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Original poster

Hit with chicken pox for the near year..

24 replies

Tiredmum21 · 26/12/2019 21:28

Posting for traffic - am 90% certain my dd has chicken pox. She's come out in a few red spots on her chest and back, has been off her food today, bit clingy - there was an alert at her nursery on her last day last week that one of the kids had had it (she must have been incubating it since Hmm )

So i'm looking at a new year with a poorly 2 year old - any tips on what i can do to make things easier (for dd and for me!). Am stocked up on calpol, camomile lotion, bicarb/oats for baths etc.. anything else i need?!

Assuming i need to be house bound for the next couple of days..?!

OP posts:
FREEM · 26/12/2019 21:30

oh goodness. what a shame.
good you managed to have Xmas day pox free
id add in piriton.

Rainallnight · 26/12/2019 21:32

Joining in. 17 month old DS broke out in his spots on Christmas Eve. We have a bit family wedding abroad next week, so DP will have to stay at home with both DC (assuming DD gets it too).

Following for tips...

Watto1 · 26/12/2019 21:33

Yes to Piriton (that autocorrects to Puritan!). Helps them sleep. Also Poxclin mousse is very good for soothing large areas. Calpol is fine but NOT kids ibuprofen.

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Rainallnight · 26/12/2019 21:34

On being housebound, I’ve read that they’re infectious till the spots crust over. It sounds really dangerous for pregnant women and immunocompromised people, so we’re taking that really seriously.

Watto1 · 26/12/2019 21:34

She’s contagious until the last spot has crusted over so probably longer than a few days. More like a week.

Silversun83 · 26/12/2019 22:25

My DS (21 months) came out with the pox last week - was very poorly last Sunday and Monday with high temp, off his food and not sleeping but he actually improved lots once the spots came out on the Tuesday/Wednesday.

It might not be as bad as you fear - it wasn't for us. I think DS luckily had quite a minor dose - he only had spots on his legs, bum and hands and didn't get any more after the initial outbreak. Once they came out he was pretty much fine in himself and barely seemed to notice them, didn't scratch much at all and they scabbed within a few days. We just used a bit of virasoothe and piriton at night.

And we obviously avoided crowded places but we found a deserted beach (not one other sole present!) to let him have a bit of a run around.

Now hoping that DD's inevitable CP is as easy!

Hope your DD feels better soon.

InvisibleToEveryone · 26/12/2019 22:57

@Silversun83 are you sure it was the pox? And not hand foot and mouth?

Just sounds a very limited area for pox but common for hfm.

welshweasel · 26/12/2019 22:59

I’ve never understood why more people don’t vaccinate their kids against chicken pox. It’s an entirely preventable illness.

Original poster
Tiredmum21 · 26/12/2019 23:10

@Watto1 thanks - luckily we are off until the 6th Jan so am hoping she's fine by then by planning to stay in for as long as we need to.

@Silversun83 this gives me hope - thank you!

@welshweasel I debated getting the vaccine - to be honest i was in two minds about it so just never made the effort to get it done. I had a bit of a wobble when i first saw the spots - do wish i had got it done now.

OP posts:
definitelyshouldknowbetter · 26/12/2019 23:26

Cool baths with oats in and then smothered in virasoothe a few times a day.

Piriton to help if they’re really itchy.

Calpol for any pain but NOT ibuprofen.

Ice pops in the freezer for if they get any in their mouth.

Poxicillin mousse is good as well.

Yoollyball · 26/12/2019 23:34

I think there might still be benefit in your dd getting the vaccine- I would do some research on that asap.

My big tip is to keep his body cool- my DH got as an adult and was told to just wear his pants as a cool body helps reduce the number of spots. We felt it made a difference.

lobsteroll · 26/12/2019 23:39

Poxclin and Virasoothe are really good, I just alternated between both and a calomine cream.

Piriton before bed to help soothe so she can go to sleep.

I put bicarbonate of soda in the bath too to try the spots up a bit.

It's rubbish but wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be when I realised what she had. I know everyone gets it with different severity though.

Think I'll get my second vaccinated when she's old enough though. Even though it wasn't horrendous it still wasn't pleasant for her and she still has scars from scratching.

anon2000000000 · 27/12/2019 00:26

Piriton, pour calamine lotion in their bath along with a sock full of oats, calpol and virasoothe.

Rainallnight · 27/12/2019 08:11

@Silversun83 That does sound like hand, foot and mouth. Those are classic locations for HFM spots and you’d expect chicken pox spots to be much more widespread.

I’m feel I’m in a position to comment as DS got chicken pox immediately after HFM, so I could compare and contrast! Grin Sad

It’s worth you looking into it as he obviously won’t have chicken pox immunity if it was HFM.

randomsabreuse · 27/12/2019 08:41

My older DC had chickenpox in the run up to Christmas. Just waiting to see with DC2.

DC1 had a decent collection of spots but absolutely fine in herself. Very very bored of not going anywhere or doing anything... all crusted in about 6 days.

She didn't want any lotions or anything and wasn't scratching so didn't push it.

Piriton helped a bit - sadly no sedative side effects though - was literally bouncing off all the walls!

RandomMess · 27/12/2019 08:56

One of mine was really really ill covered in spots with them still emerging and a raging temperature, one the 3rd day when she hadn't slept (was 11 months old) apart from the occasional half hour I got the Dr out and stroppily insisted on hospital.

After the 3rd Dr visit they found an ear infection.

I tell this tale to remind you if they are/became really unwell make sure the pox isn't masking something else. Also check spots to ensure they don't get infected as blood poisoning is one of the serious risks, any line from the spot straight to A&E.

Hope your DC all have mild cases, they are usually most unwell pre spots. Lots of playing in a cool bath to while away the hours.

Silversun83 · 27/12/2019 15:52

@rainallnight and @invisibletoeveryone - We did actually think HFM at first especially as he also had sores around his mouth, but the GP said definitely CP (and the sores around his mouth impetigo). She prescribed antibiotics for the impetigo which have cleared that up.. 🤷 I did think it was odd we seemed to have got off lightly but I have heard of other mild cases.. I think I'm just hoping that was it 🤣

Silversun83 · 27/12/2019 15:56

@rainallnight.. And having one after another must have been horrendous!

@tiredmum21 - hope your DD is doing okay today.

Silversun83 · 27/12/2019 15:59

This was the day they came out.

InvisibleToEveryone · 27/12/2019 16:26

@Silversun83 ,
I'm not sure your pics are chicken pox to be honest, the spots don't look poxy to me.

Original poster
Tiredmum21 · 01/01/2020 11:24

Hi all - so think we're coming to the end of the chicken pox with dd, no new spots for two days and all crusted over apart from two on her fingers.

Today she's been complaining about these hurting her - for the last two/three days they have had a white head (sorry) but just don't seem to be bursting and crushing over like the others.. is there anything i can do to help them along?

We've been using viral sooth and the poxcil - they do seem to help with the irritation.. also been giving piraton if she's really bad..

OP posts:
Rainallnight · 01/01/2020 12:07

Could they be infected?

Original poster
Tiredmum21 · 01/01/2020 14:03

@Rainallnight I don't think so - there doesn't seems to be lots of swelling or redness around the blisters.. I think i'll give the doctor a call in the morning is there's no change..

OP posts:
allthingsred · 01/01/2020 14:08

My ds (10) came down with it for the 2nd time the day before nye.
Gutted for him. Didn't realise you could get them twice & don't know anyone else with them at the moment. So have no clue where he's picked them up from

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