Chickenpox!

[tortoise]

My LT has got chickenpox!!! :bigeyes:

He had four red spots on his back yesterday morning before school. We thought they were just bites so we put afterbite on them and put insect repelllent on them.

When he got home from school he had 2 more on his arm and 2 more on his back. He didn't feel unwell, but one of the ones on his back looked like it had water under it.

So I took him to the GP and she said it looked like chickenpox. The thing is he had a really bad case of it when he was 4 and I thought that once you had had it you couldn't get it again. Mr T says he is sure he had it twice whereas I have never had it. :bigeyes:

The GP said it could be shingles, but that stays on one side of your body and he has spots on both sides.

He is gutted, he loves secondary school and was due to have his first music lesson today.

When can I send him back? My GP wasn't very helpful. I was going to ring NHS Direct, but it takes forever to go through all the questions. I have looked on the net, but get all different anwers.

Help!!!! :thumbs:

[tact77]

I though you could only get it once as well..

But I know that when the spots turn to scabs (nice) then he is no longer able to pass it on.

Hope he doesn't get to itchy.

[Domestic Goddess]

Poor Little T!

He can go back when the spots have scabbed over and he will no longer be contagious. If he has trouble with itching then get him some piriton capsules or syrup as this really makes a difference. Some people feel fine when they have it, others feel awful. Just dose him up with paracetemol if he feels horrid. Calamine lotion can be applied to the spots to help soothe them.

Apart from that, there's not much you can do.

If he's up to it, ask a classmate to bring work home for him so he doesn't fal behind.

Here's a useful link:
http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/chickenpox.html

[Planet 24]

I got it at 24 - after the last crop of blisters has come up and 'scabbed over' (sorry) you are clear - usually around 3 weeks from start to finish so probably around another 7-10 days
Calamine lotion is good to stop the itching and paracetamol(calpol) for any pain - I had them on my lungs because I was an adult and it was awful.
Poor thing -hope get better soon! :(

[tact77]

Another tip is to put the calomine lotion in the fridge, it worked better for my kids as it stopped the itchy straight away

[phantos02]

Oh no poor Little T!!

I think you can get chicken pox more than once.

I don't know much about it really, you should give your GP a ring and speak to him/her again for some more advice, after all that's what they're there for. I would have thought that once the spots are appearing he is probably not contagious anymore (isn't that how it usually works? You're contagious before you even know you've got it?). I expect you are wondering if you'll get it too?

Deary me that's all you need now innit?

[Planet 24]

Another tip is to put the calomine lotion in the fridge, it worked better for my kids as it stopped the itchy straight away

That's a great idea - I get prickly heat on my ankles in the summer - I'm going to try that.

[tortoise]

Thanks all. :D

He will be really annoyed if he has to miss 7-10 days off school!! :badmood: I don't think we will mention that at the moment!

I am going to the school for Year 7 meeting today so I will speak to his teacher about some work for him. Mr T was coming with me, but now he is on nurse duty!

I will buy him some calamine lotion too. Luckily he doesn't feel ill at the moment, but he has calpol etc on standby.

I am checking myself for spots too now!!

[Sparrow]

Hi Tortoise Hope little t will be feeling better soon. Last summer my eldest woke up covered in spots so i took her to the doctors and confidently told him its not chickenpox as she has already had it! The doctor examined her and said its chickenpox! My doctor says you can get it more than once! She has had it again since - but each time she gets it it is a lot milder! Piriton syrup is very good to give to kids to stop the itching so they dont scratch the spots and leave marks. My youngest has only ever had chickenpox the once - she woke up one christmas morning covered in spots - even though I expect her to catch it from her sister each time!!

hope little T feels better soon :D

Sparrow x

[Eeyore]

I've luckily never had but it seems to be so horrible, poor LT :sad:

[mazza]

:( Aw, get well soon little T :daisy: .

I have definitely heard of a few people who have had it more than once :o . I know, it's quite a surprise as I thought once you had it you couldn't get it again...obviously not!

I got it when I was a teenager and it was ruddy awful :sad: .

I found that sitting in a cool bath with Savlon liquid was ace - :lush: .

I was also told that you are not contagious anymore as soon as ALL the spots have scabbed over.

I agree though, do check back with your GP...I know it's a pain, but that's what they are there for :) .

All the best and...no scratching or there'll be terrible scars!!! :nono:

[sp54]

Poor little T!!! It makes it worse when they have just started a new school. It happened to one of mine. He went off on his first day at a new school and the next morning was covered in spots. He soon caught up though :thumbs:

It's unusual, but some poor devils do get it twice :cry:

The contagious part is the fluid of the spots, so he will be ok when they dry out and start scabbing over.

Everyone has given you the right advice on easing the itching etc.

I'll take my nurses hat off now :lol:

[tortoise]

Well no more spots so far and the biggest one on his back appears to be getting smaller.

He has had calamine lotion on them, but he doesn't feel poorly at all.

I wonder if it is chickenpox now you know. :unsure:

I saw his teacher yesterday who gave me some work for him, so LT is quite happy now.

I had a strange rash appear last night in bed that has gone this morning. I had little red dots all over my belly and the tops of my legs. I have never had chickenpox so I was a bit worried, but it has gone now. :bigeyes:

[strontium]

Here's what the NHS Direct website has to say:-

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/he.asp?ArticleID=97

It doesn't mention a repeat attack, other than the usual shingles information, but there's some interesting stuff about period of infection and also about plane travel with chickenpox.

It doesn't sound to me as if LT has enough spots to constitute a rash and therefore chickenpox, but I'm a teacher, not a doctor, so will shut up now! ;)

Hope he breezes through it, bless 'im. I'm dead impressed by his school work ethic - good lad! :thumbs:

[tortoise]

Thanks for that S!

I have just checked the spots again and some are now red with a white head on them!!

I am very confused. :bigeyes:

If he has no new ones and the others are going down I will probably send him back on Monday as it will have been 5 days by then.

:thumbs: