Frustrated, Benadryl isn't working!!!!!

[chicken_china_mom]

Monday morning my 10 year old woke up with her right eye swollen, but that's all it was, just swollen. We considered the possibility of an insect bite, except we couldn't find any markings that would be a positive sign of one. I worry about skeeters cause she is allergic, but there were no red marks and she wasn't itching. Then yesterday our neighbors came by with some food, and my kids were thrilled because there were Quaker granola bars in with the food, and I haven't bought those in awhile, so they each grabbed one and started eating. My younger daughter started itching first. She developed a welt on her belly that itched, but went away pretty fast, and she thought it was from the fact that she had been leaning against the desk and it left a mark. I wasn't sure but I didn't see any actual hives on her, only that red mark on her abdomen that went away pretty fast. Then my older daughter came in the room and my jaw just about dropped. She had hives all over her face and her right eye had swelled further and was nearly shut. I gave her a Benadryl immediately since she is my dd with the food allergies, but aside from putting her to sleep and keeping the itching under control for a few hours, it didn't do much good. I gave her another Benadryl this morning since I've been dealing with food allergies with her since she was born, but she has NEVER had so much swelling on her face before. She has been itching and now it looks like the skin is peeling on her eyelid. I've been keeping her out of the sun and monitoring every single bite of food she puts in her mouth, but she still managed to sneak another granola bar, which I initially thought was the culprit for the allergy, but this time she had no more hives than she already had, and no further swelling. I made her take a cool bath earlier and soak for a bit. She is still swollen and has a red rash that is in patches all over her face. There is a swollen patch near the corner of her left eye too. The Benadryl just made her sleepy and she took a long nap this afternoon. I don't have any Aveeno oatmeal in the house right now, or any regular oatmeal (something I do usually keep in the house to throw in her bathwater when she has a food allergy) cause money has been tight and I haven't had the money to get any. I get paid tomorrow though and I will get some and make her take another bath in it. What is weird is that usually with her, when she has a food allergy, it starts on her torso and works it's way out onto her limbs, and then it climbs to her face if I don't get the Benadryl into her fast enough, but she has never had so much swelling. And if it wasn't the granola bar, then I have no idea what caused this reaction. It's been a stressful two days because she is miserable and VERY cranky, and I'm checking her constantly to see if the swelling is going down. She has put ice on it too, but it didn't help. I guess we just have to ride this out, and the swelling should go down in another day or two. I'm just frustrated cause Benadryl has always worked in the past, and now it isn't doing a darn thing. I am so tired too. I'm going to go irritate her some more and check her eye again. Sorry, I had to vent, I am just so irritated right now...

 

[saddina]

Check around her bed for spiders. She could've been bit while sleeping.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

That was one of my first thoughts too, cause we do have a lot of spiders in the area, especially come late Spring. I found a brown one (thankfully NOT a recluse!) in my bed just the other night. Mostly we only have the daddy long leg kind inside the house, but outside it's amazing how many different species there are! She's been sleeping on the couch cause it's been too hot in her room on the second floor. This time the Benadryl seems to be working a little bit better and she isn't as rashy in the face now, and her eye is open just a little more. I pray this goes away soon. My poor baby is miserable.

 

[ky chicks]

Take her to the doctor! Go to an ER or urgent care or something! If she is not responding to medications for allergies as usual, something else could be going on. Let us know how she is doing!

 

[AhBee01]

She might need a cortisone shot, I would put a cal in to the dr. I was also told that even if you eat something today you might not react to it for a few days, so it might have been something she ate a few days ago. my son was bitten on the eye by a skeeter and had to get a shot, eye bites are a little tricky and and cause some problems. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[ems_chick]

allergic reactions tend to get worse everytime you have one... if she is getting to this point you may want to get her an epi pen to keep around just incase.

 

[chickabator]

my nephew was bit by a brown racluse spider(not sure of spelling) on his eye lid there were no bite marks his eye swelled shut and started peeling a few nights later my sil and bin were at the er with him he could not breath. they had to give him an epi shot. when he first went to dr. they were not sure if it was a spider bite or not so they told them to watch for welps that resembled the way a spider web would look. sure enough the night they went to the er the whole side of his head looked like a a webbing of welps. so please check for spiders in her room. hw was bitten in his sleep

 

[HennysMom]

Quote:
AGREED! and please do call the doctor this morning. She will probably be put on a Predisone Pack along with Benedryl (just a higher dose) or even something a little different than Benedryl (possibly Atarax, which requires an RX) and works a bit better.

Allergic reactions are nothing to mess with and do get worse each time someone is exposed to the culprit. You do not want to go into anaphylactic shock, trust me. Get an EPI Pen and keep 2 at all times (one on your person whereever you go) and one at school during school time; when not in school, keep it at your house or with your daughter whereever she may go (friends house, church, etc). Epi-Jr's come 2 to a pack but are age/weight variant so she may need a full Epi vs. the Jrs.

Please do call the dr.