Anyone up? At my wits end (chickenpox!)

[StylishDuck]

Any advice or just reassurance? My DD (4) has chicken pox. This is only day 2 of the spots. She has a lot, they're everywhere, including in her ears. DH and I have spent all evening trying in vain to get her to sleep. She's had calpol, piriton and I've used that mousse stuff on her skin (poxclin?). She point blank refuses to get in a bath to the point where she screams bloody murder. We've tried driving around with her in the car, sitting quietly with her on the couch, putting her in our bed with us. She went to sleep eventually after her third dose of piriton since this afternoon but she woke up an hour later screaming and writhing from the itching. DH is sitting downstairs with her trying to calm her down but I can hear her crying from here. I've got a 15 month old as well and I have no idea how he hasn't woken up with the noise. I don't know what to do to calm her down. She is exhausted but refuses to sleep. I'm so close to ringing nhs24 but I don't expect them to be able to tell me anything I don't already know to be honest.

I second the keeping cool and wearing minimal clothes - it really does reduce the amount of spots that appear.

Is vaccinating your younger one still a possibility? Maybe not if already exposed. My dd got it really bad and I was told no baths. Drying aggravates. No ibuprofen which I learnt hard way. Do ring out of hours if you think infected or your dd unusually unwell.

No advice to add from what has been stated above.

I remember it all too well with my eldest, for about 3 days he was exactly as you describe with your daughter. Hang in there it will get better.

I didn’t even know there was a vaccine for chicken pox until after my eldest had it. After seeing him suffer I wish I had had it.

We are now in the States where children are vaccinated for varicella as standard. My youngest has had the vaccine and I’m so glad as it was absolute hell first time around!

My ds (4) has just had chicken pox and is now recovered. Just to confirm that he did have a fever and I was told by the out of hours doctor and my own doctor that this is normal. So yes you can get a fever with it. He didn't have any infected spots. I let him play in the garden to get fresh air to them and I also bathed him in head & shoulders, it really soothed him. Ds is also a cranky patient and won't even take calpol so I had to hide it in juice. Hang in there, it will pass and hopefully very quickly for you.

It’s terrible.

Virasoothe and calamine lotion.
Of any of the spots get wider and angry red call NHS because it indicates an infection. It can be really serious so keep an eye on them. DSs got infected and he wasn’t even scratching them

No new advice but it sounds very rough for the poor little mite. If it helps at all day 2 for my ds was easily the worst. He was ok after that really.

And then his baby brother got it and was not remotely bothered. Generally speaking I think the younger the better.

If anyone is still about DD is much better this evening. She had a couple of naps through the day and has been eating drinking better. She let me bathe her with bicarb and put calamine cream all over her so hopefully we are over the worst and we'll all get a better sleep tonight.

Thanks everyone for the advice and hand-holding. I just hope that if/when DS gets it it's not as bad!

So glad she's on the mend, its a few days of hell but it's nearly over for you now. Hope you get some much needed rest xx

So glad she's on the mend. On my experience with chickenpox there's always one really bad night where you just think it can't get any worse...and from there they start recovering.

I was only going to suggest possibly seeing if she would get in the bath with you if not alone, but I see you've managed to bathe her now.

I really feel for you Op my DD has chicken pox and then my youngest got it which somehow ended up in eye resulting in a 3 night stay on the children’s ward on an IV antibiotic drop. Glad your LO is feeling better

How are you all doing xx

Oh I just saw the update that's so good really relieved for you all xxx