Anyone around for a quick game of 'chicken pox or not'?

[Maebe]

Because I can't tell whether its the start of chicken pox or just a viral or heat rash!

15mo has had a high temp for 24 hours, comes down with medicine but doesn't go away. Very, very clingy, pretty tired, and off her food. I thought it was just the first day of a bad cold and kept her out of the CM's. After tonight's bath she has a few raised bumps behind her knees and very faint ones on her forearms. Pinprick bumps, not blisters. Nothing on her tummy or back or behind her ears. On the one hand, she is prone to heat-type rashes and this could just be a heat rash because she's running a temperature (and insisted on wearing arm warmers all day, which could account for the arm rash!). On the other hand, I have three 'bites' or 'spots' on my back that have been itching more and more over the past few days, I went to the pharmacist today to get something and after looking at them she immediately asked if DD had any spots. But I've had shingles before, and this is nothing like shingles, it's just 3 individual spots.

In one way if it is chicken pox, great - she gets it young, and its a long weekend so less time off work. But I don't know what to do tomorrow, I've already taken today off work, DP is on night shifts so can't help tomorrow. CM is happy to have DD tomorrow if it is just a cold, they have a quiet day planned anyway. I don't want to take a day off work if it is just a cold as I'm happy with DD having a 'duvet day' at the CM's, and it's that old chesnut, we don't have too much holiday between us, if this isn't chicken pox we'll need the holiday later if she does get it, we don't have family close by who can help with childcare.

God, sorry, that was a waffle! Anyone fancy an amateur diagnosis, or tell me if your DCs chicken pox started like this?

[chickensaladagain]

Both dds started with red spots on the trunk which then developed little blisters within a few hours

Dd currently has a viral rash which sounds more like what you are describing

[lljkk]

I reckon You'll know in the morning.

[WeAreSix]

Watch and wait... Only time will tell at the beginning of CP

[phantomhairpuller]

Sounds very similar to DS at the moment. Viral rash according to doc we saw this morning.

[beautifulgirls]

Blisters are usually apparent within hours so you will know one way or the other by the morning I think.

[ATouchOfStuffing]

If the bumps are red/pink then I think you may be right. DD (was 17mo) had this on Boxing Day and I noticed 2 on her tummy in the morning. By the next day there were about 35 and then covered head to toe. You will find out in a few hours!
I can recommend bathing in bicarb (I stuck in about a quarter of a pot each bath) as it dries out the bumps and is meant to help stop itching. I found DD got itchier as the scabs had crusted over and we also covered her in poxyclin from boots which is a great foam that soothes and helps them dry out too.
Calpol and lots of water too :) Good luck, much better to get it young as they don't seem to pick as much at the scabs.

[Maebe]

Cheers all I hate not knowing, fingers crossed for a viral rash...

[narmada]

How long have you had your itchy rash? where is it?

You can catch pox from shingles, DS has it ATM, caught from DD 5's shingles rash, which wad so insignificant- looking that we nearly overlooked it.
Having said this, I think chickenpox usually appears first on upper torso, ear area or scalp, not usually limbs first.

You'll know in the morning like everyone else has said. Hope she gets it mildly if she does at all...

[narmada]

Ps neither of mine had pinprick bumps as a precursor to blisters. They looked more like pimples or PMT spots .

Only reason not to send to CM is if there are other vulnerable kids there ( immunocompromised, siblings of immunocompromised kids, very young babies) or CM is pregnant and unexposed herself. In these cases I think greater than usual caution is a must.

[Maebe]

Well, still no clearer this morning!

Some more bumps/spots on her legs but just there, still none on on her torso or head at all. No blisters that I can see so I'm a bit stumped! I have sent her to the CM as there is no one vulnerable there, and she'll only be seeing the kids she's sees all week (we've agreed no playgroups this morning) so she'll have passed it on to them already, or caught it from them.

Well, the CM has plenty of experience so I guess she'll diagnose it today if she sees it!

My spots are just underneath my bra strap and itch like absolute buggery

[lljkk]

All kinds of bugs could have caused those bites, too.

[narmada]

Spots underneath bra strap.....hmmm, could be shingles. Did they tingle before erupting? Are they like little pustules?!?

Glad your DD doesn't appear to have the pox. It sounds more like a viral rash. My two get these during/ after viral illnesses. There is also fifth disease, can't remember what its other name is, but that causes temp and rash.

Is she still ill - e.g., temp?

[Maebe]

I can't see the spots too well, but they are just 3 very distinct spots/bites, whereas when I've had shingles before that was a spread-out rash over my back with no distinc spots. Or at least that's how I remember it.

I've been randomly Googling for a similar rash and I can't see one! It's not entirely the under-the-skin rash that she's got before after a viral bug. She is still a bit poorly, temperature a little up though much better than yesterday (it went down overnight, her breathing was back to its normal speed).

I'm still 50/50 whether I want it to be the pox - a 4-day weekend would be a very good time for her to get it! Hope your DS is ok, narmada?

[narmada]

DS is fine ta, running around like a loon.

DMum had shingles with just a few spots, and DD (5) has just had it and all she got was a smallish patch (50p-sized) on her back which could have been mistaken for eczema, and three discrete pimples around the front.

Hope your DD is OK. If she's not better you could whip her off to the docs before the BH weekend.

[Maebe]

A good go on Dr Google and I think it might be hand, foot and mouth. The rash is more on her legs and feet, and she has the cough and temperature and was sick the other night. The CM hasn't called so I assume there are no blisters, which surely would've appeared by now if it was the dreaded pox. Oh well, no chicken pox this time!

[lljkk]

HF&M is kind of unpleasant too, hope she gets better soon.