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Original poster

To ask how to help my DS survive chicken pox

62 replies

CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 11:55

My poor DS 3 has come down with chicken pox. The spots are at the early stages but he's struggling so much

They are everywhere: in ears, on groin, restocked and anus. He's so upset.

I've got allerief as he wouldn't take piriton as well as virasoothe gel and some pat sachets for the bath

Any other tips to help him survive it without being distressed all the time?

He barely slept all night and today is mostly wriggling on the sofa and getting upset at everything. He's also battling a temp which doesn't help

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 25/02/2023 11:57

Calpol
Don't give ibuprofen
My dd liked a wet face cloth pressed against the spots

TheChosenTwo · 25/02/2023 12:00

I ran about 3 baths a day for the dc when this happened to them. Fill a sock with oats and tie a string knot to keep them inside (crucial!), then put the sock in the bath. Keep squeezing it and it releases oaty milky water, so soothing and really helpful for all 3 of mine.
I don’t know if it medically does anything but I was told to do it and I had them all in the bath as much as possible. Good luck!

CandyCaneLane0 · 25/02/2023 12:00

Porridge oats in his bath, tie them up in a muslin or sock and run it under the tap. I did this morning and night with ds and he barely scratched

Supersimkin2 · 25/02/2023 12:03

Oats in the bath and distraction. It passes and it’s not dangerous.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/02/2023 12:05

It's a question of time op. Calpol. I remember this with dd aged 3 and she's 24 now. She must have had a 1000+ spots.

Toys and treat foods for your ds. Treats for you. Some good children's films and programmes to get through the next few nights and accept you will be up so make it as painless as possible.

When dd was better I changed her bedding. When I pulled out the bed the skirting was covered in scabs. I shall never forget it.

SummerHouse · 25/02/2023 12:07

Is he in a nappy? I would give as much nappy free time as possible and keep him as cool as you can. Not easy with a temp. The spots seem to thrive in hotter areas hence DS had 100s in the nappy area.

LakeFlyPie · 25/02/2023 12:08

Poxclin mousse was the thing that gave DS most relief

ellesbellesxxx · 25/02/2023 12:08

Another vote for poxclin too

TrombonesAreNotBones · 25/02/2023 12:10

Pop your sudocreme in the fridge, it is so soothing when it is applied cold.
Eurax in a tube, for the itchiness.
Ice pops/pole or ice lollies to keep hydrated, esp if the scabs are in the mouth. Ditto watery foods like cucumber, melon, berries.

Please don't give ibuprofen, it can in rare cases exacerbate issues. Calpol only.

Chocolate for you. Good luck.

SummerHouse · 25/02/2023 12:10

Just returned from Google, yep, it's poxclin.

gettingalifttothestation · 25/02/2023 12:14

Calamine lotion stops the itch. Just keep topping up with calpol. It's very common and he will get better.

Springisclose · 25/02/2023 12:16

If they get infected - can happen with littles and all the itching then go to the doctors. There is a cream they can give you.

Forgooodnesssakenow · 25/02/2023 12:16

Oat baths, full an old tight foot with porridge oats, tie in off. Put it under the warm tap and run a bath. Pop him in. It's the only thing that soothed my eldest, who also couldn't have anti histamines like piriton due to a seizure condition.

Also lots of coffee, treats and kindness for yourself, you need to survive too. X

Speedweed · 25/02/2023 12:20

Oil the spots when they scab, rather than calamine (calamine dries them out which makes them even itchier). Food grade oil, olive or coconut, is fine. That's what the hospital told me, and it worked well, we didn't have any scarring at all.

Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 12:25

Thanks you all so much for your prompt replies. I've just run a bath with a sock and oats in it. He's so distressed and saying it's not helping but I wonder how long to leave him in it

The ones around his bottom and anus are the ones keeping him awake and causing the most distress

I've ordered poxclin and will pop the creams I have in the fridge

He's so so so tired but just not able to get any respite from the itchiness and pain around his bottom

OP posts:
ThisMustBeMyDream · 25/02/2023 12:26

Another one recommending Poxclin too. One of mine had it terribly, and this was the only thing that gave relief. I had to leave him with my partner at 5am to go to asda to get something as he had been screaming for 2 hours non stop. I'd had him in an oat bath, calamine, pain relief etc... nothing helped until I got this. It was like magic. The itching just stopped.

SheeshPawowa · 25/02/2023 12:28

"It passes and it’s not dangerous."

For most. Terrible advice.

Calamine lotion, no ibuprofen.

Sleepless1096 · 25/02/2023 12:46

My DC had chicken pox really badly. It may not be dangerous but DC had it so badly that we ended up taking him to hospital with concerns about infection/sepsis from scratching the main spots which were like open sores.

My tips would be baths 3 times a day. They're a distraction and will bring some relief. We were recommended to add some bicarb of sofa, which did bring short-term relief but then seemed to irritate DC's skin.

Sudocrem and Virasoothe were helpful for us. Try to minimise scratching of spots, especially the ones on the face. Cover them with plasters if they're really bad. Our DC had some really bad ones which he scratched so has been left with a few little scars on his face, but they healed very well given how bad they were.

DC had a very high fever so slept in just underwear/a pull up with a fan in his bedroom. I chilled the sheets in the fridge and changed them often. He didn't eat much when he was really bad... only ice cream or ice lollies and porridge when he was a bit better. I encouraged him to keep his liquids up but he was like a skinny little scarecrow by the time he was better. He also suffered hugely from pain from spots in the groin area and an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel seemed to bring some relief.

I feel for you. It was one of the worst weeks I've ever had.

Sleepless1096 · 25/02/2023 12:47

Oh and the max dose of liquid calpol. Try to time the doses for evening/ night... it seems be worse then and you want them to sleep. Max dose just before bed, and absolutely slather in cream.

Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 12:55

Thanks so much. I did consider giving him the vaccine for a while and actually now regretting it. I think I will for my youngest.

DS has been awake and in pain or upset since about 5am (after being up between 11-3am).

Needless to say I'm absolutely shattered too

OP posts:
Fimat · 25/02/2023 13:04

My 5 year old has just recovered . Another vote for poxcilin.
my friend recommend phernergan. She hated the taste but I put it in the calpol syringe and gave her a jelly baby straight away after.
It made her quite drowsy but it definitely seemed to take away the itch and it also meant she slept which helped.
I gave it to her during the day on her worst day and then a couple of evenings .
Your poor son, it’s so hard on them.

Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 13:18

Thanks @Fimat . I've just got him out of the bath and covered him in virasoothe while I wait for poxclin to arrive (says it should come this afternoon)

It's the ones around his bottom that are upsetting him the most so I've left the nappy off as much as I can but we've had some issues potty training so I'm trying to be careful with accidents too

I've just looked up phernergan but can't see it. Is that the brand name? Are you in the UK?

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'm regretting not vaccinating him last year when I considered it. I can see we're going to have a touch week or so ahead of us

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 25/02/2023 13:22

CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 12:55

Thanks so much. I did consider giving him the vaccine for a while and actually now regretting it. I think I will for my youngest.

DS has been awake and in pain or upset since about 5am (after being up between 11-3am).

Needless to say I'm absolutely shattered too

Unless your youngest is physically elsewhere I’m afraid you have almost certainly left it too late. Two weeks from now you’ll be right back here.

At least you’ll have all the remedies to hand.😊

Get well soon LittleCraneBoy

Breadhead1 · 25/02/2023 13:23

My dd age 8 had it recently. She found bicarbonate of soda in the bath was great, she had loads between her legs, poor thing! Poxclin was the easiest to put on. Try and leave nappy off, also piriton is good for the itching and added bonus it can make them a bit drowsy at night

WoolyMammoth55 · 25/02/2023 13:24

Hi OP, I can't work out how to get Phernergan in the UK either - but my 5 yo is suffering with CP at the moment and I'm giving Piriton in the morning and evening - anti-histamine which can ease the itch, and also make them slightly drowsy, which my GP advised during a phone consult.

It's nightmarish and I also regret not trying harder to source a vaccine, but we are in the SW miles from big towns and could never find any reasonable appointments (all middle of a weekday and months in the future...)

Poor boy though, it's horrible and I wish it wasn't so rough on him.

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