Scarlet Fever Causing Hives and Dermatographism

by Tina
(United States)

Do you think that scarlet fever can cause dermatographism? My four year old son was diagnosed with scarlet fever and had the little bumps and then the peeling of the feet and hands. They gave him amoxcillian for treatment for about two weeks and now he's been getting hives. He was taken off of the amoxcillian because they thought that was causing the hives. His doctor sent him to the Arizona Asthma & Allergy Institute where they said he had dermatographism. I'm still waiting on his lab work but he thinks it could be caused by the scarlet fever. What do you think?

It is quite possible that the scarlet fever initiated this response in your son's body. Antibiotics are also a suspected cause of dermatographism. If it was the antibiotics, then simply going off of them would not solve the dermatographism problem. The drugs have initiated a response that will probably eventually subside. However, as many dermatographism suffers know, it could take a while.

Whether it actually is dermatographism is in question at this point. It just may be a left over of the scarlet fever or possible allergic type reaction to the antibiotic. Time will tell.