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Original poster

Hand foot and mouth

45 replies

sombrilla · 12/10/2021 19:30

Shamelessly posting for traffic…

Please can you tell me your experiences with hand foot and mouth? DS1 is almost 4 and had a temp on Tuesday then just a few spots on mouth and hands on Friday. Baby DS 11 months then had temp on Friday and erupted in a full body rash on Saturday. Went to Dr who confirmed hand foot and mouth.
I have had a very sore throat and mouth since Sunday and have a persistent and painful cough (have taken Covid test and it is negative). Any experiences/idea of when it might get better? Baby is very uncomfortable and I am very tired with being ill plus waking up more in the night to see to ill baby. We all also had colds the week before so this is week 3 of being ill.
Also my husband was away for work but came back for 2 nights before going away again. What are the chances he will miraculously escape catching it from all of us? He works at heights and really needs to be well and present.

OP posts:
BluebellsGreenbells · 12/10/2021 19:31

My children had it - they were a bit miserable for a day or two but nothing else.

They don’t exclude them from school with it.

Tirediam · 12/10/2021 19:34

My son had it last week, loads of spots around his mouth, hands, bum and legs and back, and some around his ankles. It was horrendous. It’s more common in babies and toddlers and I don’t feel ill at all so hoping it’s escaped me!

Original poster
sombrilla · 12/10/2021 19:36

Ah thank you! DS1 is the only one at school and he had a grand total of about 8 spots but then gave it to all of us, including my mum who is visiting to help while DH is away.
I think it is going around in my area as a number of friends with DC at different schools/nurseries all have it.

OP posts:
Akushla123 · 12/10/2021 19:40

This is very interesting to read as we currently are keeping our son off nursery as they have had twelve children come down with it. My husband and I decided it wasn’t worth taking the risk of him catching it. It sounds terrible and hope you get better soon!

Out of curiosity, do you mind me asking what area are you based in?

moita · 12/10/2021 19:43

It's horrible. All four of us came down with it and both DH and I felt rough but you should get better soon.

There was an out break in my son's school recently and he didn't get it so I'm hoping we've got immunity to it now!!

DeepaBeesKit · 12/10/2021 19:49

HFM is really variable. Most children get it mildly (DS only had about 10 spots and a couple of days under the weather) but some do seem to get it more severely, but even then its unpleasant for a few days but generally not serious.

Like a lot of diseases (hello, Covid!!) it can be milder in childhood, and for that reason I definitely wouldn't keep a child off nursery purely to avoid it.

Original poster
sombrilla · 12/10/2021 19:51

@Akushla123 we live in Spain

Yes I am mostly just feeling sorry for myself. Also the baby is super uncomfortable poor wee thing. Patient zero DC was recovered in about a day Hmm

OP posts:
TakeMe2Insanity · 12/10/2021 19:52

My son had it but was utterly miserable. He had a few spots around his mouth but the bulk were in his mouth. He lost a lot of weight very quickly. Lots of ice lollies, ice cream anything to keep hydrated.

MargaretFaffter · 12/10/2021 19:53

I caught it unexpectedly from my niece about two years ago. She didn’t have symptoms at the time and I visited her and her parents.

I had the usual symptoms, blisters on my hands and feet (which were fine) and ulcers / blisters on my tongue (which were absolutely horrendously painful). I also felt generally under the weather. I worked throughout albeit at home, lasted about 2 weeks.

My brother and his wife didn’t catch it at all, nor did my nephew, despite living with my niece at close quarters.

Wynston · 12/10/2021 19:56

I remember both dc having it.
In fact eldest has had it twice.
Poor little things had blisters in the mouth and that was really uncomfortable.
I dont remember it being very long before we were back to normal.
This being you're third week of being ill is utterly miserable and I do really feel for you.

SylvanasWindrunner · 12/10/2021 19:57

Ooh I caught this from DD and I was so unwell. My entire mouth was full of ulcers, literally full of them, all over my tongue. I couldn't eat, I couldn't even talk and it was too painful even to cry! It did only last a few days at its worst though.

DD was barely bothered by it, just a few blisters on her hands and a viral rash, and DH didn't get it at all.

MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat · 12/10/2021 19:57

My son had it at 5 months. He was very unhappy for about 3-4 days but fine after. I ended up catching it and felt very unwell with high fever of 40 degrees but recovered after a few days. Apparently a lot of adults have some degree of immunity to it so your husband may avoid it. Also just to warn you your baby’s nails may fall off in a few weeks time. I am glad someone warned me about that as I’d have probably taken ds to a&e if I hadn’t been expecting that.

SylvanasWindrunner · 12/10/2021 19:58

DH had it as a child; I didn't. I wonder if that accounted for why I got it so badly and he didn't get it at all!

SylvanasWindrunner · 12/10/2021 19:59

It is one of those things that I think almost every child in childcare and/or who has siblings will get though. It's almost always present in nurseries and other childcare settings.

Rainallnight · 12/10/2021 20:01

Our experience is that the grownups get it much worse than the kids. It was the most pain I’ve ever been in.

Sausagis · 12/10/2021 20:08

Echoing Marmaladetoast .... no one told me child's nails may fall off a week or two later. That was a shock! They grow back. I was told to use plasters on any loose nails so they came off naturally rather than accidentally getting ripped off. ''Twas the stuff of nightmares!

Speakuptomakeyourselfheard · 12/10/2021 20:12

My husband had it a few years back, lasted about a fortnight, but he really was poorly with it.

Whitewolf2 · 12/10/2021 20:14

It’s so awful!! We all had it a couple of weeks ago and my youngest and I had it worst. It seemed to go on for ages, we had cold symptoms for a few days, runny nose and temperature, then I got painful blisters on my hands and feet and a really sore throat. My youngest had very itchy spots for 3/4 days, stopped eating due to very sore throat and kept waking in the night. We got her some lotion and oral antihistamine from the pharmacist and those really helped. In all I’d say we were ill around 2 weeks, probably took 3 to feel totally recovered! DH never got any symptoms.

Wnikat · 12/10/2021 20:16

Get acoclair spray for the ulcers.

SometimesMaybe · 12/10/2021 20:19

I had it the same time as DD. She was about 1 and was a bit grizzly and not really any symptoms- I thought it was teething until I got the rash/spots too. It was not pleasant for me, I was out of sorts for about a week. DH didn’t catch it nor did older DS.

Skyeheather · 12/10/2021 20:23

DS got it when he was two, had a high temperature and wasn't himself for two days then he was back to his normal self after that but he was covered in spots which took about three weeks to disappear.

DP spent two days in bed feeling unwell. Despite breastfeeding DS on demand I never got it.

They caught it on holiday, there was a sign on the hotel notice board when we arrived saying it going around so inevitable we would get it!

EventOfTheSeason · 12/10/2021 20:29

My daughter was fine, she had a few blisters around her mouth and hands but ok apart from that. I didn't fare so well; fever, sore throat, rash on hands and feet (shoes were very uncomfortable and the burning on my hands when in water was unbearable) and then all my toenails fell off. DH didn't get it.

TheVolturi · 12/10/2021 20:38

Dd is 4 and started Friday, out of the blue with a really high temperature and feeling very poorly. She was like it all Saturday and was crying that she couldn't swallow. I was on the phone to 111 (in a queue) and she let me look in her throat and I saw the blisters. Checked her feet and sure enough she had some there too. My magic the fever had gone by Sunday but there are still more spots appearing today. Some on her feet have burst tonight so she's been hysterical.
There are loads of cases in our school and they've said to keep her off till she's really better. East Lancs.

TheVolturi · 12/10/2021 20:39

Ps, I read the incubation is up to 5 days, so if I don't start with it by tomorrow I should be in the clear!

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 12/10/2021 20:43

DD had it at 2.5. had a bit of a rash and on hands too. Was fine other than that.

I then started with it on my hands. I rang 111 to check what I should do about myself as DD been diagnosed already. 111 laughed "you won't have hand foot and mouth, you can only catch it from kids". Well yes, my DD has it Confused they were "oh, well isolate for 4 -5 days then". Worst time of year working in accounts at beginning of year and having to miss nearly a week Grin

Next Christmas DD got chicken pox on Xmas Eve eve. She times it terrible.