How do I ease the itchy chicken pox without using calamine lotion?

[Lilliput]

Ds is covered in spots, much, much worse than dd had it 2 weeks ago. He's only just 2 so calamine lotion is a trauma for both of us when applied. What are the alternatives?

Eurax cream-brilliant stuff and bicarb in the bath.

Good luck.

piriton anti histamine syrup (from boots or wherever) and bicarb in the bath

Give him a cotton wool ball and get him to dab his own spots and see who can dab the most.

Bicarb in a paste on each spot. There was a thread yesterday on this.

We used Eurax too.

I also used an aloe vera gel, which was great

i'd go eurax, lots of moisturising, as smoothign cream on very soothing and better than scratching, and lots of tlc and distraction!! poor itchy thing

you SPREAD on the calamine CREAM and put him in VERY old clothes. rub it into his hair too. keep reapplying it. dont bath him for as long as you can bear it, just a quick wash in teh nappy area

our DS1 had CP at 15 months and we found that the piriton made him very aggitated

piriton syrup

its like a miracle in a bottle

why is the calamine lotion traumatic fo ryou both?

I never found calamine lotion good for anything, ever. It dries, flakes off, and the dry flakiness makes you more itchy than ever. Useless stuff imo.

Eurax .. worked brilliantly when Dd had chicken pox .. calamine was useless

He screams when I put it on, I can't do it quick enough for him and I end up not doing a thorough job. I really hate seeing him upset when feeling so poorly which is my trauma.

Eurax lotion or cream, and piriton syrup.

Marvellous stuff.

porridge oats (in a sock) in his bath ...

I have given him some medised which has antihistamime in it and put him to bed. He is in a vest with poppers at the crotch so he can't effectively scratch him tummy which is one of the worst areas. His face is terrible though, I think the virus must mutate because the children who are getting it last in the group we know are far worse than the first kids to get it.

How do the porridge oats work?

Message withdrawn

lilliput - I have absolutely no idea how they work - but they do! It seems to soften the water....

I had chicken pox aged 28, and porridge oats were the only thing that helped me.

I also use them in ds's bath when his exzcema gets particularly bad.

I second Piriton syrup, we didn't need any cream.

Mum recommended toothpaste.

organic aftersun lotion?

Lilliput - I second the porridge oats. Try tying them into an old pair of pantyhose to stop them making a mess in the bath, then hold it under the running water.

Another vote for Piriton syrup - was a life saver when DD had chicken pox 3 weeks ago. I also found letting her soak in a bath with a capful of Balneum or Oilatum helped to soothe the spots and lessen itching.

definitely calamine cream, it's just aqueous cream that's pink. and piriton