To ask any medical people about chicken pox?

[AmIRightOrAMeringue]

Hi

My 11 month old has come out with chicken pox spots today. Had a mild fever since last night (38.5 was down to 37.5 today). Spots around mouth and in nappy and other random ones all over body. Is rubbing the ones on the face. She hasn't been herself obviously but has eaten a small amount and has plenty of breastfeeds.

Normal bedtime is 7.30 and we gave her some calpol at 7 and put her down just before her bedtime. She yelled and yelled so took her in with us. She is still thrashing about and screaming. Quietens down every so often and tries to go to sleep and before she drops off starts thrashing about and crying again. She just can't sleep. My husband has taken her out in the car to try and get her to drop off (from past experience she will sleep a bit then wake as soon as he comes back).

I have never seen her like this and it's making me quite worried. She seems worse than earlier but my husband thinks it's just because she is more tired and getting more and more upset as she is too uncomfortable to sleep. I don't know whether to call 111 as if she has chicken pox and no increasing fever I don't think they will do anything other than say more calpol and I don't want to drag her out to out of hours for nothing.

Does this all sound normal chicken pox symptoms? She seemed no worse than I'd expect until bedtime!

Thanks

It might be hand foot and mouth rather than chicken pox

Will she let you look in her mouth?

She's due more Calpol v soon. I'm.sure she is fine and will drop off. I'm assuming you've retaken her temp?

Poor lamb. Fingers crossed for you too!

I've tried to have a quick look today and tongue is clear but couldn't really see the rest of it. I guess since its also viral, treatment and advice are pretty similar anyway?

It sounds totally normal for an unwell small child tbh. Spots are itchy, that’s probably upsetting her.

Personally I don’t think there is any reason to see an OOO doc and you’ll end up getting told to put her in an oat bath and use calomine to soothe the itching. You can try an antihistamine as well I think.

chicken pox is rough.

You need to use piriton and paracetomol in combination. Otherwise the itching can be unbearable. When dd had CP I would set an alarm on the night to re dose her as she was in agony if medications wore off. In hindsight i so wish I had vaccinated.

Piriton is for age 1+ so i wouldn't give it without advice from a gp

Yes, it sounds like normal poorly pre-talker behaviour to me, it's the only way they have to tell you they feel rotten & they don't understand it doesn't help. My youngest has oral thrush atm & his been similar over the last 4 nights. Do keep an eye on her temp & keep her dosed on Calpol but as long as she's hydrated I wouldn't worry too much. An oat bath (porridge oats in a pair of tights tied on to the tap as it runs) will help with the itching as will aveeno cream or calamine lotion. Hope she feels better soon

Sorry about typos. Said child is on my lap wriggling.

Phoning 111 can be reassuring sometimes. Why not phone them?

Unhelpful but that sounds like me when I had chickenpox as an adult - the night's were utterly unbearable and I'd wake myself up scratching myself to buggery

Hope she's feeling better soon, poor little lamb

Thanks all, she is 3 weeks off being 1 and big for her age last time got measured so might give the piriton a go if she still can't sleep. Googling it seems to show its often prescribed younger

As she’s so close to one I’d give it to her. I might hesitate if she was generally smaller or very premature or something.

Could it be impetigo? My son had this - he had spots around the mouth but not inside, in the nappy area and a few elsewhere. Slight fever. He was prescribed oral antibiotics as it’s bacterial.

Just also wanted to pass on (just in case) that you are NOT supposed to give ibuprofen/neurofen for chicken pox.

Is there a 24 hour pharmacy where you could get some creams to soothe the itching if you think it’s itchy?

The thrashing about will be because she's itchy. Put cream in spots - calamine lotion is the one for cp. Piriton does help, pharmacist will give it for chicken pox.
My dd did the same. One night she was throwing herself about, off the bed a few times, I had her in with me, had to hold her, no one slept....Could not work out what on earth was wrong til I turned on the light and saw spots!
The discomfort will pass in a day or two but it is rubbish.

Piriton and paracetamol (no ibuprofen). Sounds normal chicken pox behaviour to me. I also found Poxclin helped better than camomile, and easier to apply. Maybe get some tomorrow if you can ...

yes to piroton.
it's pretty safe and often prescribed to young babies.
it also makes them more sleepy.

hope she (and you!) are better soon.

Yes to calpol and Piriton at bedtime. Also poxclin mousse from the chemist, marvellous stuff.

One of my dds got thrush on top of her chicken pox in her nappy area when she had it at 2. She writhed around in agony for hours one night with it, I didn’t realise until I brought her to the out of hours doctor. Having been through it, just check her to make sure. We were lucky to have canestan nappy cream in the house which relieved it but I’ll never forget that night, it was a nightmare. She screamed and writhed and thrashed for hours. My other 2 were nothing like her.
I’d also recommend an antihistamine like zirtek. Baths with porridge oats (in a pop sock) are really effective for relieving the itch also.

Virasoothe. Poxclin. Calamine. Bath with oats in it. Lots of paracetamol and no ibuprofen. Unless she is lethargic, cold, or has a very high temperature, I wouldn’t worry. She sounds like she is in discomfort and is over tired.

Hi, we going through same at the moment. Son has chicken pox and we had three nights of him thrashing round in bed because he was so itchy. What we found helped was a cool bath before bed with nothing in it. Piraton and calpol as he goes to sleep and strip him down to bare basics. Have to keep dosing through the night but he's stopped the thrashing now as the spots have calmed down a little.