Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To beg for chickenpox suggestions?

41 replies

APoxOnThePox · 22/03/2019 16:13

Posting here for traffic and also because I'm at my wits end. 2 year old and its the first bout of chickenpox we've experienced.

Can all you sage and wise Mums, Dads and otherwise caregivers hit me with suggestions for lotions, baths and other ways to take the itch away? It seems to be getting worse rather than better

OP posts:
Itwouldtakemuchmorethanthis · 22/03/2019 16:15

Small yoghurt pot of camomile lotion and a paintbrush. Pop on a towel in the bath and let dc paint each spot.

Keeps you cool, eases itch, makes spots funny not terrifying...takes lots of time.

Sexnotgender · 22/03/2019 16:16

Are you giving an antihistamine? That made a big difference to my daughter.

YouCanButImNot · 22/03/2019 16:16

Poxclin, it’s a mousse that you can get from boots. Worked wonders when my baby had chickenpox at 7 months. Also, a bath with bicarbonate of soda helps also. We bathed ours twice a day in it. Good luck, it’s no fun.

Original poster
APoxOnThePox · 22/03/2019 16:16

I love the painting idea! No antihistamine yet but will give it a go.
Thank you!

OP posts:
Doyoumind · 22/03/2019 16:16

I can't remember what it's called but there's a cooling gel for chicken pox which is a million times better than calamine as it's soothing and not drying.

KitMarlowesPufflingPants · 22/03/2019 16:18

Oats in a warm bath, worked a treat when my dc had it.

CluedoAddict · 22/03/2019 16:18

Oats in the bath. I was told by the children's ward not to use an antihistamine for chicken pox.

EatDessertFirst · 22/03/2019 16:18

Virasoothe gel and Piriton for the itching. Lots of fluids and Calpol.

Limensoda · 22/03/2019 16:19

We always used Calamine lotion but they latest advice on that is not to use it. Ask a pharmacist for the most advised

dementedpixie · 22/03/2019 16:19

I think virasoothe is a gel. Poxclin mousse, aqueous calamine, oats or bicarb in the bath. Piriton antihistamine to help stop the itch

ItWentInMyEye · 22/03/2019 16:20

Piriton & calamine cream in a tube. Doesn't go everywhere!

QforCucumber · 22/03/2019 16:20

Virasoothe Gel, Boots own antihistamine and they do an aqueous cream which contains Calamine - so much better than just the lotions!

DON'T give ibuprofen!

dementedpixie · 22/03/2019 16:20

Are you sure it wasn't ibuprofen they warned against rather than antihistamine?

Vintagegoth · 22/03/2019 16:21

Oat baths. Put some porride oats in the foot of an old pair of tights or a muslin and pop it in a bayh. Very soothing for eczema too

HepzibahHumbug · 22/03/2019 16:24

Eurax. That's what worked for my dd 10 years ago. Also tepid bath with bicarbonate of soda (a couple of tbsps) disolved in it.
Also lots of reading aloud if you have time.
Chicken pox is awful (though rarely dangerous). My dd 11 still has a tiny bump on her nose which is all that remains. No one ever notices it and she is very proud of it as it's part of her 'story'.
Good luck. May the itching and scratching stop!!

Mylittlepony374 · 22/03/2019 16:24

Oats in the bath. We just filled a sock with oats, put it over tap while running then tie top & put in bath. Let them squeeze it /play with it. Was best thing I found.

Original poster
APoxOnThePox · 22/03/2019 16:46

Thanks for responding so quickly, we'll definitively give the oat bath a go too. I had heard of that soothing eczema but didn't think to apply but in this case!

OP posts:
azulmariposa · 22/03/2019 16:48

Do NOT give Ibuprofen! That's really dangerous if they have chickenpox.

Antihistamine, and paracetamol. There's a gel that you can get from the chemist that is better than calamine lotion I think it's virasoothe or poxclin?

YouLikeTheBadOnesToo · 22/03/2019 16:50

Another big fan of virasoothe here. My 22 month old ds had chicken pox a couple of weeks ago, the gel was a god send. We also did oat baths, they seemed to help too.

ellendegeneres · 22/03/2019 16:53

Poxcillin and oat bath. Honest to god my son was head to toe covered and all that gave him relief (albeit brief) was the oat bath and that poxcillin stuff. Have since recommended it to others who have gone on to recommend it to others still

CluedoAddict · 22/03/2019 20:47

@dementedpixie no it was definitely antihistamine. I worked in a pharmacy at the time so I knew the difference. They said it prolonged the chicken pox.

Frangipane · 22/03/2019 20:50

Another vote for oats in a sock in the bath. My eldest 3 had chicken pox when they were all quite little, and maybe not able to express what made things better, but my youngest caught it relatively late, when he was 10, and he said the oats in the bath was the only thing that relieved the itching. Be warned though, it only worked while he was in the bath.

fivepies · 22/03/2019 20:53

I made up a great lotion based on some recipes on the web. Aloe vera (Holland and Barratt, Superdrug), and witchhazel mixed together. Keep it in the fridge so it is cold. It is so soothing and coats the skin. Worked really well on both my kids, they were covered in spots.

Otterses · 22/03/2019 20:56

I used piriton for DS' pox, worked a treat and helped him get some sleep.

FifiandPheli · 22/03/2019 21:04

Poxclin and piriton got us through it as advised by the chemist- the poxclin is a mousse and was quite expensive around £12 I think but it worked wonders and quickly too so absolutely worth it x