how do you 'know' it's chickenpox??

[flootshoot]

think DS may have the pox. I thought he had it before when he'd just turned one but it was v. mild (another baby at nursery had it very mildly but it was definitely chickenpox, confirmed by his GP). He's come out in little spots today, some are like blisters and they are on his face, arms legs torso and feet - thing is he has mild eczema that sometimes appears spotty. It is just a case of wait and see? I feel clueless but I didn't think GP was necessary for chickenpox?

Thanks

spots very distinctive: start small, a little red point, then grow and often develop a teardrop shaped blister. Are very itchy. Often more of them in creases etc, where it is warmer.

We are going through the pox at the moment. ds2 had them two weeks ago and lo and behold, 14 days later ds3 has them quite badly.

I've just read somewhere on th'internet that 90% have a lifetime immunity from them after they've had them once, usually in childhood. However, that first bout has to be 'bad enough' to build the immunity. SO if your ds only had it really mild then there is a chance he didn't have it enough to build the immunity.

thanks.

Abitbatty, that's what I wondered. If it was the pox last time it hardly touched him. Will have to wait and see!

My son has The Pox (as we call it). Can't go by itchiness as he is not scratching at all (he's nearly 1).

I happen to be at the GP as he was just breaking out, because his ear was also leaking goo, and she said a sure way to tell is if they start showing up on his scalp and in clusters. The next day? On his scalp and all over his back in clusters.

A really good product is PoxClin, which you can get at Boots. Its a mousse, like for the hair, that goes on really well and really seems to have reduced the redness. It apparently helps with the itching as well, although as I said, my son has not been scratching.

Tomorrow is the end of our quarantine, thank god!

Huh! I was in Boots today asking for anything other than Calamine lotion for The Pox and the pharmacist told me no! never mentioned PoxClin to me

Well, they definitely have it, because that's where I bought it!

Not sure it really makes that much difference, actually. But it goes on easier than the calamine cream.

I also used poxclin on ds1 a couple of weeks ago, dont know if it made any difference but he didn't suffer so was worth it. Ds2 now has it and we're in portugal, great! About to post a question about flying if anyone has read up on this.

Eurax and aquaeaous calamine are also great for chicken pox. Calamine on it's own is no longer recommended as it dries the skin which then causes itching in it's own right.

Eurax lotion is also really good for stopping the itching. You can't use it on under 3's though

Apparently,each sibling will have it worse than the one before,so the first may have it mildly,second worse,third worse again.My DC2 had it and the blisters were bad,he was unwell,but didn't scratch.DC1 had it next.Literally covered head to two in hundreds of blisters.He was so brave,never complained,but it was dreadful.He was swollen,and kept saying his throat was sore,I didn't realisevthat they can get them down their throat too! He also had them up his bum! DC1 also had them again recently,thought it was impetigo as it only affected his face,but GP said it was resolving chicken pox,6 months later! Hopefully that is it for us now.

ds2 currently has the chicken spots, can confirm that eurax is brill, have been applying the lotion every morning and night with cotton wool swabs and then using the cream version on is face/scalp. he hasnt scratched them once(hes 4).
have also been giving him antihistamine syrup before bed.

bag of oats in the bath used to be the old wives tale: seemed to help a bit with my first two.

Also large dose of phenergan

Second the porridge oats

Third the porridge oats in a sock... and bicarb once the spots start to scab.

well ds is no spottier than yesterday, in fact slightly less spotty!

Oh well. He's very prone to heat rash too so hopefully that's all it was. I can cope with the pox but as I'm starting a new job next week and DH was planning to take DS away this weekend it would have been shite timing!

my ds has eczema and had some funny rashes too over the years, but when he had chickenpox it was really obvious.
he didn't start the scratching for a couple of days though, and the spots took a couple of days to come out.
usually a lot in the hairline, face and torso. my DS hardly had any on his legs and none on his feet
there are some very new things for chickenpox, i got virasoothe in Boots and the local pharmacist hadn't heard of it.
Calamine cream is good too.

We have just had it here too.

Your little one will probably have been a little unwell as few days ago (mine were just a bit more whingy than normal) then a water filled blister will appear on the torso first then quickly more red fluid filled blisters will appear on torso and then spread to rest of body.
Mine cheered up once the blisters appeared with just a few days of high temp and itching.

Virasoothe is brilliant, i used it on mine and it stopped all itching (ds has eczema and normally itches for britain!)

I confidently diagnosed chickenpox in ds3 when he was about 2 having previously seen them on ds1 and ds2. They were all over his chest and looked like classic little blisters.

That night, I remembered to apply his eczema cream and the next morning I noticed his spots had all gone. Note to self, get into a better routine vis eczema cream...