Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Mumoftwoinprimary · 25/02/2023 13:27

I agree with the others that said Poxclin. It is amazing stuff.

Forgooodnesssakenow · 25/02/2023 13:27

Supersimkin2 · 25/02/2023 12:03

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

For some kids it is. My son had it twice, the first time when he was just under a year old or I'd have vaccinated. He's a child who has complex febrile seizures and the first bout he spent 3 days in hospital with recurrent seizures. Turns out some kids can get again if they have it under one and of course he didm second time no seizures thank God but we were lucky we knew he was seizure prone and had him in hospital or it could have killed him the first time.

Blort · 25/02/2023 13:29

Piriton will help itching. Can you force it down?

Light cool layers, maybe speak to pharmacist about bum - some pile creams are anti itch?

IAmAlreadyRegrettingMyGreyColourScheme · 25/02/2023 13:32

Poxcillin recommendation here too.
And ignore anyone telling you it's not dangerous. Ours ended up very poorly in hospital with it so it can be.
Keep an eye on their temp & fluid intake ours stopped drinking & their temperature was constantly rising.

StillWantingADog · 25/02/2023 13:34

Poor chap
what everyone else said but in the cases of both of mine they were only really poorly for about 2 days before things started improving. Hopefully by Monday he will be on the mend

SBAM · 25/02/2023 13:34

Calpol for any fever/feeling unwell, piriton to reduce itching sensation, virasoothe or poxclin, make sure nails are trimmed short to minimise damage from itching. Oat baths (but not hot, keep it cool as heat will cause itching too). Pat dry gently out of the bath instead of rubbing with the towel. I have also heard head and shoulders classic shampoo can stop the itching, just a little bit in the bath. I never tried it though as oats worked for us.

We also went for as much tv time as they wanted to keep them distracted. In about two weeks the other child will come down with it too and I heard that the sibling gets a worse dose. It was true for us and for friends kids - something to do with longer exposure to it I think.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/02/2023 13:47

The other thing that may have helped, as recommended by my mother, was cotton gloves to minimise the effect of scratching.

SzeliSecond · 25/02/2023 13:56

Lived in the bath & paddling pool with bicarb in. Doused in camomile lotion and ate all the ice pops. Hope they get well soon

Fimat · 25/02/2023 14:33

www.nhs.uk/medicines/promethazine/
It’s an antihistamine but used as a sleeping aid too( obviously I would t normally drug her but it really helped for a night to two and the day she was in the most pain as it stopped her itching and making things worse!)

Emmamoo89 · 25/02/2023 14:39

Put Sudocrem on the spots.

Girasoli · 25/02/2023 14:41

DS2 (3) is recovering from chicken pox at the moment, he had two baths a day with aveeno baby wash and said it made him not itchy.
I also tried to give him piriton to stop the itching but he just spat it all out - hopefully you will have more luck!
Also lots of cold drinks and cold strawberries (his throat seemed to bother him too)

ThisMustBeMyDream · 25/02/2023 15:13

Yes, your youngest will likely have it now too. As PP said, 2 weeks to the day my older came out in them (it was the youngest who had them first, very mild dose, didn't bother him at all, no need for all the creams and such). The same day the older came out in them so did my SD and our Nannies daughter. All had been together in the 2 weeks preceding the youngest getting them. My older was 6 so I assumed he had a worse dose as he was older when he finally got them. The others were 4 and 2, and all had it mildly.
First pic is the youngest and 2nd older, big difference between them!

FictionalCharacter · 25/02/2023 15:21

Sudocrem on his bottom.

It’s phenergan not phernergan - generic name promethazine - but it’s prescription only for very young children.

GiltEdges · 25/02/2023 15:40

Supersimkin2 · 25/02/2023 12:03

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

What terrible advice. It bloody well can be dangerous, hospitalised me as a child. DS has the vaccine as soon as he was old enough.

Hope he's on the mend soon OP Flowers

Fimat · 25/02/2023 15:44

FictionalCharacter · 25/02/2023 15:21

Sudocrem on his bottom.

It’s phenergan not phernergan - generic name promethazine - but it’s prescription only for very young children.

Oh sorry, typo.
I’m not in the UK so I just got it in the chemist and the pharmacist advised me .

Yogazmum · 25/02/2023 15:47

Supersimkin2 · 25/02/2023 12:03

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

My friends son was left deaf in one ear from CP & another friends child was left with permanent damage to their eye.
CP can be very dangerous!
It’s part of the MMR vaccine package in the USA & Australia.
We paid for both our children to be vaccinated against it here in the UK!

Windy1234 · 25/02/2023 15:58

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I bathed my two toddlers with head and shoulders when they had it twice a day and it def helped the spots x

2bazookas · 25/02/2023 16:22

liberal application of calomine lotion, using cotton wool .

ivykaty44 · 25/02/2023 16:37

why will he not take piriton? its going to make him very drowsy if he takes him and he will sleep much better

Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 17:06

ivykaty44 · 25/02/2023 16:37

why will he not take piriton? its going to make him very drowsy if he takes him and he will sleep much better

He really hates the taste. We've tried disguising it with everything but he just spits it out.

He will take allerief (strawberry flavoured) which I thought was exactly the same as piriton. Does anyone know if it is the same?

OP posts:
Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 17:08

Thanks so much everyone. I've been feeling completely overwhelmed today with this so this thread has really made me feel better with some practical advice

After the lunchtime bath with oats I noticed he seemed a lot happier but the virasoothe gel was painful on the spots that have opened a bit.

I've now taken delivery of poxclin and aveeno oat sachets so before bed will bathe him with that (and head and shoulders) and then get the mousse on him and dose him with calpol and antihistamine.

Just hope the night is better for him 😔

OP posts:
Original poster
CraneBoysMysteries · 25/02/2023 17:09

@ThisMustBeMyDream oh your poor DC

I really hope they're feeling better now. I hope my other DS doesn't break out worse!! 😬

OP posts:
mishmased · 26/02/2023 01:00

@CraneBoysMysteries just a heads up, as the weather is still cool, poxclin might be too cold against his skin. My youngest had chicken pox over Christmas and screamed every time I put poxclin on her. I figured it worked better for her siblings because they had chickens pox in the summer. So I used a combo of calamine lotion, piriton (or phernergan) and paracetamol/calpol.
Cut up old pair of tights and a cup of porridge oats and rum under water. Loads of fluids and as already mentioned no nurofen/ibuprofen. Hope he feels better soon.

Fluffyhoglets · 26/02/2023 01:10

Ice packs wrapped in a tea towel worked for the painful spots my children had. Seemed to take the itch out for a while too

WoolyMammoth55 · 26/02/2023 13:46

Hi OP, my 5 yo seems a bit better today - spots less angry? Fewer new ones. Fingers crossed we are at the tail end, or getting there! Hope you guys had an ok night.

I know loads of people dismiss homeopathy as total nonsense but I'll try anything :) so am dosing the little one with Rhus Tox tablets - supposedly can make the virus weaker if given before it takes hold. Obviously no guarantees but from my perspective it's worth a punt - the thought of him getting it loads worse in a week's time is genuinely turning my stomach!

I'm grinding them up and putting in his milk/yoghurt.

Wish you all the best! x