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Original poster

Is this chicken pox or hand foot and mouth?!

50 replies

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:22

This is a long one, sorry…

So my SIL found out her 14mo had chickenpox last Thursday in the evening, and myself and my 13mo had been round for a play date in the day. I was really upset when we got this news, as we are due to get married two weeks from this weekend. Looked up the incubation period and it was 10-21 days, so seemed very much likely my DS would have it over our wedding.

On Sunday he had a rash on his chest and a temperature. He had calpol and a nap and when he woke up the rash was gone. Went to bed and at 1am was up very upset and we discovered a load of red spots on his feet. The first 24 hours were awful and we actually ended up in A&E on the Monday night as he was crying all day, didn’t sleep in 24 hours and wouldn’t feed either (he’s BF), plus wouldn’t take much water. He finally fell asleep in hospital and when he woke up had a feed.

SIL was told her DS had chickenpox by the GP. I took my DS to see the GP too and he said he thought chicken pox but couldn’t rule out HFM. A&E said the same.

My DS has spots on his feet (soles and tops), ankles and calves, knees and bum, plus hands (palms and tops) forearms and around his mouth/chin/nose, but not in his mouth. Also had a scattering on the nape of his neck, scalp and tummy. A few blistered but not all, blisters mostly red-yellow, rather than the grey-white the NHS says with HFM.

Last few days DH has had a sore throat, and now has spots on the palms of his hands.

We want to know if it’s CP or HFM to help us plan ahead for the wedding. What I’m worried about is his cousin had CP and my DS had HFM, and as we were around his cousin in the hours before his first spot came up, does that mean we may also have chicken pox to come, or do they have the same thing?! HFM seems more likely with the short incubation period, but SIL was told CP for her DS, and I was told more likely CP for my DS, despite most of his spots being on his hands and feet!!

please help me solve this mystery. Photos in case they help.

OP posts:

polkadotpixie · 21/08/2022 16:34

Definitely looks like HFMD to me

Rover83 · 21/08/2022 16:34

It looks like HFM to me. My friend caught HFM as an adult and was ill for over 3 weeks so I hope your DH is well enough for the wedding. Chicken pox is rife at the moment so your son could still come down with it before the wedding try not to worry about it and have a plan in place in case he can't make it.

Ribeebie · 21/08/2022 16:35

It's HF&M. Bum and knees being affected is quite classical

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Glo1988 · 21/08/2022 16:45

Looks like HFM to me!!

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:03

@Haroted that does look exactly the same tbh!

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Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:05

@Rover83 god I hope so too!

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Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:09

@acorntotree do you mind me asking if you can remember how long after your DS got poorly you can down with HFM? Incubation period appears to be 3-6 days, so hoping as DS got ill 7 days ago and as I saw his cousin 10 days ago, I’m out of the woods 🤞🏼

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MrsR87 · 21/08/2022 17:21

My son had both last year and I would say both your son and his cousin’s spots look like HFM.

I managed to catch it and it was awful! My husband didn’t though.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:23

@MrsR87 oh no, poor you! Do you mind if I ask if you can remember how long after your son got it that you got poorly? And how long you were ill with it for? Really hope we are all clear of it in good time for the wedding!

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MrsR87 · 21/08/2022 17:27

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:23

Of course not. He got it on a Friday. I had it by the Monday. Both fine by the following Monday.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:30

@MrsR87 glad it didn’t last long x

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HubbabubbaT · 21/08/2022 17:30

@MintGreenLife it was pretty horrific while it lasted and both me and my husband caught it too - it is dreadfully infectious, specially when changing nappies! But from memory we all caught it within a few days of each other and then it didn't last much longer than a week. The incubation period for your DS definitely sounds like HFM rather than CP which can take up to a couple of weeks to come out.

ItsSnowJokes · 21/08/2022 17:33

Looks like HFM to me. It is definitely not rubella that is a very different rash. They don't seem liquid filled at all. My daughter had a bad bout of HFM and she was covered all over and the looked exactly like this.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:36

@HubbabubbaT urgh so sorry to hear that. DS was completely inconsolable all day Monday and didn’t sleep for 24 hours, despite trying absolutely everything to calm him down/get him to sleep. It was horrific. Sorry to hear you all got it, that must have been a complete nightmare! DH isn’t too bad at the mo - just spots on his hands/forearms and a sore throat. From what I’ve read most adults are likely to have some immunity to it, and many that do catch it can be asymptomatic, so I guess it’s just pot luck whether you get it or not and if you’re actually unwell with it!

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Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:38

@ItsSnowJokes that’s so interesting, as the GP I spoke to on the phone said she thought it was too wide spread to be HFM, but he literally just as a scattering on his neck and head, otherwise they are all on his feet, legs, bum, hands and forearms x

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houseofboy · 21/08/2022 17:38

Looks like HFand M to me. The good thing is it tended to clear up fairly quickly gaffer it had come out for us. Mine were both worse before you could see it.

I would say by the time of your wedding it should have cleared up for your son and both you and your husband if you get it. I had it over Christmas and cooked wearing gloves!! It's actually contagious before you see it from memory so that shouldn't be the case anymore on 2 weeks time.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 17:50

@houseofboy thank you. Really hope my parents don’t get it as they came and looked after DS on Thursday while I was working 😖 as we were told by the GP it was chicken pox and both my parents have had it, we thought it would be pretty safe!

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Abridget7 · 21/08/2022 19:54

Also think HFM
It's nasty & makes poor kids so so miserable. The feeding might suggest they are inside mouth, but see how it plays out.
Hope he recovers soon. Horrid virus.

Abridget7 · 21/08/2022 19:56

Also was told by GP it should be called "HFM and bottom" as spots normally in that area too

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 20:08

@Abridget7 thanks, luckily he was back to BF as normal after 24 hours, but was very worried about him becoming dehydrated, which is why we ended up in A&E in the early hours!

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ladydimitrescu · 21/08/2022 23:59

Please keep an eye on your partner - my husband caught HFM from our DD and it almost killer him, it can be really serious in adults. He has never been so poorly, and was blue lighted by an ambulance to hospital after collapsing and having a seizure. Not trying to frighten you, but I had no idea it could be so awful.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 22/08/2022 07:35

@ladydimitrescu oh no, how terrifying for you!! Hope he made a full recovery? Thank you, was he very poorly before he collapsed? At the moment DH seems to have quite a mild case x

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Greta992 · 20/06/2023 19:46

Hello everyone.
my 2 year old been acting strange and seemed really uncomfortable and waking up in nap all upset for for couple of days and then he came out with little rash start started on his legs and spread to his bum. lots of little red spots that quickly turned in in little pots with clear liquid and hours after scabbed by themselves. Two days into it he started running high temperature but still seems comfortable.
gp thinks it’s chickenpox but I never heard of them appearing only on the legs?
we had hand foot and mouth few months ago and he had spots around mouth on his feet and hands and on most of his body but none this time.
I guess I would like to ask if this looks like chickenpox for any of you? I’ll attach some pictures of how he looked on first day and second and now.
many thanks to you all

Is this chicken pox or hand foot and mouth?!

Tinkyrinkyrinky · 20/06/2023 20:58

My daughter had Hfm twice!! Both representing themselves slightly differently. I have read there are 3 strains of Hfm and talking to nursery it seems to affect each child different. Vile illness!!

Crispycakee · 30/11/2023 15:00

Daughter has spots, was unwell for 2ish days. Doctor looked at photo said chickenpox. She has 3 spots on side of bottom of face, She has them on her leg, bum and today has them on her hands and feet. Do we think this is chicken pox or hand foot and mouth?, I’ve not noticed any inside her mouth, although it’s a struggle to get a look inside, she’s 11 months

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