can any one help?

[mommyagain27]

about 5 days ago my 6 year old boy started with red dry itchy patches under his eyes and across his nose.the next day he broke out with bumps on his arms and his face not alot just a couple very itchy....i took him to see his dr she said it looked like a viral rash it shold go away on its own that was on fri.....it just got worse and spreaded on his sides and stomach ...we went away over the weekend and i got concerned and took him in to a walk in clinic and the dr said it looked like poison ivy so they gave his a prescription of 5ml prednisone his took that for 2 1/2 days i thought it was gatting better than in the middle of the night he started ichying like crazy could not sleep and felt sick to his stomach.when he woke up this morning his face was really really red and really swollen it scared me so i took him to the emergency room.they really dont know what it is they think its some kind of allergic reaction to something.they gave him a shot of prednisone and up'd his dose.they were stumped and had no idea what it was cause he wasnt running any fevers with the rash and no sore throat.if anyone can help me with this i would be very gratful.

[mommyagain27]

thanks for your help...i will try giving him vitamin c.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Your boyfriend seems to be having hives (urticaria). Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications.

The treatment of hives includes antihistamines which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks).They include cetirizine(zyrtec) or Loratadine(Claritin) Sedating antihistamines such as Chlorphenamine(benadryl) is used at night to get urticaria control. Short courses of oral cortisone or steroids are taken for short periods (one to three days) to settle more severe symptoms.
He may take Vitamin C along with the prescribed treatment. Vitamin C is a general anti-allergy supplement.Application of calamine lotion on the itchy areas and some mild corticosteroid cream is also useful.Pls consult an allergy specialist for examination and  for the prescription of treatment.

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how your boyfriend is doing or if you have any additional queries