Chronic mouth sores with hives

Question

My now 4 yr old son has been having issues with canker sores since january of last year (and still is) His pediatrician had performed blood tests and even cultured his mouth sores to get tested and everything came back normal. Since august of last year he has been suffering from hives as well. After a second opinion from another pediatrician and two different pediatric allergists, all the allergy tests have come back negative and blood tests have come back normal too. He has been having hives on a daily basis for almost two months straight and mouth sores for weeks at a time. We have tried to rule out different foods, detergents and softeners, soaps, using allergen bedding in case its a problem with dust mites...nothing. What's weird is that he can eat the same three meals a day for a few days and not get any hives but then out of nowhere, hives show up. How can he be okay with food one day and then get hives from the same foods a couple of days later? Along with his mouth sores he's also getting really dry and cracked lips that sometimes bleed. I am constantly after him with a little jar of vaseline to apply on his lips. We really don't know what to do to help our son end his ordeal with these hives and sores. I get the feeling that the doctors think I am mental or something for insisting that these symptoms mean something more than what they want me to believe. They keep saying that eventually the hives and sores will go away on their own and we'll never know the reason(s) why. If anyone has had these issues or any ideas, please help. Thanks

Happysons · Answer

Who finally determined it was a bacterial infection? Which dr? My son who is three has the mouth sores and on again off again hives and has had a "stomach bug" that nobody else has caught in our house. We have been seeing two pedis and an allergist with not much luck.

ebalzano · Answer

My daughter went through this for almost a year, getting to the point where we had to start carrying an epi-pen because she started having swelling with the hives. No food allergies that they could test for. They had her on every anti histamine as well as steroids. I kept pushing for answers. Long story short, it was finally discovered that she was allergic to the Singulair I was giving her every night (which they doubled the dose on towards the end). So after 9 months and 3 doctors, I finally got an answer. So keep pushing until you get an answer. I know it's very hard on your child and very nerve wracking for you as well. 
She just recently started having numerous mouth sores. She's prone to skin lesions if she gets over heated but it's nothing like it was. Good luck to you and your son.

Cam111 · Answer

Have him checked for Lupus. 

Scary word, but there is treatment, although no cure. I was researching these symptoms recently because a relative of mine has them. This came up as one of the common causes when both of these symptoms occur together...I say common, but it's pretty rare. 

If it's not...great, one more thing off the list! If it is, then you'll know what to do next. 

I just said a prayer for your little boy. 

God bless you & be with you

margypops · Answer

You are so welcome I am glad you have a diagnosis and I agree you have to persevere when you know your child is sick and you cant get answers. well done I hope you find a good pediatrician ..there are many out there ...

lovemyboys3 · Answer

Well, after almost 8 months of running back and forth to allergists, pediatricians, ER's and GI specialists because of his issues with hives and mouth sores, my son has finally been diagnosed with a C.Difficile bacterial infection. I had suspected an infection for quite some time now but I am so glad that he will finally get back to his healthy self after his treatment is over. Along with his medication I plan to keep him on his low fat/low starch/no yeast diet that his nutritionist recommended along with a probiotic supplement to help keep the good bacteria from dying off along with the bad one. My one piece of advice for anyone who is willing to take it is this: follow your instincts. If you feel that your child's doctor(s) is not doing everything in their power to help your child, look for another route. I was told left and right that all my son had was a food allergy/intolerance and that he'd outgrow it in time. A C.Diff infection is very serious and if left untreated can lead to more complications than just a tummy ache, bouts of diarrhea and chronic hives. Because of this medical roller coaster that my family has been through, I plan on changing our diets to include healthier foods, no more overindulgence of sweets (which we nipped in the bud three months ago) and the search for a pediatrician who will take the time to really listen and understand our concerns. Thank you everyone for your words of advice and encouragement!!

margypops · Answer

Come to think about It I have also heard some nasty stuff about the regualr tooth paste also the mouth washes ...thanks misseng

misseng · Answer

My husband use to get canker sores all the time until he changed his toothpaste. Yes, his toothpaste. Toothpaste contains SLS which is the same chemicals they use in clean detergents for the floor that makes it bubble. Try using SLS free toothpaste like: Biotene, Toms SLS-free, or Burts Bee SLS free. You can find these brands at Targets and/or Duane Reade. Good Luck and I hope this helps.

lovemyboys3 · Answer

I have made an appt with the pediatrician to see about having him tested for the coxsackie virus among others. Hopefully she will be able to determine the cause of the hives. And the vitamin E has worked like a charm for his lips, thank you Linda for sharing that tidbit of advice!! And thank you all so much for your great advice. I will write once we get the results 
back. God Bless

lovemyboys3 · Answer

I have made an appt with the pediatrician to see about having him tested for the coxsackie virus among others. Hopefully she will be able to determine the cause of the hives. And the vitamin E has worked like a charm for his lips, thank you Linda for sharing that tidbit of advice!! And thank you all so much for your great advice. I will write once we get the results
back. God Bless

margypops · Answer

I just googled the Coxsackie Virus Linda mentioned on her post and she is right the symptoms do sound like that, it may be worth asking the doctor to check it out ..It is contagious by the sound of it..

specialmom · Answer

My son got hives from a laundry detergent I had used and he reacted to it.  We did the oatmeal bath and that really helped.  good idea Linda.

LindaTX · Answer

I may be out of my element here but I am a mother and grandmother.  I was wondering if your little boy could have picked up a virus fron a playmate or pet or from the dirt in the yard.  One in particular that causes those symptoms is Coxsackie Virus. I think it's pretty common with children although adults can get it too.  Just a thought!

Also, whenever I get dry or chapped lips, the thing that helps most is Vit E.  I pierce a small Vitamin E capsule and rub it on my lips.  It seems to heal the lips overnight, much better than vaseline or chapstick.   There is no bad taste, no taste at all and it is very soothing.

When my kids were little, for hives I would give them benedryl, don't know if they do that now days.  I would also make an oatmeal bath for them, doesn't take much fine ground oatmeal and it helps stop the itching or you could mix the oatmeal with a little milk or water and wrap it in cheesecloth and dab it on those areas of irritation.  Good luck, I hope he feels better soon!

margypops · Answer

You are welcome and I know how you are feeling, and doing your best, it still seems like an allergen is causing it all .I asked about his food and drink you say he had a breakout last night what happened, what did he eat and drink prior to the break out?Does he pick at the skin that is dry on his mouth?

lovemyboys3 · Answer

I'm a stay at home mom so my kids are with me all day. He's a very carefree and happy go lucky little guy. He's very social and has a healthy relationship with the rest of the family so I dont think there are any anxiety issues. I have been perfume/dye-free since august'11 and he still breaks out. Last night he had a really bad breakout and it seems that they are trying to pop back up tonight. I've given him his meds and am anxiously waiting for his relief. It breaks my heart to see him this way but I try to keep a smile on my face and make it seem like there's nothing too serious going on for his sake. I sometimes try to make a game of connect the dots with him to keep his mind off the itching and "ugliness" of them. Sigh, it feels like a lifetime has passed but its only been 6 months... By the way, I ran across a blog post regarding neem leaves for hives that ppl can use as a bath to soak in. I'm gonna look into it further and see what I can dig up. Thanks so far for your advice!

margypops · Answer

The feeding tube would be so traumatic I would only go there as a last resort, I know from myself that hives are most often an allergy, mine come and go mostly around my neck and arms ..I am allergic  various things , ordinary laundry detergent is one so I use free and clear ., so I would still check for allergens ., when you say his lips bleed could that be he picks at the skin because they are dry ?Is he at daycare or preschool, could any anxiety be involved ?

lovemyboys3 · Answer

He gets them all over his body. They start off pretty small (size of my pinky nail) but as the time goes by, they get to be the size of half dollars or bigger if I don't medicate him right away. He tends to get them any time of the day but night time is when they get to be really bad. He tosses and turns for about 10 minutes before he can fall asleep. I have been giving him his multi-vitamin daily along with a probiotic for kids. His upper two front teeth are starting to show signs of bruxism which he has been doing lately also. His dentist says its normal for kids his age to grind their teeth so he isn't too concerned about it. I was considering getting him fitted for a mouth guard but the dentist says that option is only considered after permanent teeth have come in and by then the grinding should stop. His pediatrician had tested him for parasites (stool test) but I'm not too confident in those tests because she only tested two samples from two separate days and never had him re-tested a few weeks later to make sure. For all I know, that may be the problem but it's difficult for me to find a doctor willing to do these tests for him. I even took him to a pediatric GI specialist the other day and he only recommended an upper endoscopy to check his esophagus and stomach for damage and possibly putting in a feeding tube for a couple of weeks to confirm he doesn't have food allergies. I think it may be stomach related but to only formula feed a 4 yr old who is so used to eating solids and drinking juices, will be a challenge since I don't believe that to be the case. Has anyone ever heard of a low stomach acid condition in children?