What to use to ease chickenpox itching?

[messageinabottle]

Can you remind me what I can use to calm itching from chickenpox please?

DS is with my mum at the moment and has just come out in chicken pox spots! So I'm guessing will be covered by the time he gets home tonight.

I've seen a few suggestions:

Piriton syrup
bicarb of soda baths

and there was something else - something like acqueous cream with calamine lotion in it which is easier to apply? I can't find the thread where I found this

Tea tree oil? Am I making this up?!

Any other suggestions?

Also do you know roughly how long before the spots start scabbing over?

terrible timing I have two exams next week and am currently on study leave so DS cannot go to nursery aahhhrrggg!

thanks

Aloe vera cream/gel - from Holland & Barrett
Witch hazel
Oatmeal baths

They may not itch at all (2 dc), or they may throb (1 dc) rather than itch (1 dc).
2-4 days until all scabbed over.
Piriton syrup seemed to help with the 2dc who found them irritating. Calamine lotion as placebo effect, if nothing else.

apply calamine lotion with cotton wool.

we did have the calamine lotion cream that you speak of too which was very good actually you should be able to get that from most chemists.

cool baths.

dd had something called Allerief (syrup) which you can get over the counter.

i think its a few days before the spots scab over

lovely lovely

thanks you both much appreciated

I want to get out today before DS is back

I'm convinced the calamine lotion is not very effective too so will def use these suggestions, thanks

fingers crossed it's only 2-4 days until the spots scab over - that's a lot quicker than I thought

ooppps x post tulia!

thank you

it's just when I've used calamine for my own itchy bites it never really seems to help...

piriton and little oat parcels in the bath made from a pair of old tights. Calamine did bugger all for us

Eurax cream

i think (although my memory is hazy!) that the calamine lotion helps to dry the spots out?

I can second Eurax cream...did the business for dd1 who was rolling around in agony with the spots on her genitals also the tights with porage oats for the bath, really helps to heal/soothe their skin.

Mega sympathies for your ds, hope its not too bad for him

DS was only really itchy when tired - so at night and around breakfast time.
Piriton did the trick for him
Calamine lotion was more a novelty than a treatment, and he insisted on applying itself...so not very accurate .
The 1st night was bad - DS woke and crawled into our bed, wriggly and itchy and piriton only got him through 2 hours (4 hour intervals between doses...)so we can to shush and cuddle him back to sleep.
2nd night, stayed in his bed for longer, came in to us feeling itchy - just around time he was due for more piriton.
3rd night - piriton at bedtime and slept through.

Fingers crossed you and DS have a relatively "easy" time of it.

Tips I've heard recently.

Calamin in a spray. Keep it in fridge - very cooling

Peppermint oil in the bath

Also only contagious for 5 days after first spots appear

Calomine Lotion every time. It's good for mild sunburn too. The new recipe is clear so doesn't leave those dried pinkish marks on the skin like the old stuff used to (dd is very disappointed).

thanks all - much appreciated

oh no are me and DS in for a rough ride over the next couple of weeks???!!

lol tigana - DS is 2 so i KNOW he will want to apply all lotions etc himself!

He co-sleeps with us so (everything crossed) that will help?? [v v hopeful emoticon] lol

going out in a bit to see what the chemist has