Toddler violent after chickenpox

[DesignedForLife]

Posting for traffic as honestly at my whits end

DD (2.5) came out with chickenpox last Tuesday, having had a virus & high fever since previous Friday. Since day 3 of chickenpox (last Friday) she's been unbearable, biting, hitting, totally wild and disobedient, pushing her baby sibling, throwing all her toys about.

Is this normal? She's been a challenge lately anyway, but she seems so wild and out of control and can't focus on things she normally would do. Is this normal? I'm worried something more is going on.

Most worrying thing could be encephalitis secondary to the virus but you would expect her to be quite sick with that. Otherwise she is most likely just feeling miserable and can't explain to you sinus acting out.

Feeling I'll can be really hard for preverbal children. They don't know what is wrong with them, and don't know how to tell you. My seven year old was vile for a few weeks, til we worked out that the antihistamine with 'disorientation' as a side effect was making him absolutely obnoxious. Touchy, explosive, unreasonable in every way.

She's certainly not very sick, she's bouncing off the walls, which I wouldn't expect with something like encephalitis (from the little I know about such things)

I think it's a good idea to take her to the GP for a check up if there's a change in behaviour, OP. It must be really worrying but hopefully you'll be sent on your way and told all is well.

She's been on the antihistamines and calpol so maybe that's at least partly that?

Which antihistamine? Cetirizine is not your friend...!!

My toddler goes through phases like this with no obvious reason - so could be normal?

Calpol seems to make my DD really hyper. I try and stick to the colour and sugar free version when I can, though I'm not sure if it makes a difference. It could be something like that, combined with acting out because she does feel unwell? Or it could just be that the chickenpox has coincided with a bout of the terrible twos.

I gave my son pititon when he had chickenpox, it sent him totally hyperactive and bonkers in a scary way. He was fine once it wore off.

*piriton

Calpol has a fair amount of "E" numbers. Always makes mine a little wild (unless they have been really poorly)

Although Piriton is meant to make kids drowsy it doesn't for my youngest (she has had CP and has CMPA so has had a fair bit of Piriton in her time)

My older DC (3.5 at the time) took a good month to get back to normal after CP. He was actually OK with the pox itself [not massively ill or itchy] but he was lethargic and miserable for weeks after.

Sorry for all the brackets!!

Try and get some colour free paracetamol, Lloyds own brand is the plainest I've come across.

(GP) Anti-histamines can make children hyper.

Encephalitis is unlikely if she is improving in other ways, but not impossible. Stop the antihistamines tonight. If she isn't significantly better by morning, contact your GP. Contact 111 if she gets worse over-night.

My child turns into a completely different person if he gets a temperature or infection. To the point of being hospitalised he's so out of control, including seizure activity ( he isn't epileptic). Then back to normal boy after a few days.
However there is a mnetter whose child went through something similar and it was very serious. You might want to get it checked out.

Piriton gave dd2 nightmares when she had chickenpox and she went wild. We stopped it and let her just deal with the itching instead

Yes, some children become hyperactive on certain antihistamines.

She's been on piriton, sounds like it's probably that plus calpol (she's been nutty with calpol before usually give the colour free version but out of it now). She's zonked out fast asleep now, so I'll see what she's looking like I'm the morning and if it carries on I'll take her to GP.

Thanks everyone

My youngest DD had a complete personality change after being ill with the flu (she was in bed for the best part of a week).

She was bad tempered and had awful tantrums - this lasted for 3 weeks, when she then reverted back to her usual self. She would get hyper with calpol and Piriton would give her nightmares, however this was quite different (she was no longer on Calpol and obviously hadn't needed Piriton for flu).

I can't explain what happened, but it did leave me wondering whether a nasty viral illness can occasionally cause temporary behavioural problems.

Portion causes my son to "bounce off the walls". He's had it twice and was almost unmanageable both times

Piriton - sorry