Name: Great Homeschool Conventions (Columbus)
Start: 2025-04-24T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-04-26T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Columbus, OH

This topic has 13 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by blue j.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

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July 14, 2011 at 11:44 am
Misty
Participant
AHH, my son woke this morning and from the collar line on his neck up is swollen, puffy, and ichy. Yesterday I noticed his nose was really read and ichy so we thought not much gave him a good shower, a little natural allergy med and sent him to bed.
But this morning he woke and can barely open his eyes? It’s blotchy, red and oh, I feel for him. Does anyone have a basic suggestion?
Seems like a reaction to something to me but we can’t pinpoint anything? No new foods, not posion ivy (unless you know something I don’t about it other than like a lot of mosquito bites idea), no new soaps or anything thing? Thanks for your help. I’ll keep you posted.
(And of course we are off to a field trip today and free rides at our county fair. Good thing no one else has anything so I don’t believe it’s catchy)
July 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Rene
Participant
Is he running a fever? Is the redness like a bumpy rash?
July 14, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Michele Barmore
Participant
Personally — I would give him a real anti histamine. Watch his breathing. Ask him frequently– how his throat feels. As a nurse— the one thing with an allergic reaction to watch for is the throat to start swelling shut.
If any doubts— get him him into the ER quick.
It does sound like a bad allergic reaction. Poor little guy
Personally– I wouldn’t rec taking him anywhere— but that’s up to you.
Just remember– with allergic reactions– we always tell people at the doctors office— they will usually get worse each time the child is exposed to it. So be careful— try to keep a journal of some kind— write down everything he did yesterday and everything he ate, ect.
HTH
Mic
July 14, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
poor fella! my son had a horrible rash a while back all over his body – they are so miserable! I don’t have medical advice, but I would call your ped. and get their opinion. I am generally a relaxed mom when it comes to sickness, but I don’t mess around with allergic reactions near the face and neck.
One thing I did want to mention was to consider keeping an epi-pen jr. and some oral steroid at your house. We live in a rural area where it takes an ambulance 45 minutes to get here and about that long to get to the ER. I keep those things on hand for emergencies (my ped. recommended it to me as well) for my kids or any other kids that visit. Just something to think about!
I hope he gets better soon!
Lesley
July 14, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Misty
Participant
It is like a rash,. no fever and feels just fine otherwise.
We think we might have found the culprit (sp). Poison – sumac. We were talking about our field trip on Tuesday and all the things we saw. There was one plant with berries that my one son picked but this son is the one who was touching it and smelling it etc.
Will be looking this up more. Thanks so much I appreciate the quick thoughts and YES I will be keeping a close eye on it as we go this morning.
July 14, 2011 at 12:51 pm
joannarammell
Participant
benedryl benedryl benedryl
i keep it in my purse for our plethora of allergies
i hate to use it, but i do for emergencies
the ped taught me to swish the liquid around in the mouth before swallowing if you suspect any kind of possible oral allergic reaction, to foods, etc. saline out the nose for possible outdoor and dust allergies. DO not bath in HOT water, the cooler the better.
i agree that i wouldn’t take him out today…in case it is an outdoor allergy…it will make it worse!
also allergies to food can be from days ago…and you can develop allergies to things after having not been allergic for years…like to dust, mold, cats, dogs, foods, meds, soaps, etc. it is quite the detective work to sort out.
journaling is good…note place and time too. and any weird sleep patterns, ie wakes in night between 3 and 4 can indicate mold spores (that’s a very active time for them) etc.
my friend, a ped who lives across my street, has told me benedryl for the major things and nighttime, zyrtec or claritan for the more minor things or daytime use while using benedryl at night. but if it is severe enough bene during day.
i’m not a doctor. i’m a mom in a house riddled with allergies, food and other. don’t mess with the throat/face allergies. hth,
jo
July 14, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Rene
Participant
I bet you are right about the poison sumac. When you said that I remembered last year my daughter got into poison ivy around her face (from climbing trees near our home) and the side of her face swelled up until her eye was almost shut, the rash was dry and itchy and warm.
A couple of things we did was wash her face with Fels Naptha soap – the soap from the laundry section – it’s excellent for these poison things. We also made a solution of several drops of GSE (grapefruit seed extract) and water and I would dab this on her face several times a day. This actually did more to help the itching than a topical otc cream.
We did also give her benadryl.
I’ll ask her when she wakes if she remembers anything else we did. I could email you a pic we took of her face if you would like to compare.
July 14, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Misty
Participant
Ok after seeing things online and calling a friend (whom is very wise) it is poison sumac. And because it took over 24 hrs for the major things like the rash, and swelling we’re ok. benadryl type things is the best and the rest will go away in time.
Thanks so much for the advice and help. Sometimes just walking it through with others is such a help. Also, the iching is not bad today so that’s a turn in the right direction! Thanks everyone. You’re always a wealth of information.
July 14, 2011 at 3:44 pm
sheraz
Participant
As someone who gets this reaction just from looking at the stuff, I can tell you it feels MUCH worse in the sunshine and swells up and gets redder – plus it stings and is very itchy. I’d let him stay in the indoors until it is better! =)
July 14, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
oh – one thing that my son did say helped his better than anything (including the expensive Rx cream and oral steroid) was an oatmeal bath. He would soak a couple times a day in the tub. For his face and neck, I would just use a rag and keep bathing those areas with the oatmeal water. He said it by far helped the most. His was a viral type of rash and they said it could take 3-6 weeks to go away and not to let him get too hot – YIKES it’s summer in Georgia and a 6yo boy in a very small house for that long is maddening for everyone involved! Thankfully it only lasted 2-3 wks 🙂 Glad you deduced that it wasn’t anything super serious – again, hope he gets to feeling better soon!
July 14, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Misty
Participant
Thanks again everyone. He’s good today and it’s raining out so no big deal. Now we’ll see what happens on Saturday when the temp is to get to 95 with it feeling like 105!
Oatmeal is a great thing isn’t it! Thanks again.
July 15, 2011 at 2:59 am
blue j
Participant
If you think it is poison sumac, dh is standing here saying to get your young one to the ped. to check for sure and if it is for a steroid shot since it is on his face.
July 15, 2011 at 11:46 am
Misty
Participant
thanks blue j for the advice!
July 15, 2011 at 6:11 pm
blue j
Participant
lamasahm… should have mentioned that dh is not a Dr. He is just very allergic to poison ivy/ sumac/ oak, etc. and has had his fair share of shots. Praying that your ds does NOT have the same issues.