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Original poster

Bicarb, porridge, Eurax, Calamine - which is best for chickenpox??

41 replies

zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 13:23

Off to the shops this afternoon to get something for ds.

He's still got blisters bar one whic he scratched and is now really irritating him.

Is eurax better than calamine or just the same?

OP posts:
flack · 04/04/2007 13:24

Antihistamines (piriton syrup) if he's over 2. Is he actually itching or are you just preparing? Mine didn't itch at all, in spite of being covered.

flack · 04/04/2007 13:25

sorry, see you say he is itching. whingy 5yo in background or I would have read your op better!

Original poster
zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 13:27

Actually he's not really itching yet! Only the blister that he scratched and popped itches, the rest aren't bothering him... are the baths for after they have popped or to dry up the blisters?

OP posts:
flack · 04/04/2007 13:29

baths? sorry, don't follow! I think I just bathed mine as normal when they had spots. They truly didn't seem to itch at all. Watch for infection on the one that popped, I imagine. I wonder if you could put a plaster on it and then he might ignore better.

daisy1999 · 04/04/2007 13:29

definately piriton (also has the added benefit of making them sleepy, so he might get some sleep at night)

Original poster
zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 13:31

Apparently bathing with some porridge oats in a muslin and a spoon of bicarb is very soothing and dries out the spots.... I'm just trying to be prepared as so far he's not coping with it very well so imagine if they begin to itch he'll be even worse! (he's 2.9)

OP posts:
oliveoil · 04/04/2007 13:32

calamine liquid made dd1 distressed when she looked in the mirror and her face was white and flaky

so we got a cream version of it that rubbed in, on prescription, but you probably will be able to get it over the counter

piriton as well

Original poster
zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 13:33

Is piriton for now or for if they itch? Sounds ideal if it'll help him sleep - he's up pretty much every 4 hours when the paracetamol wears off at the moment (although he's just had a tonsil and adenoidectomy too!)

OP posts:
PippiLangstrump · 04/04/2007 13:35

DD hated calamine lotion - she begged me not to put it on, 20m. but she liked the calamine acqueous cream, which did the job perfectly. gave antihistamine only once as she did not seem to itch much.

flack · 04/04/2007 13:36

Piriton for the itch and help them sleep. Might get the spots drier marginally faster, too -- not sure why that matters, though.

Original poster
zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 14:14

Is there anything to put on the blisters or is it just a case of sit and wait for the next stage?

Anyone tried Eurax?

OP posts:
99redballoons · 04/04/2007 16:19

just found 20 spots on ds 3.10 this afternooon, reading this with much interest!

He was so distressed with the lotion "so cold mummy! No mummy!" so maybe the cream would be better (had the liq in the cupboard already). Will look for the piriton too, can you get this over the counter?

spykid · 04/04/2007 16:21

we used eurax
no scratchinhg and no scars!!

Original poster
zephyrcat · 04/04/2007 17:17

Sorry to hear you're going through it too - it's awful isn't it??

I've just managed to get some cream although when I asked for it the pharmasist looked a bit confused and said they only had the lotion, so I said I needed something for chicken pox, she disappeared and came back with the cream!

Also got some oats for the bath thing, he hasn't been allowed to have a bath because of his op but he won't let me wash him and the blister he scratched off is looking likely to be infected Do you think I should put a plaster on it after his bath?

OP posts:
99redballoons · 04/04/2007 20:24

Hi zephrycat, god, they just appear from nowhere don't they. I kept checking him every 30 mins and there were more and more. He def liked the calamine cream to the lotion. Also put a cup full of oats in a muslin in the bath with him tonight. My hands were quite dry afterwards so hopefully it will do the trick with his skin. Dh also managed to pick up some Puritin on the way home and gave him a dose of that before he went down. Fingers crossed he'll sleep for a few long hours before waking us (cough.. ME) up in the night. He didn't like the idea of knowing there are more to come, but I said I'd give him one choc button for every spot I have to dab and he beamed with that (ofcourse there's no more than 10 atm!!)

Hope you're night goes ok. Will check in again in the morn.

PS. I have a dd 17mo and I'm dreading the thought she'll be getting it in 2 wks too!!

99redballoons · 04/04/2007 20:25

Sorry - piriton!

Mumbojumbo · 04/04/2007 20:30

Used calamine on both ds1 and ds2. Tried to make a bit of a game out of it by painting it on with a little paintbrush and doing join the dots!

CorrieDale · 04/04/2007 20:34

We used piriton and Eurax. The only problem wtih the cream is that when they're really covered with the spots, it takes absolutely ages to annoint them.

fuzzywuzzy · 04/04/2007 20:41

I bathed dd in bicarb at the point when all the spots had come out, the spots were all dried out by the following morning, and it soothed the itching too.

Must remember about the piriton for when it's dd2's turn...

99redballoons · 05/04/2007 12:52

How are things this morning zephyrcat? Ds actually slept through, changed him into summer pj's and duvet last night in the hope he wouldn't get too sweaty. He didn't wake up with too many more but they've come on in the day and are blistering now. I think tonight will be our bad night.

Dreading the thought of 17mo dd getting it in two weeks...

helmc · 05/04/2007 15:04

My dd1 5 has suffered badly the last 2 nights the only thing that seems to soothe the itch is bicarb in the bath. Piriton didn't help at all and certainly didn't knock her out so I tried phenergan which is another antihistamine which is more sedating than piriton, last night, which was better but by no means great. She is definately brighter today though so hopefully we are over the worse. Can't wait for 10 days time when DD2 1.10 gets it!

Original poster
zephyrcat · 05/04/2007 17:42

Hiya - sorry been a hectic day!! DD2's 1st b'day and had to go and view a possible place to live - not a good time for pox!

I took ds to the doc this morning and got some antibiotic cream for one that's possibly infected. Other than that he's picked up a little today, not feeling quite as sorry for himself and hasn't had any calpol so far!

He seems to be itching his head a lot today though and def has lots more spots. I gave him a cool bath with bicarb and porrige oats and he loved that so it must have been soothing, bless him! I'm hoping that this is the start of the end!

OP posts:
Original poster
zephyrcat · 05/04/2007 17:44

I forgot, ds has had strange purple blotches on his face all day -anyone else had that??

Also the doc said that the aqueous (sp) calamine cream is a million times better than the lotion.

OP posts:
Weegle · 05/04/2007 18:16

Yes DS also had purple blotches - some became spots, some just faded.

We did bicarb baths followed by calamine lotion on the body and calomine/glycerin cream on face and behind ears (he has been literally covered). Lots of naked time after the baths (3-4 times a day) to dry out. This seemed to be the only time he was happy.

Now they are mostly scabbed and falling off (yuk) and we are using aloe vera gel which is more moisturising as well as naturally anti-bacterial but dries clear so doesn't look so ghost-like and he seems to love having it put on and I'm amazed how well they are healing up and fading.

Oh and another recommendation for piriton. We had to have this prescribed as he is too young but you should be fine. It makes him v sleepy but to be honest at the moment that's no bad thing!

Hope he gets better soon

treacletart · 05/04/2007 18:20

We used Eurax for DS. I think its the buisness - no itching, no scars. I read (on heasr maybe?) that Calamine can actually be drying and in the long term make you more itchy (don't know if thats true or not). Only had to do DS a couple of times a day with the cream - didn't take too long. I'd thouroghly recommend it.