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Original poster

4-year-old with chickenpox on genitals

28 replies

imaginaryfriend · 18/02/2007 08:36

Any tips as to anything at all I can do to ease her pain with these? She's been up since 5am crying and unable to get comfortable.

So far I've been getting her to sit in a warm bath with bicarb of soda in it. She's taking piriton, and we've got calamine lotion flowing.

Anything else at all? And how long before the intense soreness / itching goes?

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 18/02/2007 08:39

Oh how awful Sorry I don't know the answer but I just wanted to offer sympathy and also wave to you, IF

Yogurt is good for thrush, nice and cold and soothing, do you think it could help with pox? Could she sit in a nappy covered with calamine or yogurt?

carol3 · 18/02/2007 08:39

t tree in the bath, and just stay in the bath as much as possible that was the only thing that helped when dd had it. Itching got better after a couple of days. Hope she gets better soon.

Twiglett · 18/02/2007 08:39

bath run through a sock with porridge oats in it ... very soothing

I find that sometimes the calamine can make it worse because as it dries it can be itchy

poor little thing

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 18/02/2007 08:45

hi franny

Thanks for the messages. Dd is sitting with me, and was very touched that so many mummies she doesn't know sent her love!

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nearlythree · 18/02/2007 08:48

There is something called Eurax, it's a lotion from teh chemist. I have no idea what is in it but it was amazing for our dds - my little dds in particular got these on he rgenitals and this stuff did the trick. We had a friend staying who is a paed. nurse and she was really impressed with this stuff.

HTH and that she feels better soon. xxx

castlesintheair · 18/02/2007 08:51

I used Boots Calamine & Glycerin Cream on my DD when she had it a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't dry the skin out like calamine lotion. It's also good to use on their face. One day it was so sore I used Metonium (sp?) nappy rash cream. My DD stopped walking like John Wayne after about 5 days but she had it quite badly I think.

Someone else said put oatmeal in the bath but I didn't try that.

nearlythree · 18/02/2007 09:06

(It won't help your dd but I got CP when I was thirteen and on my period, in the middle of the summer holidays.)

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 18/02/2007 14:45

I'll try that, castles, thanks.

nearlythree - that Eurax cream seems to have worked wonders so far. I had dd sitting in a bowl of warm water on the lounge floor watchiing t.v. (because it was the only place she wasn't just rolling round screaming her head off) while dp ran off to get some. She hasn't complained about that part of her body since!

As for the rest of her body ...

Oh, and nearlythree, very similar, I had CP when I was 21 (my ex-husband and I got it on our honeymoon and had to come home early) at the same time as a period. I remember those genital spots very well ... ouch ...

OP posts:

Incodnito · 18/02/2007 14:52

Bicarbonate of soda in the bath really takes the itch away, its also helpful for thrush.

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 18/02/2007 21:49

Yes, bicarb of soda is a life-saver. I've had her sitting in a bowl of it wrapped in a towel in front of the t.v. for much of today!

She's got about 20 spots on her genitals and they're driving her crazy. She wants to scratch but knows she can't / shouldn't and so she just cries and writhes around. It took me ages to get her to sleep she was so sore.

Does anyone know how many days the intense itchy soreness goes on for?

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Fubsy · 18/02/2007 22:04

I really sympathise i had the same when I was 26! Was living in a nurses home at the time, so couldnt even sit in the bath all day.

I found pouring a jug of lukewrm water over myself when I peed helped, as otherwise the pain was incredible.

Hope she feels better soon.

nearlythree · 19/02/2007 07:35

imaginary, we found phenergan to be good for helping sleep. Our dds were itchy for about three days'.

paulaplumpbottom · 19/02/2007 08:19

Poor little thing, Have you tried an oatmeal bath?

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 19/02/2007 12:57

Yes, we've done an oatmeal bath. The bicarb of soda bath seems better. She finally let me have a look at her genitals today and she's got a huge chickenpox spot right over her whole clitoris, really deep and pitted and everything looks flame red and swollen. I took her to the GP but he couldn't suggest anything further. I guess we've just got to sweat it out ...

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paulaplumpbottom · 19/02/2007 16:56

Unfortunatly its probably all you can do. I hope she feels better soon. It sounds awful.

castlesintheair · 19/02/2007 17:34

Ouch, that's brought tears to my eyes. I hope she's better soon. Piriton helps. That's probably been suggested already, but just in case.

Whoooosh · 19/02/2007 17:38

My firend's dd aged 6 has chicken pox too at the moment and screams in pain when she wees-I too am at a loss how to help the poor thing.

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 19/02/2007 18:41

whoosh, if your friend hasn't tried it I've found that sitting in abowl of sodium bicarb really helps dd. Plus that Eurax cream someone mentioned to me earlier.

It's v painful to see

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Whoooosh · 19/02/2007 22:32

Thanks-will call her now to tell her-it is ehartbreaking.
Best of luck withyou too.[asmile]

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 19/02/2007 23:12

Just re-read my advice, I meant sitting in a bowl of warm water with sodium bicarb in it. I was typing with dd curled up on my knee.

OP posts:

nearlythree · 20/02/2007 10:25

Just remembered that we also used Green People's Baby Salve on our dds' gentital area - it's incredibly soothing and healing - again my nurse friend was v. impressed. It's not that easy to get hold of though - we get ours in Waitrose.

Original poster

imaginaryfriend · 20/02/2007 14:42

Thanks nearlythree. The Eurax has been a real help. Plus the GP prescribed some calamine aqueous cream which is much better than the lotion for the rest of her body. I think today she's a bit better. She got up at 6am crying with sore genitals, but has only had one bathing and creaming session so far and is currently fast asleep which is highly unusual for her.

OP posts:

nearlythree · 20/02/2007 18:04

CP really knocks them out, my friend recommended giving the dds another week off after their spots dried to allow their immune systems to boost up again.

Fubsy · 20/02/2007 18:06

Wish Id known about calamine aqueous cream when DD had CP - it sounds much nicer than drying lotion.

paulaplumpbottom · 21/02/2007 15:31

How is she today?

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