Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Chicken pox

278 replies

Kmg · 14/03/2001 22:03

I was rather surprised at today's "tip" encouraging you not to avoid people with chicken pox. I just want to point out that chicken pox is not always very mild. My boys had it last summer, ages 1 and 3, so relatively young - it's supposed to be easier. And they were both utterly miserable, and quite ill, with high fevers etc., for quite some time. We knew we had been exposed, so avoided contact with others before the spots even appeared, and then the illness lasted so long, it felt like it completely wiped out the summer. It was an 'ideal' time for us - we didn't miss any major events or any school or nursery time, but if I had deliberately exposed them at that time I would have felt dreadful at inflicting that upon them.

So you may want to think again before deliberately putting your child through this.

OP posts:
Alley22 · 30/08/2002 15:59

hi SoupDragon, hope your holiday is a CP free one!

LIZS · 30/08/2002 18:40

ionesmum,

The contagious period for chickenpox is approx 1-2 days before spots come out until they are all crusted over. Therefore I would suggest it is extremely unlikely that your dd will catch it from her friend.

In most cases it is relatively mild - uncomfortable and irritating rather than dangerous. Some babies get it so mildly that they don't build up much immunity and catch it again later. If you child is going to socialise at all you will always be running the risk of unwittingly catching such illnesses.

The incubation period is, I believe, 10 days to 3 weeks. If the worst does happen all you can do is be vigilant for the usual signs, fever etc and keep her as comfortable as possible (see other postings for tips). If in doubt phone your gp.

Hope this helps and try not to worry until it happens,

LizS

ionesmum · 30/08/2002 20:07

Thanks so much everyone. My friend isn't sure if her dd has cp, she's feverish and being sick but only has a few spots on her leg. Dd is now v. off colour, she's grumpy and gone to sleep very early but isn't feverish and would have had her dinner if she'd stopped grizzling! (She stopped long enough to eat her fromage frais, mind )She did have a bit of a snotty nose too. Dh has a cold so it could be that she has caught that. My head is saying that everything is all right but my heart is in panic mode!

ionesmum · 30/08/2002 20:09

SoupDragon - hope the holiday is okay!

clary · 06/09/2002 13:38

this thread has been very useful so thanks for that, all (ds has come down with chicken pox). Found Eurax cream esp good. I just wanted to add some info re chicken pox and pregnant women. without trying to alarm anyone, it is a very serious matter. A friend contracted chicken pox when in early pg, her boy was born blind, with learning difficulties and other problems, and the cp was the cause. As i say, I don't want to alarm anyone; it's very rare, and is no problem at all if the pg woman has had cp already; but if you haven't, and are pg and in contact with cp (which might be hard to avoid, eg if an older child of yours had it!) then you should certainly see the doctor. Sorry to be so scary but I think there is a lot of misinformation about this (I certainly had never heard of it before my friend told me) and I believe some doctors don't even know the full possible effects.

SoupDragon · 06/09/2002 14:32

The 3 weeks incubation was up last Sunday and NO SPOTS!!! Part of me is annoyed that they've missed getting CP once again butobviously it means we can go away.

mears · 06/09/2002 18:10

Clary - you are quite right about the risk to pregnant women. If you are pregnant and come into contact with chickenpox without having had it yourself before, then you should be given immunoglobulin by your doctor.
When women book during pregnancy the booking bloods are stored and anyone who is concerned about whether they have had CP, the immunity can be checked via the stored blood.
Before getting pregnant I think it is wise to check out rubella and CP immunity, then you know where you stand.

Willow2 · 02/10/2002 21:46

Ds has what looked like mozzie bites but some are now turning blistery - but they are only on his legs so far. (Noticed them for the first time last night). Thought chicken pox tended to start on the torso - confirmation needed! Also, he has been a real little xxxx for the past ten days or so but for the past two days has been his lovely self again. Is it normal for them to feel worse before the spots come out?

Batters · 03/10/2002 11:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Willow2 · 03/10/2002 16:38

Hi Batters - GP thought it might be some sort of "pox" virus but not necessarily chickenpox. Only one or two spots have blisters - and am beginning to wonder whether there might be a link to his playing in a communal sandpit on Monday (saw first spot the next day) as they are mainly on his feet and legs with only one or two on bum and body - he played in bare feet. Also, he is right as rain in himself - infact he has been nicer the past few days than he has been in ages!! Most confusing as don't know what to do about his going to nursery tomorrow - suppose if they've gone down he can go and if they haven't he can't!

Batters · 04/10/2002 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Willow2 · 04/10/2002 10:41

Hi Batters - he's right as rain - spots seem to have almost disappeared. Fingers crossed etc etc.

Tinker · 05/10/2002 00:13

SueDonim - don't know if you'll read this or if you remember but, scrolling a long way down this thread I was telling you about my daughter's eyebrow (!) Well, over a year later, it has virtually grown back!! Hurrah!! She's pleased (and so am I really) Just have to wait for hospital appointment, when it'll be shaved off again and we'll be back to square one

SueDonim · 05/10/2002 08:20

Hey, that's good news, Tinker! Does the regrown eyebrow mean the chickenpox scars are now covered? How much longer will you have to wait for the appointment?

SofiaAmes · 08/10/2002 23:44

Willow2, sorry i didn't write sooner (laptop's been at the repair shop after dh fried it last week). It sounds like your ds has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. It has the blistery pox as chicken pox except that they tend to be on the limbs and often are indistinguishable from chicken pox until they scab over...they do this differently than chicken pox. Usually the mouth ulcers come around the same time as the spots, but my neighbor's son got his several weeks later. There is no cure, it's not terribly dangerous, but the mouth ulcers can be very painful for a day or two so if it is that, it's nice to be prepared. Gp's often misdiagnose the disease, but if the spots are scabbing over, it might be worth bringing your ds to try and have it confirmed. There is a least one thread on this that probably has more info. than i've given you here. Good luck.

SofiaAmes · 08/10/2002 23:46

p.s. it's very contagious, much more common than people realize and caught from contact with feces (ie likely to be caught in a communal sandbox).

SoupDragon · 09/10/2002 08:50

Somewhere further down the thread Vitamin E was mentioned as being good for scars - I believe it has to be pure vitamin E oil from capsules, not a cream.

Snugs · 09/10/2002 11:18

Soupdragon - depends on the cream. Ones made with a neutral base with added vitamin E oil are effective (health food shops or arometherapy outlets) - but far too many creams have other added ingredients that change the results. My dh has extensive scarring from an accident years ago and has tried various remedies - but he would agree the pure oil is best of all.

SoupDragon · 09/10/2002 11:21

Thanks Snugs - I'd wondered about the mess involved with pure oil I must confess. A cream would be far simpler.

Not that I've needed it yet (touch wood).

Batters · 10/10/2002 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Willow2 · 10/10/2002 16:30

Hi Sofiaames - don't apologise for not getting back to me sooner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't you got better things to do with very small people at present!! Had thought about hand foot and mouth but it all seems to have gone - though will have a look in his mouth to see if any signs of ulcers. Anyway, hope you can make it on 18th if at all possible as would love to see you and catch up.

Tinker · 10/10/2002 18:38

Ooo, I shall try that Vitamin E oil.

SueDonim - the scars do seem to have faded a bit, seem more level with the rest of her skin and her lovely new eyebrow does disguise them a bit. Pity she has to have it shaved off again when has her op (whenever that is) But at least I know The Eyebrow WILL Return!

OuiOui · 20/11/2002 10:18

oh what a night. DD at 13 months has very bad C Pox. She developed the spots on Monday mrning and we went to drs to confirm it. She was pretty cheerful - just tiny bit grumpy. But last night (Tuesday) rfom early evening she has been intermittently screaming/crying - VERY distressed. She has had a high temperature, won't eat and was taking lots of milk and water. She's now stopped taking water and am force feeding the medicine. We have been up all night and nothing is calming her down. We finally called Drs/NHS Direct who told us to switch from Nurofen to calpol and it calmed her for 1/2 hour and it started again. I'm at a loss of what to do. I've read the previous postings - where can I buy "Rhus Tox"? Oh and I'm less than 12 weeks pregnant so I'll have to go for a blood test... Any advice gratefully received. How long will this last?

SoupDragon · 20/11/2002 10:26

OuiOui, if your DD is refusing water then she may end up dehydrated. A friend's DD ended up in hospital with CP as she was dehydrated, refused to wee as she had spots there which hurt etc etc.

Speak to your doctor/NHS Direct again and see what they suggest.

I hope your DD recovers soon - my frined's DD recovered very quickly after her short stay in hospital. She was very very spotty for soe time though.

Thinking of you!

bundle · 20/11/2002 10:58

Ouioui have you been giving her any antihistamine? there's a baby sort - like piriton for adults - and it makes them drowsy which I think helped my dd when she had chickenpox too. in my experience, pharmacists are very good at advising on symptoms of childhood conditions like chickenpox. and good luck with the blood test - I'd had chickenpox at college so knew I was ok. fingers crossed. x