So is this chickenpox?

[Lionstar]

... because I really can't tell, but poor DD seems to be suffering.

Started last night with a very restless night, she finally settled in the early hours after some Calprofen. Up at usual time, took her nappy off and noticed a spot which looked a bit blistered. It was on the inside of her thigh, but on the line where her wrap sits (Motherease airflow). I supposed it was a touch of nappy rash, though thought it odd because she only wears nappies at night and is not suceptible to nappy rash anyway. So she sits on the potty for her morning business (TMI alert), but when I wipe her there is some blood and I look in her potty the poo is fairly blood covered. Poo is fairly solid, but not unduly so and she didn't express any discomfort.

So later on I tell DP about her spot/blister and next potty break we have another look - and there are more spots/rash - all in the nappy area, inside of thighs and bottom. However only 4 or 5 of the bigger ones look blistered. We suspect at this point it's chickenpox and phone around recent contacts and put off todays visits. She seemed fine in herself (for a typically tantrummy almost 2-year old anyway) however about mid-afternoon after a very short nap she was very distressed, crying, clingy, red-cheeks etc. Some more Calprofen and a walk outside helped calm her down.

She has eaten and drunk OK, although she has intermittently complained her mouth hurts - oddly enough especially when breast-feeding. She is mid-way through getting her incisors though. Her spots have got no worse, a possible slight rash up onto her tummy (but ever so faint), also a handful of spots on her legs which possibly have very small heads/blisters. She had a nice bath with bicarb and went to sleep quite happily.

So does this sound like it could be chickenpox, or possibly something else viral? I'm expecting a hard night (I have some anti-histamine to hand), but then the teeth can account for that. I thought classic chickenpox started on the torso and spread to the extremities - but she has nothing from the waist up. The bloody poo was a bit worrying, but if not constipation then maybe she has some more blisters inside?

Is it usual to take kids to the docs for confirmation of the pox? I didn't think it right to take a possibly contagious child to a surgery full of poorly people. What would you do?

It does sound like chicken pox,but I am only going by my daughters.I think the rash can vary quite a lot in terms of location.Both mine got spots initially in their groins and under their hair.the only thing odd is the blood-I would get a doc to check it out for that reason.My two had a horrible couple of days but it did clear quickly.Oats in the bath (in a stocking),helped a bit,but I also used anti histamines and calamine cream.

I would give NHS direct a call about the blood in her potty. This would concern me so she could do with getting checked out. She does sound unwell so it's best to give them a call. The general rule is that chicken pox does spread very quickly so if she only has a small amount of spots after 24 hours it's not likely to be chicken pox but I may be wrong. It's a skin condition by the way so the blood in the potty needs investigating, you really should give them a call. She may have a hemeroid (sp?) that has started bleeding but let the doctors diagnose this.

The blisters are the key and it sounds like chicken pox to me (NOT a medical person but Mum of 3)

I never went to the Dr with them - they might catch a real lurgy there! Get in some piriton and prepare for cabin fever If you're lucky your friends will send their children round to catch it too.

Just re read OP would be more concerned about blood in poo

Thanks for the replies. Still undecided if it's chickenpox though. I'll see how she is overnight then maybe try the docs or NHS direct in the morning, especially if the blood returns.

So frustrating not to know if she has had chickenpox or not!

I see you are using calprofen. On my wanderings I have read that you should not use ibruprofen with chicken pox. I have got a link to a site that says you should only use it with chickenpox under a doctors suprvision.

here

Go all the way down the page. Personally I would not risk it even though they say it is not proven to be linked to the disease. If anything I would stick to plain old calpol.

Thanks believer07 that's interesting, I've never heard that. Maybe I'll switch to Calpol to be on the safe side.

Would agree that the blood in the potty needs checking as unlikely to be linked. Have you checked her mouth for spots? If she is complaining of pain, one of the areas the pox can first appear is in the mouth. Good luck!

Bit of a weird suggestion but could it be hives? The rash can be sort of similar to chicken pox. I work as a nanny and one child I looked after had what mum thought was CP but when I turned up for worked I thought ti looked a bit weird. Took her to the GP and he said it was hives (possibly from blackcurrants she had eaten)

I just did a quick google of hives and blood and got this link. Sounds like it could be hives but I'm just going on that one experience of chicken pox v hives rash.

What colour was blood in potty? Red or brown? If red is there a cut on her bum? Also if Red I would ring NHS direct to be on the safe side, if brown I would keep an eye on her. Either way go to GP ASAP to be safe.

Also just found this link

Says symptom of food allergy:

Blood in the stool
Hives
Itching
Mouth itching
Mouth tingling

Any new foods over the festive period?

Also just before I go to bed, the baby I looked after sort of had a rash that looked like this

But it was strange because some of the rash was raised and sort of tear drop like, in the same way chicken pox can be. But more were flat and sort of bubbily? Really hard to explain, I was just thinking it looked like some sort of cross between severe heat rash and chicken pox as had never seen hives before.

Also she had it all around her nappy area, inner thighs and on her tummy mainly below bellt button. But she did have a few on her face. Also sometimes if you looked it looked like they were fading then other times it looked like they were worse? Was weird!

Anyway, sorry to ramble just don't want you to be worried.

Thanks navy, funny you should mention it but she has had a case of unexplained hives before, but it was all over her body, came up very quickly and went just as quickly after anti-histamines - thinking back I did suspect chickenpox then too. This is a different rash, being confined to one area and the blisters are smaller, still could be though.

Interesting the link to hives and blood leakage etc. I can't think of anything that might have provoked an allergic reaction, though the Calprofen could be a culprit, she has had it plenty of times before with no reaction.

The blood was fresh btw, but it only seemed to be on the outside of the poo, not mixed in it (sorry TMI again). My initial though was constipation, but there was more than I would have expected and she wasn't uncomfortable passing it.

another great pic of how her rash looked

Hope it helps, night night!

It doesn't sound like chickenpox to me. No expert but have had 2 experiences of chicken pox and both times the spots first appeared on the lower back area. They looked like midge bites but after 24 hours more had appeared on the front belly area and looked angrier. Hope your lo feels better soon.

It doesn't sound like chickenpox to me. No expert but have had 2 experiences of chicken pox and both times the spots first appeared on the lower back area. They looked like midge bites but after 24 hours more had appeared on the front belly area and looked angrier. Hope your lo feels better soon.

What about hand foot and mouth?

When I was umming and arrring over chicken pox a couple of weeks ago someone told me that hand foor and mouth can affect the nappy area (and obviously mouth - which you hint at) - check the palms of hands and soles of feet.

You are right though - it doesn't sound like classical chicken pox which normally starts on the torso and spreads very rapidly.

With others - I would be slightly concerned about teh blood in the potty - although if she was constipated and could have some anal fissures or piles as a result I would worry less.

My dd started with cp last Saturday. She had about 5 spots on her neck. Sunday & Monday she got a few more, but still in total no more than 20. But Tuesday morning when she woke up she was covered. They started like red spots but quickly developed into blisters. These blisters remained for quite some time (except the one on the side of her nose which she scratched unfortunately) and even the earliest ones only really started scabbing over yesterday.

I knew she'd been exposed to cp about 12 days before she got her first spots, so was expecting it, but wasn't sure at first as it took quite a long time for her to get a lot of spots. However they were classic cp spots, and I remembered that when my ds2 got it years ago, he only had 1 spot for about 2-3 days before getting it properly.

Thanks for all your messages. We've just returned from the docs. DNA that was a good guess, and was something the doc looked for, however she doesn't have the rash on hands and feet. He decided it was a non-specific viral rash, something in he cocksakie virus group. The blood in the poo is not a concern, probably a small fissure. She can go back to nursery on Tuesday

Just call me Dr DNA ....sounds like I said practically every thing he did.