Bee's Accident and Antibiotic Allergies

Just when I thought we were settling in from the move, Bee fell and got hurt.  She was playing in the kids section at a local bookstore.  She tripped and fell face first right into a wooden bench.  I was certain she had knocked some teeth out.  When the bleeding finally slowed, I could tell that her teeth were still there, but one front tooth was knocked back in her mouth.

I rushed her to a pediatric dentist who helped stop the bleeding and inspected her mouth.  There were cuts, bruising, and a loose tooth.  But the dentist was hopeful that the tooth would stay in and would eventually come back forward.  No stitches were needed so we headed home with lots of gauze and instructions to ice her mouth periodically all evening.  We were also told to give her motrin for pain and swelling as well as an antiobiotic to prevent any infection.

Once we got home, I sent Prince Charming to fill the prescription and Bee snuggled in on the couch with an ice pack.  When Prince Charming returned, I realized that Bee had never before taken an antibiotic.  Yes, in 3 years, she had never once needed one.  I'm not a huge fan of antibiotics but with the extent of the cuts in Bee's mouth, I was worried about an infection and willing to give antibiotics for a few days just to be safe.

I called the pharmacist and had him read all the ingredients to the antibiotic.  Fortunately, none of them sounded like an allergen.  But I called Bee's doctor just in case.  Our doctor is wonderful, and on a Friday afternoon, she called me personally just a few minutes after I had spoken with the nurse.  She explained about the antibiotics and felt that Bee was no more likely to have an allergic reaction to the medicine than the rest of the population.  She felt that in this case it was safe to give her the medicine to prevent infection, but to watch her for an hour after giving her the first dose.

Thankfully Bee did fine with her medicine.  So, now we know that if she ever really needs an antibiotic, she can safely take one.  Our doctor did however, caution us against certain pain relieving drugs which could cause side effects similar to allergic reactions-morphine and codeine are a few.  She felt that these drugs carried a higher risk for people like Bee.  So, now I'm praying that she never has an accident or surgery that requires a pain medication.

The doctor also explained a side effect of antibiotics-a rash that can appear about 5 days after using the medicine.  She told me that this rash was not an allergic reaction and should not be treated as such.  An allergic reaction to the drug would manifest in the first hours of taking the medicine.  If Bee were to develop a rash after 5 days, I should treat the rash with creams and lotion but not be concerned about an allergy.

So, Bee can take antibiotics.  We are going to have to be cautious with pain relievers.  And I learned that amoxicillin only comes in pink.  You can't get dye free anywhere!  While Bee does ok with small amounts of food coloring, I can't believe something like a medicine cannot be safe for all children-even those with allergies to dyes. 

Bee didn't talk or eat for the rest of the day.  Finally, by the next morning she decided she would drink some juice and eat a little breakfast.  It took days for the swelling to go down and she was sore for over a week.  But, at our checkup with the dentist, we learned that there is no infection, the tooth is still hanging on and coming forward, the bruising is minimal, and the cuts are healing.  We are so thankful that they were only baby teeth!  Here's to hoping she makes it to adulthood with all her teeth!