DS has been diagnosed with chicken pox but I'm fairly sure they're wrong. What else could ít be?

[ShowOfHands]

10mo DS was off colour for a couple of days, feverish, off his food and sleepy but nothing specific. No cold symptoms, no cough etc and then yesterday around lunchtime I noticed a couple of spots appearing on his arms and legs. A couple of hours later there were lots more. I initially thought chicken pox as dd had it in the same way last year (feverish and cross for a few days and then spots suddenly appearing and lots of them within hours) BUT...

We have seen nobody in the last few weeks with chicken pox or who has come out with it subsequently. Of course it could have been a chance encounter but normally it takes close contact (he clings to me, occasionally goes to dh but goes near nobody else) and we haven't been anywhere or seen anybody outside of family and close friends. Not even heard of a case of the pox locally since easter and when dd had it last year it was all over the place.

It's only on his groin, legs and arms really. Odd spot on his torso and neck, but really only a couple, hundreds on his legs and quite a few on his arms. His knees and elbows seem to have the most spots.

It doesn't really look like chicken pox. They started off small and smooth and most are now raised and look like they have a head to them but they haven't got bigger like dd's did, they aren't as dark as chicken pox, as angry looking or itchy.

So what else? I've googled images of rubella, measles, roseola, hand foot and mouth etc etc but nothing fits.

So high temp, off colour and slightly red throat according to the GP and then lots of spots mainly on legs and arms and bottom. Not much on torso at all, nothing on his face. Raised, developing a head, some in clusters but look nothing like chicken pox.

I'm not sure what to think tbh. I'm keeping him in quarantine to be on the safe side but it makes no sense. Both MIL and my Mum remarked that they don't look like chicken pox but they don't know what they do look like.

Have googled echovirus and apart from it sounding terrifying in some cases, it still doesn't sound right at all.

"Echovirus may also produce a rash that spreads from the face down to the neck, upper extremities, and chest."

And echovirus 16 sounds rare and apparently is mostly linked to viral meningitis. Could he be mutating into something?

And dd is in a class with 5 females and 15 males. None of them are ill I tell you. Not so much as a blemish.

I am pinning all of my hopes on you btw Pol. Don't shatter my 'all P posters are lovely and brilliant' theory. Get diagnosing.

I got chicken pox at college having had no known contact with chickenpox at all. Dm mum as I hadn't picked it up through various epidemics at school, including my sister having it, and various close friends.

STOP GOOGLING

I agree the GP sounds wrong, I would hedge my bets it's a virus with a rash presenting.

I would take him to a pharmacy and get them to have a look. If you have one with a wise old pharmacist who has been doing it since God was a boy then all the better. Not a young scally just out of Uni type.

My GP told me once that DS had heat rash - the pharmacist where I took his script told me it was shingles. Nasty nasty shingles :(

Forever more, I have loved old man pharmacists

Have you tried infant piriton?

If it's an allergic reaction that will help.

Have you changed washing powder, your own shower gel, anything like that?

Knees and groin are common places as they get sweaty and the rash likes the warm, wet kind of place.

Still thinking.

Can you describe the blisters a bit more? Are they tiny and pin-prick like?

Showy, the CP rash can look a bit different on younger children, especially in the first day or two, and they may not always develop into a pustule. Normally with CP you get one spot that is more red and angry than the rest of them, is there one on your DS like this as that could help diagnose it?

WRT to not being in contact with anyone with CP lately, my DD had it when she was 2, she wasn't attending nursery/playgroup etc, hadn't been in contact with any friends who had had it, I gather she must have caught if off some random in a supermarket or such like.

I don't want to take a contagious whelp to the pharmacy. The old dears sit there all day chatting about various illnesses. They could probably diagnose it based on a rash they saw on Mildred in 73. The pharmacist is about 678 years old and lovely.

In breaking news, whilst napping on me he's developed 16 blisters on his right foot. So hfm might be possible after all, just an atypical presentation. He has 4 on his little toe ffs. 4! His little toe is the very definition of little.

The pharmacist will probably have a room or a space out the back you can go to.

Anyhoo.

It's not an allergy, pretty sure of that (our family knows all about allergies and various presentations).

Blisters are perfectly round, maybe a mm in diameter max, raised with redness round and behind the blister iyswim. Bit like acne but clearer blisters and smaller.

shingles?

google images of shingles isn't much like DS presented. this is closest

But he hasn't had cp so can't be shingles. It's a bit scaly, could be turning into a turtle.

Guttate psoriasis? this one But let's face it, it's more likely to be atypical presentation of CP or HFM (particuarly with the spots appearing on his feet now). Pore little scrap.

Urticaria? My DD was finally sent to a dermatologist when it appeared she had chicken pox for the third time in 2 years (impossible obv). If you google it it does mainly appear as a rash, however hers did look exactly like CP which is why different GPs kept diagnosing CP.

Are they in pits? If so eczema herpeticum. Ds1 had it, initially misdiagnosed as chickenpox, it can be very serious so if it's a risk at all you need to get it ruled out.

Blisters are perfectly round, maybe a mm in diameter max, raised with redness round and behind the blister iyswim. Bit like acne but clearer blisters and smaller.

Now that DOES sound like HFM! Exactly!

Banging on again about the foot blisters, when mine had it, when they dried out they went exactly like you'd expect a normal foot blister to go, and started peeling all around the teeny toes!

NHS choices/direct/doodah sites all say HFM blisters are rugby ball shaped NOT round.

jimjams, no pits, they're all raised like sandpaper to touch.

Sounds like dd's chicken pox too, but she had them all over torso too. Are you still bf, it could be milder due to your immunity if you were exposed at same time. Ring the pharmacy, don't mention dr dx ask if they mind you bringing him up, once there the pharmacist will probably come outside to have a look. If HFM the rest of you will probably develop it if you're not already immune.

I am still bfing thankfully. He's only interested in bm and sleep atm. His torso is mildly affected with the odd cluster of spots but nothing like his legs and arms and bottom.

I might ring the pharmacist, it can't hurt.

I believe you can have shingles without first appearing to have had CP. A case of CP can be mild enough to be dismissed as a cold or flu. Not all cases get pox. That said, shingles is normally in a stripe pattern and not all over limbs.

Poor soldier :(

Pharmacist says cp. He stole her glasses. Milder presentation is due to bfing. Def not hfm she says.

Good to hear you've got a confirmation but I'm confused - who stole whose glasses?

Mystery solved, apparently you can occassionally get it again if you have it under 1 year, but hopefully enough for immunity. It sounds a lot like dd1's cp but she was 4, she's been exposed lots of times since but never developed it.