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Original poster

Chickenpox, really worried. Am I being dramatic.

71 replies

mommal20 · 29/12/2021 23:59

1yo son has been poorly for a few days. Really really high fever, I'm covid positive so thought maybe he'd caught that. Then this morning he was so bad I phoned an ambulance. Really really drowsy, cold hands & feet and a rash developing that wouldn't fade under a glass. My thoughts were sepsis/meningitis.

They came straight out and took him straight in. Hours later discharged with chickenpox. No blood tests or anything like that were ran.

Now ever since he really doesn't seem himself, he's slept pretty much 80% of the time, he doesn't want to play, eat or even watch TV. He doesn't want to be touched by myself or his dad. His fever is up and down and his heartbeat seems way faster than usual.

Am I being dramatic to be concerned? I didn't think the chickenpox was this bad. He's really not himself Sad I don't want to bother the NHS again if it's only chickenpox but it's not sitting right with me Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 00:24

Thanks all. I'm going to give him an hour to do a wee, if not I'm just taking him back to the hospital ♥️

OP posts:
Lennon80 · 30/12/2021 00:24

So basically his basic observations were unremarkable by sounds of it hence discharge - sounds he was a bit dehydrated(common when unwell) and maybe that explains lack of wee? Keep fluids up, keep checking on him and if your gut tells you he’s getting worse I’d consider going back. You can alternate with nurophen and calpol so you don’t have to wait ages between doses too - I’ve always done that when they’ve had raging temps.

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 00:25

@Lennon80 can't give ibuprofen if they have chicken pox x

OP posts:
Lennon80 · 30/12/2021 00:26

Of course - forgot about that! Yes just calpol isn’t it.

rrhuth · 30/12/2021 00:26

[quote mommal20]@rrhuth

I don't think he's as bad as he was when I called 999 this morning, but still enough to be worried but I don't think it's a 999 situation right now.

His hands and feet have warmed up, he's been sleeping on and off for the past 7 hours now but he can be woken and will wake for a drink or nappy change. Breathing absolutely fine too.

[/quote]
No one here can really advise, other than to say get medical advice if you are worried and don't worry about going back.

rach2713 · 30/12/2021 00:27

i have 3 girls and they all haf chicken pox a few weeks back and my 2 year old took it worst not with spots but really high temp and sleeping not eatting. If your worried get him checked out again put yourself at rest..

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 00:28

Thanks everyone Thanks going to set an alarm for an hours time and see if he's done any wee and if the calpol has took the temp back down

OP posts:
Lennon80 · 30/12/2021 00:29

Let us know how you get on x

Cici22 · 30/12/2021 00:30

Sending lots of love and hope you are both better soon xx

roseblosssom · 30/12/2021 00:34

Ahh bless him. I'd try to test him, he could be really unlucky and have Covid alongside the chicken pox hence being very poorly. Definitely be vigilant to things like sepsis though and take him back to hospital if you aren't happy with how he's doing.

rrhuth · 30/12/2021 00:34

Hope he's feeling better soon Brew

makingmiracles · 30/12/2021 00:37

We’ve just had covid about a month ago, the whole household was positive except dd5, she tested neg all the way along, but Gp said it’s very likely she had it as viral load in our household would’ve been high.

She was in bed for 10 days, very lethargic, droopy eyed, wanted to sleep all the time, wouldn’t get out of bed and play, said her eyes hurt and her tummy hurt, couldn’t keep food down, had cold symptoms-runny nose, slight cough etc. throughout the 10day period, her temp would not go below 38, every few hours it crept back up to 39 and on day 7 it went up to 40.3 and even calpol didn’t bring it down, then all of a sudden one morning she got up, no temp, started playing again, started eating again and was back to her usual self.

It’s the most ill she’s ever been and I think because people say kids mostly are asymptomatic or only get it mildly, it’s a shock when a small child is really very poorly with covid.

Trust your instincts and as others have said, professionals would rather check small children/babies and it be nothing serious, than miss something awful, phone 111 if you think you need to.

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 06:57

Got up and checked, yep he had a full nappy so all good and his temp was fine.

Just woke up to him laid on my projectile vomiting all over me, just water no food. And absolutely red hot. Given him some more calpol and ringing doc at 8

OP posts:
BlueDuckBlue · 30/12/2021 09:40

How is he today?

Sending positive vibes and hope he's on the mend .

CrabbyCat · 30/12/2021 09:47

I'd absolutely get him checked out, but just to say chickenpox absolutely can make them really ill - about 3000 children a year are hospitalised with chickenpox in the UK. Pretty much every other country in the developed world vaccinates against it for that reason, we don't because it's hoped a high rate of children getting chickenpox helps protect old people from shingles.

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 10:00

He's still not good. Docs phoned back and they're sending us somewhere midday. I just really hope they do a proper check off him to put my mind and rest.

OP posts:
supercatlady · 30/12/2021 10:10

If he’s now vomiting it might be worth asking about paracetamol suppositories. My son always used to vomit with a high temp. We used to give him ice poles too.

rrhuth · 30/12/2021 10:18

The one piece of advice I would give is to explicitly ask the questions you want answered. So spend the time this morning writing these down so that you get the info you need.

Examples of useful questions I have asked before are:

  • 'Can you please explain how you assess whether there is anything seriously wrong?'
  • 'What conditions have you considered and ruled out?'
  • 'Parents get warned to worry about things like sepsis and meningitis, how do you know when to check for things like that?'
  • 'What should I look for when I take him home and how will I know if I need to bring him back?'

I have learned to name the specific worries to make the conversations more helpful (I had a child who needed quite a bit of medical help/review and I got better at asking!). Good doctors are making assessments all the time in their heads - but it is only if they explain what they are thinking/doing that you know what has been done.

Glad the GP is helping, hopefully it will be a reassuring check and a rapid recovery!

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 10:32

See we've got up now and he seems so much better. Now the doctors are probably going to say he looks fine/just a bug blah blah blah.

The vomiting was twice and I think that was due to the heat.

He's sat here eating chicken and yoghurt now and actively watching the tv.

Will still take him and make it clear how concerned I am and what I'm to do if he goes back downhill.

OP posts:
Lennon80 · 30/12/2021 10:56

Often of temp gets very high they do vomit - one of mine had infected tonsils once and was vomiting loss as his temp was 40

Hiyawotcha · 30/12/2021 11:02

Chicken pox severity can vary enormously. Dd had it with not much bother but her younger brother who was about 2 was really ridden - more spot than skin and just utterly miserable. 16 now and still has the scars on his trunk. Dd has one tiny mark next to her eye (was the first spot).
When my youngest got it years later was again no bother. I reckon ds1 had it so bad because much much greater exposure via dd.

Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 11:32

This is what they look like now but they keep coming and going. I'm not convinced it's CP? Surely they wouldn't come and go Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
mommal20 · 30/12/2021 11:34

That's his torso, they were there last night, slightly gone/not red this morning and now they're there and red again Hmm

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 30/12/2021 12:02

I reckon ds1 had it so bad because much much greater exposure via dd

Every set of siblings I know who’ve had CP, it has been worse for whoever has caught it second (and even worse third)

DD is an only child and had it very mildly in terms of spots but had 24h of being very unwell with it nevertheless in terms of a very high temperature.

OP, I hope you get some useful advice and reassurance today.

Hiyawotcha · 30/12/2021 12:41

2nd pic def looks like chicken pox to me? Are any of them blistering yet? Not all seemed to with my dcs. The first photo looks a bit like a t shirt or clothes have rubbed the spots.
If you can get hold of calamine aqueous cream that can be soothing. The lotion sort of dries them out.
If it is chicken pox, then baths can help - I used to fill the foot of tights or an old sock with porridge oats and run the bath through them, then squeeze out. Maybe a bit of bicarbonate in the water too once they have scabbed to help dry out the spots.