Has DS got Chicken Pox or not? Conflicting diagnoses - V long sorry!

[BikeRunSki]

Last week DS had a v chesty cough. GP identifed a chest infection and gave him antibiotics (amoxycilin). Last w/e he was v lethargic. I am not sure if this is relevant to this week though, here goes.

Monday this week, 3 or 4 spots on his shoulder. I thought they were insect bites, as had been playing in garden and long grass. Look like midge bites kind of thing.
Tuesday he had a big rash all over his back. Same kind of spots, all over back, maybe 30 in all. Me and friend (mother of 2 children who've had chicken pox; I have n't seen chicken pox for 35+ years since I had it!) think this is chicken pox. I rearrange week to keep DS off nursery-pre school for week.
Wednesday - more spots, now on legs.
Thursday - 1 spot on his back has gone blistery, a bit like a white head cyst before it bursts, about 2mm wide.
Friday - no change in spots, but back to GP re chest. Saw v young GP registar rather than ordinary GP. He looked at rash too and diagnosed molluscum. Gave us info sheets about it. I am as rash on DS back and legs looks nothing like what the info sheets describe - not even right colour! (info sheets say skin coloured, DS's rash dark pink/red).
Saturday -The blistered spot has burst and the others are looking a bit more like they might swell and ooze soon. New spot on scalp.

To me, DS's rash looks like Chicken Pox, but it is progressing v slowly to what NHS website says for CP ie: spots are all meant to blister in around 12-14 hours, not 3 days. But DS has not had a fever and not complaining of itching. There has also been CP in his room at nursery a couple of weeks ago.

It looks nothing like how molluscum is described (which is small white pearl like lumps under skin, skin coloured) and a friend on mine who'se DS has had molluscum says it is not either.

So? What is it? I have no faith in the molluscum diagnosis, but with elderly mother; heavily pg best friend and childcare I could really do with a confident diagnosis! Should I take him to the walk in clinic tomorrow?

It sounds exactly like chicken pox to me.

Molluscum would take weeks to spread over the body to that extent and they don't usually start with any redness of the skin around them although my dds developed eczema round them eventually.

The description you give is how I remember them experiencing chicken pox although I would have said they blistered a bit more quickly. If it is chicken pox he would probably be incredibly itchy by now, to the point where he can't sleep.

Thanks Timandra.

12 hours on from my OP, DS is covered from scalp to toe in blistery spots, is itchy and unhappy. Everywhere including his mouth and willy! No doubt in my mind at all that it is pox now. Just a bit of a slow burn. And he downed a pint of water when hevwoke up. Poor lad, but aaarghh - another week indoors [hope it continues to rain emoticon ]

Was going to say yes to chickenpox too!

Our toddler also was a bit odd in presentation too, runny snotty nose and mucusy cough. Chest sounded fine it was just mucus in his upper airways (typical cold). Then spots coming out turning blistery after 24 hours though, but not many of them. couple of odd temps but well in himself. Still only around 25 spots on day 4. It shows that not all children present illnesses the same, but like you we now know this is CP.

Oh your poor DS!

He's probably got them inside lots of places too, bless him!

I found Calamine cream (less drying than the lotion) Piriton and bicarb in the bath helped when my DDs were at the really itchy stage.

Can also recommend viralsoothe - DS1 has chicken pox at the moment and this is helping, alongside piriton and bicarb in bath