chicken pox - advice please

[fryalot]

My dd2 has been exposed to chicken pox, and this morning has spots, so fairly happy with my home diagnosis. Do I need to take her to a doctor, or can I just treat her at home? Is my dd1 infectious? She has already had it so I don't think she will get it, but can she carry it? Do I have to tell anyone? Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks

pmsl no! However you can only get shingles if you have had chicken pox and you can't catch it off someone with chicken pox. It's something that if you've had the cp virus in your system in the past it can be triggered if you are run down, stressed or have low immunity so it's not shingles thank god!

I started with spots and itching last night. Dh also got some spots but they havent spread in the night.
I'm still quite itchy though.
DD was getting worse in bed too. They're really spreading now and becoming really red too

Hi

DD 19 months has just recovered from a really nasty bout - gave up counting, but she must have had over 30 spots on chest, 30 on back, 20 on face and loads in her nappy area . We found Calamine in Aqueous cream good. And we bathed her in lukewarm water up to 4 times a day for the first few days when the spots were really irritating her. We put a sock with porridge oats in the water (give it a good squeeze), which is soothing for the skin. I also chucked in 4 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda. Piriton Syrup at night was a godsend. She didn't really scratch, but having so many spots meant that some inevitably had the scabs knocked off. I am now using vitamin E oil on the remaining marks and scabs, which is supposed to help reduce scarring.
All the above tips were from previous threads on Mumsnet, so will save an archive search maybe!

dd still getting spots and they're itching now so the calamine has come out in force. ds still totally spot free and running about like a good'un. I feel awful, really achy and flu-ey, cold as well. dp away for the weekend so nobody to look after us! bleurgh!

DD definately has the pox now as well. I'm feeling dreadful today so expect to come down with it too.

DD's spots look awful. I was crying when I bathed her last night . They look so angry and painful.
How do you feel Ledodgy? I feel all full of cold this morning and cant stop sneezing. I hope I'm not getting it.
Although it may be a sad excuse to get some bed rest!

Calendula cream is brilliant for chickenpox spots - it's not as drying as calamine lotion (or as messy!) and it's supposed to help with the scarring as well. You can get it from health food shops and some Boots. Piriton syrup works really well too, but it gave my dd hallucinations - really scary until I realized what was happening so be warned just in case it's not just her it does it to. Bicarb in the bath and huge amounts of telly!

You can get some amazing stuff called Eurax to put on the spots. It is for 3 plus but I used it on dd2 at 2 and a half - my GP said it was fine - also phenergan is IME better than piriton.

My little boy (18 months) caught the pox from his cousins. He didn't seem unwell in those few days before the spots appeared, just a bit tired and quiet and some mild cold symptoms. He went to playgroup during that time and when he was mean to the other kids, I would make him kiss them and say sorry - so I might have started an epidemic in my local area! Now he's got about 40-odd spots with more appearing all the time. They are worst on his back and groin, particularly around his bottom. I've been bathing him twice daily in bicarbonate of soda and have started him on piriton as he was having trouble sleeping - except he's just done the most smelly poo ever so I think that it's giving him an upset tummy. He's going to be a pageboy next Saturday, so I hope that he'll be okay by then! Lovely and spotty for the photos! My DH hasn't had it, so am bit worried he's going to catch it, but we'll have to wait and see...