , constipation,(he gave me Imodium in case of diarrhea2per day but I took 1 per day) some burning on my chest and back ,burning my tong ,dry lips and today the 6th , I have some dry cough. should I take the 2 for last day . I hate this medicine I don't feel good .and plz advice me what should I do. is that right prescription that after 10 days I haven't improved yet ?

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Daughter is 12, took Cefdinir only for 2 days and broke out in tiny red itchy and painful spots. She has eczema and this is NOT an eczema flare up. I knew right away it was the Cefdinir. I threw it out and went straight to the urgent care and he said yes, this was an allergic reaction to the drug. He gave her a 5 day course of steroids and she is taking Benadryl as well. This is day 3 of the outbreak and the spots are now on her torso, front and back, ankles, thighs and wrists. Cool cloths help keep her skin cool bc she's very hot to the touch. School starts in 2 days and I am praying she is better by then. Reading all these reviews makes my heart break and my blood boil that this drug is still available. I am also going to notify the prescribing doctor of my daughters condition. I hope I stopped it early enough, but it's not looking to promising. Ugh!

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Just a suggestion for those with this issue: Based on the fact that so many things in out bodies have to be kept in balance. I think the Cefdinir is upsetting the fungi bacteria balance on the skin. Cefdinir is popular because it remains in the body a relatively long time. So long that it actually comes out in sweat. On our skin we have bacteria and we have fungus, yes even when we are clean. Those bacteria and fungus fight for food and space and actually both release chemicals that control the other and therefore keep each other in balance. Along comes cefdinir out the pores and bye bye skin bacteria. The fungi then grow out of control. Hello rashes and itching.

This would explain why the reaction is not usually immediate and also does not go away as soon as cefdinir is stopped. That is not generally how an allergic reaction works.

Anyway try antifungal remidies for this and enjoy the relief, my son did.

Terbinafine HCL cream aka lamasil and also Coconut oil which is a natural anti-fungal.

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I am so glad to have found these posts. My daughter was prescribed cefdinir for a sinus infection and some cough medicine containing codeine and on day 9 she woke up complaining of severe pain in her hands and feet and was covered in hives. I stopped all medicines and the doctor said it might have been a reaction to the codeine. He prescribed hydroxizine and prednisolone. She could hardly stand to walk because the soles of her feet were so fat. The next day the hives moved to every joint in her body and she couldn't move for the pain. She also was very hot to the touch and couldn't stand it if we touched her. Wherever there was swelling what looked like bruises appeared. Both of her legs look like one big bruise. The next day it moved on to her face and ears and neck. I took her back to the doctor and he said it was probably not an allergic reaction but something viral. He really didn't know. He said to switch to Benadryl for the itching and that the prednisolone was obviously not effective because if it was an allergic reaction then it would have helped.

The next day her whole face was covered in addition to her legs, arms, back, pretty much everywhere. I decided to take her to a dermatologist that same day because I was at my wits end and immediately they said it was an allergic reaction probably to the cefdinir. They said to continue the prednisolone for a couple of weeks and go back to hydroxizine and also add Zyrtec. They also said to avoid the cephalosporin class of antibiotics which I plan to do. They said it will probably take several weeks to resolve. I feel so bad for my daughter because the 8th grade formal is this weekend. Hopefully the hives will clear up enough for her to go.

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An update to my situation.....turns out the painful bumps on my scalp were not hives after all. It was an outbreak of psoriasis flaring up, which I didn't even know I had. I do have a few other auto immune diseases, and psoriasis is an auto immune disorder, but it can be triggered by antibiotics, and/or by infections. So I don't know if the sinus infection I was treating triggered the arrival of this new disease (psoriasis), or if it was the antibiotic itself that triggered it. I have a feeling that it was the antibiotic, because every time I took a pill, about 30 minutes later the bumps on my scalp would start burning and itching. It was definitely part of the problem. I treated the red bumps by rubbing in just one drop of oregano oil over all the bumps (a natural disinfectant), and then I liberally applied aloe vera gel, to the scalp not just the hair. The redness went away and the bumps shriveled up and formed scabs. The itching and burning stopped. Now, many weeks later, I still have a few of the scabs left, but they don't bother me. I am never going to take this antibiotic again. I can't risk that it will cause another outbreak. It was horrible.

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My 4 yr old son has had a sinus infection for over a month. Omnicef is the 2nd antibiotics prescribed. Dr gave me a refill said it may be necessary to run a full 20 day course. Today I gave him the first dose of the second round and the poor guy broke out in hives. With it being a holiday of course the dr isn't open.

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My son,6 yo,was diagnosed with strep throat and was prescribed omnicef...2nd day today and he has skin rashes all over his body and arms and itchiness on his both feet...will call the doctor in the morning...of course,i stopped giving it..I gave Benadryl and he is sleeping right now...reading all this negative reviews-this medicine should not be in the market anymore...medicine that does more harm than good is crazy!,,...

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I am having the same problem. I took Cefdinir once before and did not have this reaction, and what's funny is that I didn't read the instructions carefully this time and I actually have been taken the drug at half the dose what I am suppose to be taking. You are suppose to take 300 mg every 12 hours, and I have been taking 300 mg every 24 hours (for a sinus infection). Thank goodness I read it wrong and wasn't taking more than I am taking, because after 7 pills, I have these painful red hives on my scalp. The entire time I have had abdominal cramping and horrible diarrhea. After reading so many other people posting similar problems with hives and diarrhea, I am going to contact my doctor tomorrow. Man, I hope they don't get worse and spread more over my scalp. The several lesions I have are so itchy and painful, and they burn.

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Hello all,

Well, my story is the same as everyone else's. Had an upper respiratory infection where I was prescribed omnicef. 10 days after the course was done, I broke out in massive (in size and number) hives. Everywhere, in my ears, torso, bikini area...everywhere!!! It lasted for over year. I was given a course of prednisone like everyone else, and took Zyrtec and Allegra and Benadryl which helped the symptoms, but the spontaneous welts appeared everyday for over a year. It finally stopped, but very once in a while, I'll eat something a breakout. I believe the experience caused me to be sensitive to certain foods. I am allergic to penicillin.

The extremely sad thing is, my 11 yo daughter is going through this same thing now. She had strep throat and was prescribed omnicef. I resisted the pediatrician, but she ultimately convinced me that it was the best drug for bacterial infections. I should have held my ground....now my poor girl is going to go through what I went through....I'm so angry that I wasn't more resistant!!!! She is allergic to amoxicillin...a relative of penicillin.....I pray she won't have a year long experience!!! Ugh! So angry with myself for letting this happen!!!! But at least I know what she is going through and how to comfort her.

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My reactions to Cednifir again is almost identical to those already posted. Day 10 hives started. By end of day the whole area below my waist was covered & scalp was itching like crazy. Some smaller blotches elsewhere. I started taking 25 mgs benedryl that evening. Day 11 middle of night I woke up feeling like food was caught in my throat & realized my throat was swelling. Went to ER. IV steroids & antihistimines. That knocked out the worst hives around my waist area- those have left bruising. Day 11 was almost comical in seeing where the hives would pop up next: under my arms, left leg, right arm, back, FACE, elbows, belly button. These at least don't seem to stay in 1 area, but I am getting the hand & foot pain mentioned by some. I'm only on Day 13(from start of medicine, day 3 from stopping) now, taking benedryl 50 mgs 4 times a day, prednisone 60mgs day, 1 Tagamet a day & benedryl gel for worst itching.

Don't know what to make of all this. I AM allergic to penicillin also. It would be good to know if its simply a reaction to the cefelosporic class drugs (like Omnicef) or some kind of manmade contamination in the production/supply chain. I'm going to pass along to FDA & go get an allergy diagnosis I guess.

I don't want to run into this again that's for sure & hope that other poster's here have gotten the relief from this misery that they deserve.

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My grandson 13 just finished omnicef and broke out in hives friday and is still having beakouts. It will clear up in one area and appear in another. was wondering how long did your hives last?
He is also taking benedryl. I took him to urgent care last night and they gave him a shot and his whole arm broke out where shot was given.

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Hi Melanie. My daughter is having the same reaction. Hives with bruising from taking the drug. Could you please let me know what course of action you took and how long it took for your child to improve...? Thanks so much.

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Omnicef works great to control my moderate to severe acne. I use it everyday with no problems, however I gave it to my mom for an ear infection and she had first broken out in hives, and the next day it got even more severe. We quickly followed with Benadryl, and Zyrtec. Then administration of Benadryl twice a day. The allergic reaction when down when we applied a liberal amount of a powerful steroid cream, especially over problem areas like her ear.

Omnicef isn't the issue, it is a good antibiotic. Having an allergy to any drug or food will cause the same effects that most of you are experiencing.

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1st time using Omnicef, I broke out in hives which was fairly easily remedied by switching antibiotics and taking Benedryl. However, from that point forward I developed random, chronic hives which could never be attributed to anything specific. At least once per month, and often once per week I had an outbreak, normally at night. One dose of Zyrtec always got the outbreaks under control. Until I was prescribed Omnicef two years later for a nasty staff infection on my finger that wouldn't heal. This time the hives were sheer misery. I couldn't work, I couldn't sleep, and neither Zyrtec, Benedryl or Allegra helped at all. I got a steriod shot and a follow up Rx of prednesone, and was advised by an allergist to take 1 dose of Zyrtec (H-1 blocker) along with 1 dose of Zantac (H-2 blocker) every morning and every night for 6 months. After that we can dial back the dosage and see if the chronic hives are beginning to resolve. I am lucky that the reaction to this medication was not even more serious the second time around, because often repeated exposure can result in more serious reaction. The allergist says it is completely safe to take double the dose of Zyrtec and it will not elevate the heart rate the will Claritin-D (or other decongestants) will do.

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I was prescribed cefdinir, the generic for Omnicef for sinusitis. I have taken cephalosporins before and had no allergic reaction even though I'm allergic to penicillins.

After 10 days, I developed hives. I didn't realize there could be whole plaques of raised skin and also wondered why it kept moving to different parts of my body. Reading these posts has been uncanny because my reaction so closely matches the ones written about here. My pharmacist said it was an allergic reaction and to discontinue the medication.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't about cefdinir specifically rather than cephalosporins in general. So, the question I have for to nearly everyone who posted here: Are you allergic to penicillin?

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