Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Chickenpox in adulthood, somebody put me out of my misery

33 replies

PowerhouseOfTheCell · 21/02/2024 07:29

The kindest thing would be PTS, managed to avoid CP for almost three decades of life. Now on day 3 and I've never felt so ill in my life

OP posts:
MoonWoman69 · 21/02/2024 20:16

I didn't have it as a kid, I got it in my 30's and I honestly thought I was going to die.
But you only get that for a few days, then you feel right as rain... With spots... And oh God, the spots and the itching!!! Hang in there, you'll feel better soon 💐

heldinadream · 21/02/2024 20:21

I had it as an adult too, it was really horrific and you have my sympathy. I seem to remember it took me a good couple of weeks to start to feel better, but I did fully recover - it will pass and you will get better OP. Lots of fluids and sleep. I really hope you feel better soon.

Heathers4evs · 21/02/2024 21:14

I had it as an adult too - you have all my sympathy. It was like having bad flu, with itchy spots too.

Calamine lotion helped me a bit with the itching, nothing else really helped I'm.afraid.

I was flat on my back fir a week, took another week or two to get back to normal, and only one little pock mark!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
MargaretThursday · 21/02/2024 21:42

I had it in my 20s at university. The college nurse said her husband had it in his 40s just after they'd announced that they'd eradicated small pox. He had it so badly, they thought it was small pox and they had people panicking that it had come back.

I then caught glandular fever afterwards and was ill for months.

Toptotoe · 21/02/2024 21:47

I managed to avoid it throughout childhood but caught it when I was 30. I felt really rough for about 3 days then lots better but I had so many spots more than either of my children had had !! I think I counted over 70 just on my face . . . . it took me 3 weeks before I would go to in public even though I felt well enough after a week or so.

Elphame · 21/02/2024 21:52

DP caught it in his 30s from the DC.

He was pretty miserable for a few days.

LollipopViolet · 21/02/2024 21:55

Got it age 21 when I was at uni. Ended up at the GP as it was a severe case and was given Acyclovir - felt rough for about a week and then was just itchy and miserable for another week. I was awake and able to be out of bed for 15 minutes at a time for that first week. The rest of the time I was asleep.

You have my sympathy, although you have just brought the memories flooding back! <shudder>

OchonAgusOchonOh · 21/02/2024 21:59

Yeah. Horrible. I wanted to work out how many antihistamines I needed to take to kill myself. My dn gave it to me when I was 30.

Mind you, my kids had it several years later and they were worse. I blamed dh for that as apparently he and his siblings all had very bad doses as kids.

Mum2jenny · 21/02/2024 22:03

I had it as an adult. Unfortunately I wasn’t at home when I had it as my GP would have prescribed antivirals, but where I was staying didn’t. I was really quite unwell with it.

DottyPencil · 21/02/2024 22:06

Caught it from my DCs as an adult despite the chickenpox parties I was taken to as as child.
Just had to get on with it but it was horrible.

Rosecoffeecup · 21/02/2024 22:11

You have my sympathies, I caught it at 21 and I have never been so unwell. The spots cleared up in around 8 days but it was at least 4-6 weeks before I felt totally back to normal - make sure you don't over do it

Make sure you are drinking lots and use calamine lotion and antihistamines for the itching. I woke myself up itching 😩 and did end up with some scars. The absolute worst spots were all around my nethers and in my mouth.

BouleDeSuif · 21/02/2024 22:13

I had it in my 30s, it's rotten. My brother looked like one big walking pustule when he had it- you couldn't find a place without a spot on it.

Oats in a bath are very good for the itching. Put a couple of handfuls in an old sock and soak it in the water, and squeeze it over you while you're in there too.

Galliano · 21/02/2024 22:19

Another adult sufferer here - caught it after multiple previous unscathed exposures and it was awful. Googling says you can pay for a vaccine as an adult these days and it’s around £160 for the two jab course. Would strongly advise anyone reading this who still hasn’t had it to invest - I’d have paid multiple times that to avoid it. Now live in dread of shingles!

Instinct1 · 21/02/2024 22:19

I had it at 38 and feel your pain. I found Eurax cream and Anti Histamine for sleeping good but even better was roasting hot water. So a really hot shower, or just a hot flannel on the worst ones. The itchy phase at least didnt last long!

BluestripeWhitestripe · 21/02/2024 22:21

Another one saying to get the vaccine as an adult. DP was exposed the day before a kids broke out in spots and we managed to get a friendly local pharmacist to rush an apportionment through, if you’re wishing 3/5 days of exposure you can stop the development or less severe.

BloodandGlitter · 21/02/2024 22:26

I got it in my 30s much to my surprise as I thought I'd had it as a child. Ended up with two spots, one on the bottom of my foot which drove me crazy but otherwise fine.

TheRareGreenBiscuit · 21/02/2024 22:27

Oh dear, wish you a full recovery. I got it when I was 8, still wearing a mark. Our youngest never seen the virus, we decided to give him one round of the vaccine.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 21/02/2024 22:40

Had it whilst pregnant and needed Oxygen.

Preferred trying to not suffocate to death than the burning pain of vaginal blisters. No antivirals, just a doctor checking every 4 hours or so that I wasn't dead from six foot away.

Eurax over and in everything cost a fortune over the next 4 weeks, but was worth every penny to take it down from scalding hot fat to just boiling water pain.

Get vaccinated. It's not worth risking it.

Tryingtogetitright · 21/02/2024 22:45

Try Virasoothe on the spots (you can buy it from supermarkets/chemist) - my little boy had a terrible case of chicken pox and it really helped - was much better than calamine lotion and took all the itch out of the spots - you just smooth it on like body lotion. Really hope you feel better soon.

Arrestedforit · 21/02/2024 22:52

I got it when 34 weeks pregnant, whilst on holiday with my toddler so away from home.
It was a while back before they treated pregnant women with anti virals and I felt absolutely awful.
I still remember having spots 'where the sun don't shine' and the only respite was lying in the hotel bath.
At least there was no Dr Google back then so I couldn't worry about complications affecting me and the baby.

Towerofsong · 21/02/2024 22:55

I'd see if you can get the antiviral tablets for it from GP. It is absolutely no fun as an adult. A friend had it at 49 and GP immediately prescribed anti virals

Eurax is the best thing for the itching

Hope you feel better soon

diggermama · 21/02/2024 22:57

Regular Head and Shoulders shampoo in the bath for itching. Dries them right up 👍🏻

Safxxx · 21/02/2024 23:05

Take a oatmeal bath... just get rolled or fine oats put it in muslin cloth and stick it under the tap water whilst running the bath...it should get all creamy.

HumphreysCorner · 21/02/2024 23:07

I got it as an adult then ended up with a virus afterwards which made me unable to tie a shoelace or walk to the gate. Much sympathy from me x

ChocoChocoLatte · 21/02/2024 23:08

Nelson's tea tree antiseptic cream Flowers