Welts on toddler

[dropitlikeitshott]

DS is 2. He has no know an allergies. Truce now he has broken out in sudden welts all over his body. They responded to benadryl. Pedi doesn't want us to come in since he isn't having breathing problems. They said that the flu is so bad that they don't want to expose us especially since we have a young baby who couldn't get her shot.

Nothing has changed. No new washes, laundry soap ECT. Only different food is a different brand of bread and peach halves in grape juice but he had had peach puree and eats grapes daily.

Any ideas about what could cause this? It's scary as hell when it happens.

[circa1978]

Are the welts concentrated anywhere in particular? Was there anything in common the two times it happened? I have had periods of chronic hives with no known cause throughout my life but they started in my teen years.


All I can think is that maybe the pedi would be willing to refer you to a pediatric dermatologist, where risk of flu is less of an issue.

[dropitlikeitshott]

U.gh. I meant to put this on MMM.

Yesterday he got up from nap and they started while changing him. Today he was playing with DH. Yesterday they were worse on his legs, today spots all over.

I am going to ask about taking him to a derm. I just am so worried that it will turn anaphylactic before I can see someone.

[runwny]

Maybe try an allergist?

[circa1978]

Were you changing him on the floor? I've had reactions from carpet cleaner before, even when it was used days before.

[dropitlikeitshott]

Jan 27, 2018 12:42:58 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

Were you changing him on the floor? I've had reactions from carpet cleaner before, even when it was used days before.

No, I was on his changing pad. We have carpet upstairs and laminate with a run on top downstairs. 

Thank you for your help. This brainstorming was what I was looking for. I can't think about what it could be. 

Also, it helps calm me knowing you have had them on and off and are doing okay. Thank you. 

[turnipthebeet]

I don’t know where you live but my son was getting big round welts and our pedi said they were oak mites. We think he got into them at daycare because nobody else in our family had them.

[karinothing]

I used to get hives sporadically. I think it was from some pollen or spore in the air but never figured it out. I turned 25 and they just went away.

[dropitlikeitshott]

You guys are making me feel so much better. I'm glad to know that others have them and have been fine. It's just scary when they came on so fast twice in 24 hours.

[mskitkat]

DD randomly breaks out in hives. I kept a food journal and everything, but she has tested negative for all the allergens we can think of. It’s just a thing.

[sunshineluv]

I used to get welts when I had strep throat, it was my only symptom. They were really itchy and responded to Benadryl.

[sarahbear]

Is it Fifth Disease or maybe Roseola? My kids have had those before, but they've also had hives for no apparent reason. We treated with allergy medicine and they went away eventually.

[sagelily]

DD got them on her back and torso sporadically. She has food allergies but her symptoms were never the same with welts and she never had difficulty breathing or swallowing. The allergist thought they were either related to her severe seasonal allergies or extreme differences in temperature (it was happening frequently at summer camp when she would get out of the pool). We experimented to see if it was related to laundry detergent, sunblock or pool chemicals but never found the cause then last summer she never got them. She turned 9 recently and may be growing out of it. The only other difference is that she has taken Flonase throughout the year along with other allergy medications at least 9 months of the year. All of the recs to see an allergy doctor make sense and hopefully will help you get more information without being exposed to as many sick kids as at the pedi's office.

[rhody]

My daughter also used to randomly break out in hives starting around 3 yo. It was scary the first few times and then just annoying. We never figured out the cause... no changes in soaps or detergent, not new clothes, she has no known food allergies etc etc. my best guess was sensitive skin and being exposed to cold, which is apparently a thing - cold urticaria (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cold-urticaria/symptoms-causes/syc-20371046). She’s now 7 and will sometimes say she’s getting a hive on her hand, but I haven’t seen anything like she used to get. They always responded to Benadryl.

[styme46]

Has he been on any antibiotics or anything? Ds got hives from Amoxicillin but not until after he'd been on it for 10 days and 8 days.

[whattheheck]

DD1 would have a head-to-toe hives reaction to one particular brand's particular type of canned tomatoes. So she could eat Brand A and Brand B diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, BUT only Brand A of seasoned tomatoes. Brand B seasoned tomatoes and she was covered in hives within minutes. So different brands can do it.

[BicycleBride]

DS will occasionally break out in hives for no apparent reason. The first time or two I freaked out but the pedi said as long as he wasn’t uncomfortable and didn’t have any trouble breathing to just let him keep playing and keep an eye on him. He said I didn’t even need to give Benadryl unless he was uncomfortable. If it’s just a one off thing our doctor didn’t even want to see him.

[dropitlikeitshott]

Thank you so much for your response. I feel so much better. No more tonight which makes me feel better. I'm going to call again Monday and ask about an allergist.

Oh also, no meds besides tylonel and benadryl in almost a year. Nothing in several weeks until his outbreak yesterday.

[dropitlikeitshott]

Jan 27, 2018 14:03:03 GMT -5 ste said:

DS went through a period when he would get hives before a virus would present. Could a cold be coming on?

It was terrifying before I connected the dots. Hopefully it’s something innocuous like that.

It's possible. I've been trying to stay home to keep the baby away from the flu since she is to young for the flu shot.

[Deleted]

Jan 27, 2018 12:40:24 GMT -5 dropitlikeitshott said:

U.gh. I meant to put this on MMM.

Yesterday he got up from nap and they started while changing him. Today he was playing with DH. Yesterday they were worse on his legs, today spots all over.

I am going to ask about taking him to a derm. I just am so worried that it will turn anaphylactic before I can see someone.

My daughter had something that sounds similar but they disappeared quickly. Our doctor felt it was a symptom of a virus she was getting over.

My other daughter always broke out in rashes/ hives when teething. And even now there’s a patch on her cheek that breaks out when she’s getting a cold.

Could it be related to anything like this?

[y4m]

Just wanted to second the recommendation that if you want to pursue this further, you should do it with an allergist vs a dermatologist. I’ve had chronic hives for 7 years now and even though they are obviously in the skin, dermatologists have no idea what they are doing with them in my experience.

[dropitlikeitshott]

Jan 28, 2018 2:58:45 GMT -5 @randomcdn said:

Jan 27, 2018 12:40:24 GMT -5 dropitlikeitshott said:

U.gh. I meant to put this on MMM.

Yesterday he got up from nap and they started while changing him. Today he was playing with DH. Yesterday they were worse on his legs, today spots all over.

I am going to ask about taking him to a derm. I just am so worried that it will turn anaphylactic before I can see someone.

My daughter had something that sounds similar but they disappeared quickly. Our doctor felt it was a symptom of a virus she was getting over.

My other daughter always broke out in rashes/ hives when teething. And even now there’s a patch on her cheek that breaks out when she’s getting a cold.

Could it be related to anything like this?

Maybe teeth. He hasn't been sick but maybe a virus is comming?

[fumbalina]

Allergies can change as well, so that is something to keep in mind. It could also be some air freshener or perfume that you happened to pass. When I was younger I had serious reactions to anything containing vanilla scent, which of course was everywhere. The worst reaction I had was my legs covered in hives for three weeks because I visited someone who had vanilla glade plug ins going while I visited. There are also some things that are similar that can cause a reaction, like latex and bananas. I do not know all the cross overs because vanilla was clear enough on its own.

[af1212]

My (adult) friend gets welts randomly for all kinds of reasons - too hot, too cold, skin rubbing against each other, tight elastic, etc.

Hers started when she was a toddler.

She has seen many drs and they ruled out everything “bad” so she just lives with it.

Good luck figuring it out - glad your little guy is ok.

[y4m]

Jan 29, 2018 10:23:17 GMT -5 af1212 said:

My (adult) friend gets welts randomly for all kinds of reasons - too hot, too cold, skin rubbing against each other, tight elastic, etc.

Hers started when she was a toddler.

She has seen many drs and they ruled out everything “bad” so she just lives with it.

Good luck figuring it out - glad your little guy is ok.

Tell your friend she may have chronic physical urticaria and you can treat it with Xolair now if it is truly disruptive to her life.

[Deleted]

Just because he doesn't have any known allergies doesn't mean that he doesn't actually have allergies. I would definitely have him seen by an allergist at the very least. The hives could be nothing, or, he could be reacting to something. I personally wouldn't want to risk it and would have him seen. Allergies can come out of seeminly nowhere. I developed an allergy to Mahi Mahi of all things as an adult. I thought that the first time the hives were a fluke, but when I broke out in hives a second time, I decided it wasn't worth it and just don't eat it anymore.

[Captain Catnip]

Did you end up taking the little one to the Dr?

I am only asking because I just saw an article on my local news site that flu has presented for some with hives first. Kind of goes along with virus presentation that others mentioned.

www.wtae.com/article/flu-symptoms-hives/15956307

[froggy76]

My DD broke out in hives all over her body when she was 3 or 4 and it lasted about 8 weeks. Benadryl helped but we never figured out the source. She wasn't sick and she didn't test positive for any allergies. One day they just went away. I was told that most of the time they doctors never figure out the cause.

[dropitlikeitshott]

Feb 1, 2018 11:46:04 GMT -5 Captain Catnip said:

Did you end up taking the little one to the Dr?

I am only asking because I just saw an article on my local news site that flu has presented for some with hives first. Kind of goes along with virus presentation that others mentioned.

www.wtae.com/article/flu-symptoms-hives/15956307

I saw that too. Super scary. I haven't taken him to the doctor. We think it might be from clementines. He hasn't had any in two days and hasn't had any welts. I the doctor is referring me to an allergist.

[whisperingalene]

Was coming to say exactly what Captain Catnip, quoted. Might be something to keep an eye on.

That being said, I developed hives randomly when I was younger. It seemed to be related to heat in my case, but besides benadryl, there wasn't much to be done. As quickly as they started, they went away eventually.