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General health

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Original poster

BCG shot...still red at 6.5 months...Doc says fine but I feel like it's getting redder.

16 replies

bellomum · 26/02/2006 21:32

DB had her BCG shot on her right shoulder. Each time I've gone to the doc I ask and she says it's fine, over time it will diminish. But tonight in the bath I thought it looked redder. Has anyone else noticed this?

OP posts:

chapsmum · 26/02/2006 21:36

scars do tend to look worse in the bath I have to say. sorry for ignorance what is a db how old and I take it your in a high risk area???

99redballoons · 27/02/2006 07:38

My ds had his BCG at 14mo and it's only just beginning to look like a slight blemish on the skin at 2.6yr! It's taken forever for it to calm down. The first couple of weeks it looked fine, then a month after the shot it blistered and looked awful for about 8 months. No creams on it (the advice I was given), just wash lightly with clean water in the bath. Like I said almost a year in it healed but still looked violent, but never pierced again. Finally it's calmed down and looks like a red scar on his arm rather than a blister, which I'm hoping will fade back to skin colour.

I really hope your dd's doesn't take this long. About to get my 4mo dd done once she's over her cold. Hopefully she won't have such a 'bad' reaction. I think it depends on the child and how the shot was given (too deep). Just to let you know it might get worse before it gets better and it might take ages.

Original poster

bellomum · 27/02/2006 08:11

Thanks 99redballoons. DB is 6.5 months. She got this shot pretty early on.

OP posts:

outtolunch · 27/02/2006 09:13

ds's seemed to flare up then go return to a pinkish mark for several months after- a year later and it finally seems to have settled down.

izzybiz · 27/02/2006 09:50

i was 16 when i had mine, it looked sore for ages, at one point it turned into a sort of blister, took a long time to settle, still have the scar now, and im 30.

lizardqueen · 27/02/2006 09:51

DS3 had nis when he was six weeks old. He's now 18 months and it's only recently that the lumpiness went out of it - it's still a big red mark.

99redballoons · 27/02/2006 10:09

I think the docs know it can take a year or so to heal properly, but ofcourse the NHS literature doesn't say this at all and makes you worry unnecessarily.. if only they included that this may be a possibility or even that it's normal it would give us one less thing to worry about! They always down-play things to do with vaccinations, but in this instance a bit more honesty would be appreciated I'm sure.

(Sorry, just reliving my anxiety about ds' BCG! Rant over)

chapsmum · 27/02/2006 11:06

the only reason a bcg would really flare up, is if your DB lready hd tb. But it would react very violently. This is why all minor reactions are relatively normal, a major one would be very noticable!

uwila · 27/02/2006 11:23

DS had the BCG at 2 days old. He is now 9 months and the blister and scabbing are gone, but still a bit red. I think I was told that it would heal around 12 months. This all okay with me. A little scar is better than TB.

GDG · 27/02/2006 11:24

Gosh it will take a lot longer than 6 months to go. Ds3's has just about gone and he's 18 months - had the jab about 2 months. Same for ds1 and ds2 - it looks horrible for a good while and then all of a sudden I just notice it's gone. It doesn't bother them and, imo, is well worth it.

Original poster

bellomum · 08/03/2006 19:07

Tonight, again while in the bath, I noticed a white top on this and while sort of poking around, all of a sudden some greenish fluid came pouring out. Very much like popping a pimple, sorry to say, but without any pressure at all. I managed to get quite a lot of gunk out before baby complained. Spot already looks calmer...but I'm a bit freaked out. I saw GP the other day and she didn't think anything of it. But what's with all this fluid? I put some first aid cream on it before bedtime. DB doesn't seem in the least bit bothered but I'm upset.

OP posts:

hana · 08/03/2006 19:10

dd2 still has an angry red mark about the size of a baby fingernail where she had it done , she's 14 months- dd1 had no mark at all

VeniVidiVickiQV · 08/03/2006 19:11

It takes ages and ages for the redness to go. Its nothing to worry about. It takes a while to go because the vaccine is injected just under the skins surface rather than into the muscle.

Original poster

bellomum · 08/03/2006 20:57

what about the fact that fluid is draining, and greenish (i.e. puss) fluid at that?

OP posts:

mum2sam · 08/03/2006 23:20

Infection??? I would just leave it alone and not go poking it or anything im sure if the doctor is aware and says its fine then it must be.

chapsmum · 08/03/2006 23:27

as far as tb is concerned it is probably ok, as I said before the only bad reaction would be a big one.

do you think it needs a dressing? I yu do I woiuld see your practse nurse as some dressings are not suitable. Nurses tend to know more about drs as far as wound dressings go.

If it is not surrounded by red raised ad hot tissue it is probbly ok. If the redness spreads or starts to track away from the site. Or she develops a temp with no other obvious cause of infection, then I would see you gp again.

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