AIBU to think my doctor has got it wrong (with pics)

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So, DS 21 months wakes up yesterday morning a bit rashy - nothing crazy - but I suffer with eczema and I thought it looked like that (dry/blotchy) called doc, got him in yesterday PM, by that time it was blistering but I still (first time parent naivety?) thought eczema and kind of guided the GP in that direction.
He prescribes mild steroid, emollient, bath additive.
By bed time last night little fella is beside himself and I send my mum a pic - she says defo chickenpox, no doubt, as does another experienced mum.
I do a bit of googling and it does indeed look like chickenpox to me.
Calls doc this morning, he says bring DS in to see senior doc this afternoon. Senior doc looks at him, says defo chickenpox, then changes mind and says cant be chickenpox as he has none on the back of his neck.
Tells me to carry on treating as eczema.
So I'm all a little bit torn now, because my instincts are telling me chickenpox, calamine and antihistamine, doc is telling me eczema, mild steroid and emollient.
Can you kind, and more experienced people out there tell me if this, in your opinion (I appreciate not medically trained) looks like chickenpox or not.
Thanks in advance.
x
PS - I also feel pretty shit because I put him though a Christmas party, and paraded him round as the star of Bethlehem yesterday and he must have been feeling rough. :(

But that’s my point op - you should be worried if it is chicken pox! It’s a really nasty disease and can cause serious problems in pregnant women who have not had it and even in healthy children. You SHOULD have been thinking about that not just has my dr got this wrong.

FWIW I don’t think it does look like chicken pox actually but there you go

We've just had tonnes of HF&M at the nursery I work in and I'd say that's what that is. Spots spread everywhere except the torso.

Any children with eczema have had it worse than children without it. I'd watch for infection. Hope it gets better quickly.

Doctor here: doesn't look like chickenpox or eczema herpeticum - not in the typical distribution for EH (although can always present atypically) and it is usually accompanied by feeling really quite unwell with swollen lymph glands and fever and it doesn't sound like your son has been that unwell. Also the lesions are very painful.

As PP have pointed out - sometimes you never get to the bottom of these things but with him not being too unwell and the rash being purely on the legs - it could be an allergic dermatitis - have you started using a new detergent? or possibly put him in something new that hadn't been washed prior to first use (not a judgement, I do this), or basically anything else you can think of that has been in contact with his legs? Did he wear some scratchy tights or something under his star costume for example?

If it gets worse or doesn't improve after a day or two - I would take him back to the docs for further examination/diagnosis and to see if he needs a stronger steroid cream. I'm not saying there are no bad doctors out there but please don't put the views of your mum or google (or me!) above trained and experienced doctors who have actually seen it in person as there is no substitute for that - they will have seen hundreds of rashes on babies. Hope it gets better soon x

@Redskyandrainbows67 - not wanting to get into an argument here, but this isnt about every feeling ive had since the little guy got his first rash. I might be turning myself inside out with guilt about the potential contagious element and how it could affect the mums in playgroup, the old dears in the doctors waiting room etc, but that is not relevant. This is not about the social aspect of his potential chickenpox, this is about 'have you seen this rash - what do you think'.
I could be pregnant myself (I'm not btw) but that wouldnt be relevant to the thread either.
You understand?

Hi, I’m no expert and don’t wish to disagree with the dr who posted above but my dd has eczema herpeticum once and it looks extremely similar. The hospital took it very seriously and she was in for 2 nights on iv antivirals. I’d go to out of hours again if I were you. Good luck xx

@dashitauntagatha - thank you for that. He's not been that unwell, just a bit rough round the edges maybe.
As you say, I will give it a day or two and then take him back if its not turning a corner.
thanks again
x

You SHOULD have been thinking about that not just has my dr got this wrong.

The OP said she had let the people she had been in contact with know. What more do you think she should have done exactly? Or are you just having a go because she didn't explicitly state her concern for other people she might (or probably not as it turns out) have infected?

Really - yes I guess her original post got my back up because she seemed only concerned for her son - no one else who may have been affected

She had also posted on Aibu when perhaps a more sensible topic board might have been children’s heath or general health

It looks like chickenpox/Hand foot & mouth

Not sure you would need to go back to the doctors with either though, just antihistamine for itching and paracetamol for temperature.

Keep well moisturised in case it is either or eczema.

I’ve had cp twice and both dc’s have had it and it doesn’t look like it to me. However sometimes things don’t appear by the book, so it could be. I know that doesn’t help!

Don’t feel guilty by the way OP most of us have done something similar! My ds hurt his arm falling, 2 days later and his dad took him to A&E and it was fractured. He was playing on the PlayStation fine! Major mum guilt!

Oh and he broke it a second time whilst with his aunt and uncle- two drs! And they thought he’d just sprained it, we only took him to A&E as a precaution, and found him in plaster again!

In our household a couple of us suffer eczema and it has presented like that many times - that's when there's an infection. Ask to have swabs taken? Hope you can sort it soon.

My son is just recovering from a nearly identical rash and chicken pox has been ruled out (plus each spot has a kind of fluid filled spot to start with in c.p and it doesn't have that.) My ds had it to start on just torso and then next day face and hands. Gp wasn't sure exactly what it was, guessed hand, foot and mouth which then caused a flare up of eczema on his body. He also gave me steroid cream. He basically said don't worry just let it run its course but bring him straight in if he goes down hill. It's drying out and clearing up nicely now.

Oh yes just to add the gp took swabs so you could ask for that.

Chickenpox lesions appear in crops. So, they are contagious from 2 days before the start of rash to until the last crops have arrive during and covered with a scab. Gotcha?

I’m a practice nurse . That doesn’t look like Chickenpox . The individual lesions are too close together and vary too much in size . I would say it looks like an allergy to something like detergent etc or maybe eczema herpeticum .

Exanthema subitum?

When my DC's eczema was infected it looked like that, and steroid cream cleared it up. Lots of people thought she has chicken pox though

Looks very similar to when my son had erythema multiforme, although within a few hours of developing the dash his hands, feet and face were quite swollen. But the rash came out of nowhere and developed quickly

Rash not dash

Whatever it is, antihistamine and emollient are likely to help.

Redsky YABU you’re not the thought police- you really have no idea what thoughts the OP has so leave her alone. OP I agree, doesn’t quite seem right for CP. I’d see how DS is tomorrow and go back to the GP if worse.

Ageee with a couple of posters above- it looks like eczema herpeticum to me too. My son had it two years ago, and was v unwell with it. Rash spread really suddenly from a few spots in his crotch to full head to toe in the space of a few hours. Luckily a GP spotted it and sent us straight to hospital. If your DS seems at all under the weather rather than just spotty, I would get it looked at again OP.

Doesn’t look like chicken pox.... they aren’t blisters...