Chicken Pox Help????

[SLK1]

DD7 put on her bathing suit today and I noticed she had red bumps all over her tummy and chest (I counted - there are about 50 total). It looks to me like chicken pox. She has been immunized (the original and the booster) and when I called the doctor, they said there had been no cases reported in our area. She traveled last week with DH to California, so maybe came in contact with it on the plane or while over there. Anyway, here's the deal...she has no other symptoms! They don't itch, she has no fever, and she is eating like her normal self (she eats like a bird anyway). She has been a bit more ornery and sensitive lately, but she's 7, so that's par for the course! There have been no changes in her food/eating habits, nor have I changed laundry detergents. Any ideas? Can you get a mild, after-vaccination case THAT DOESN'T ITCH, and no other symptoms?

 

[ilandrazdsw]

Yes, you can still get Chicken Pox after having the shots...it is supposed to be a much more mild case. If she isn't having any more symptoms I would just keep an eye on them and let her go about her routine. You may want to keep her away from elderly people or pregnant women just in case she is contageous.

Has she gone swimming lately and wore a 1 piece or tankini? when I was a child and would go in our neighbor's hot tub I would break out in a rash that looked very similar to chicken pox. It was called falicalitus (SP). After the third time (the first 2 times even the Dr diagnosed it as Chix Pox) my parents took me to a dermotologist who took a sample and finally gave a proper diagnosis and what could cause it. Apparently the water did not have the right Ph or properly cleaned with the right amount of chemicals.

 

[livndisney]

DD7 put on her bathing suit today and I noticed she had red bumps all over her tummy and chest (I counted - there are about 50 total). It looks to me like chicken pox. She has been immunized (the original and the booster) and when I called the doctor, they said there had been no cases reported in our area. She traveled last week with DH to California, so maybe came in contact with it on the plane or while over there. Anyway, here's the deal...she has no other symptoms! They don't itch, she has no fever, and she is eating like her normal self (she eats like a bird anyway). She has been a bit more ornery and sensitive lately, but she's 7, so that's par for the course! There have been no changes in her food/eating habits, nor have I changed laundry detergents. Any ideas? Can you get a mild, after-vaccination case THAT DOESN'T ITCH, and no other symptoms?

My 8 year old just got over the WORST case of chicken pox I have ever seen. She had the shot. She had no other symptoms just a LOT of spots. And we are in Orlando. When I went to Target to buy anti itch stuff-they were sold out.

 

[SLK1]

My 8 year old just got over the WORST case of chicken pox I have ever seen. She had the shot. She had no other symptoms just a LOT of spots. And we are in Orlando. When I went to Target to buy anti itch stuff-they were sold out.

Weird - I'm in Orlando too. I know the flu is running rampant, but I have not heard of other chicken pox cases. Will just have to keep my eyes and ears open!

 

[mommycrawford]

You should really have a doctor evaluate her rash! It could be a reacton to pool chemicals, or even just from wearing a snug, wet suit, prickly heat, etc.

Full out Chicken Pox appear as little fluid filled bumps, and generally do itch...I cannot speak on post immunization ones though. The skin is your largest organ, and it's health can tell you a lot.

Call your local pharmacy if it's still open and describe what you see.

Best of luck to you both!...Let us know how things work out!

 

[Tiger926]

Weird - I'm in Orlando too. I know the flu is running rampant, but I have not heard of other chicken pox cases. Will just have to keep my eyes and ears open!

Don't mean to hijack, but what do you mean the flu is running rampant? We leave tomorrow morn - are you talking about the swine flu?

Can you please shed some more light on this statement?

Thank you, Tiger

P.S. OP - Hope your daughter feels better soon!

 

[kitsch4]

OP- Maybe it's heat rash?


From Mayoclinic.com:
The best-known signs of chickenpox are:

A red, itchy rash that initially may look like insect bites
Small, liquid-filled blisters that break open and crust over
The chickenpox rash occurs in three stages. First, there are raised pink or red bumps (papules). These bumps will turn into fluid-filled blisters (vesicles). And, finally, the vesicles will crust over and scab. It's possible that all three of these stages may occur at once.

The rash may be preceded by or accompanied by:

Fever
Abdominal pain or loss of appetite
Mild headache
General feeling of unease and discomfort (malaise) or irritability
A dry cough
Headache
Common sites for the rash include the face, scalp, chest and back. The rash can also spread across your entire body, even into your throat, eyes and ******. New spots continue to appear for several days. In healthy children, the disease is generally mild.

****************

From Medicinenet.com:
What does heat rash look like?

Heat rash looks like a red cluster of pimples or small blisters. It is more likely to occur on the neck and upper chest, in the groin, under the breasts, and in elbow creases.


How is heat rash treated?

The best treatment for heat rash is to provide a cooler, less humid environment. Keep the affected area dry. Dusting powder may be used to increase comfort, but avoid using ointments or creams-they keep the skin warm and moist and may make the condition worse.

Treating heat rash is simple and usually does not require medical assistance. Other heat-related problems such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion can be much more severe



Whatever it is, I hope she's better soon! Good luck!

 

[RMulieri]

I am in PA, SWine flu is rampant (many cases at my local hospital)But it is still just a flu, as is the Coxsackie virus( hand,foot and mouth) I just had it at 34 and was MISERABLE.I would relax, germs are out there and people get sick.No need to panic.Have not heard of any chicken pox, but it is very posibble to be vaccinated and still get it.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

It could also be molluscum, which are caused by a virus. My son got these, and I thought they were chicken pox at first.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Are the spots constant? Just throwing out that my daughter's allergic to cold. (Indeed, wonderful for a girl in Maine!) The first signs we saw of it were under her swim suit when she came out of the pool. We went through rounds wondering about pool chemicals, etc. Was confirmed though a fine winter day in MN.

At any rate, once she gets changed/warm, they go away.

 

[allyphoe]

falicalitus (SP).

For anyone who wants to Google, it's "folliculitis" -- essentially, inflamed hair follicles.

My DD had a really atypical case of chickenpox, which I understand isn't unusual in vaccinated kids.

Take her to the pediatrician and get her checked out. If it is chickenpox, she needs to not be spreading it around.

 

[rt2dz]

Take her to a doctor. My kids broke out with Chicken Pox in 2007--picked them up at WDW (we were there for the whole possible exposure period). Immunized kids get a different version of chicken pox--doesn't exactly look like/act like typical chicken pox. It's much milder, doesn't necessarily puss up, and (thankfully) not as contagious. My kids didn't run fevers either. One of them didn't even itch--one itched like crazy.

However, it could also be just about anything else. But if it is chicken pox, you need to keep her out of the sun and take a few other precautions. Better safe than sorry.

 

[allyphoe]

Immunized kids get a different version of chicken pox--doesn't exactly look like/act like typical chicken pox. It's much milder

Statistically, yes. But my vaccinated DD had literally hundreds of pox. Every bit of her legs, arms, and behind were covered with pox. (Not a single one on her torso, though, and "typical" chicken pox is mostly on your torso.) It would have been easier to dip her in calamine than to dab it on each spot.

If that was a mild case, I'd hate to think what she'd have looked like with a bad one! (Really, it was mild in the grand scheme of things - no scarring, she was itchy but not miserable, no fever, certainly no need for hospitalization -- although she did develop a skin infection due to a combination of pox, eczema, and molluscum, poor kid. But the "usual" mild chickenpox in vaccinated kids we'd seen before had been of the "she got 3 pox and was fine the next morning" variety.)

 

[rt2dz]

Statistically, yes. But my vaccinated DD had literally hundreds of pox. Every bit of her legs, arms, and behind were covered with pox. (Not a single one on her torso, though, and "typical" chicken pox is mostly on your torso.) It would have been easier to dip her in calamine than to dab it on each spot.

If that was a mild case, I'd hate to think what she'd have looked like with a bad one! (Really, it was mild in the grand scheme of things - no scarring, she was itchy but not miserable, no fever, certainly no need for hospitalization -- although she did develop a skin infection due to a combination of pox, eczema, and molluscum, poor kid. But the "usual" mild chickenpox in vaccinated kids we'd seen before had been of the "she got 3 pox and was fine the next morning" variety.)

What is meant by "milder" isn't necessarily the number of pox; although that could be the case. Of my two that had chicken pox, one was covered. The other had maybe 20. Milder refers to how ill they get with the chicken pox and is only in relation to what the child may have had otherwise. For example, my sisters each had the chicken pox back in the late 70s, prior to the shots. My oldest sis had 5 pox total, but was so ill she had to spend a little time in the hospital. My other sis had hundreds of pox, but wasn't sick at all. As a matter of fact, sister #2 got chicken pox a second time and they said it was probably because her first case was so mild. I say she was making up for the fact that I've never had chicken pox, despite my mother's best attempts. She was much sicker the second time around.

 

[3boymthr]

Yup, and you can still get measles too even if you've been vaccinated, sometimes from the vaccine. Oldest DS did. He had bright red spots all over his body. He also didn't itch, didn't have a fever, no other symptoms. Based on size disbursement over the body, etc. the diagnosis was measles - not chicken pox - and boy do they look similar. So definitely take her to the dr to have her evaluated.

 

[SLK1]

I'm the OP...today there were no MORE spots, just the same amount. Some look to be more "whitehead-ish". I don't know what to think; the doctor's office seemed unconcerned (sometimes they are so arrogant!). Still no fever and no symptoms, but I did cancel a visit with my DSIL and 11-month-old nephew, who has not been vaccinated yet.

As for the flu in Orlando...there were ten cases of Swine Flu reported at University of Central Florida (one of those resulted in death). Where my older two kids are at camp this week (in Leesburg), the camp reported that last week, five campers went home and then were diagnosed with Influenza A. From what I have heard, they aren't testing for Swine Flu unless you've been to Mexico or around someone infected with it; otherwise you get tested for regular flu. You can't live in a bubble...you could stay home and catch any old thing from the grocery store. I had flu A this year and was absolutely miserable, but it's the flu, it's not polio. Just wash your hands like crazy and stay away from coughers!!!

Oh, and stay away from my chicken pox'd DD!!!!

 

[mousebymarriage]

Both of my kids got chicken pox and they were both immunized.

My DD12 was 4 and in pre-k when she broke out with them, no fever and very little itching. I know they were chicken pox because I insisted that the doctor see her because I was prego with my son. However, the doctore stated that her case should be milder and would not last as long because she was immunized. He was right she was completely clear in 5 days and not one scar.

My DS8 was 18 months old and also had a mild case with no scarring.

Both kids had been immunized at their 1 year check up.
*the cases were mild but they were both still pretty covered.

 

[Leajess99]

You would swear my youngest has chicken pox but in reality she has a heck of a lot of bug bites that welt up. These are gotten even after she is coated with bug spray. She has a new prescription medicine to help with the reactions she gets to bug bites but I so wish I could find something that would keep her from being bit other than making her stay inside. Oh the clip on bug thing they have this year is worthless as well IMO.

 

[CLR4321]

Honestly (I am probably the oddball here), I would just let it run it's course unless more symptoms come up. I know it may drive you up the wall wondering what it is though! It sounds like your Dr is horrible to just push it aside like that and not even give you an idea as to what the diagnosis is. I would find a new Dr! That is the Dr's job to help you diagnose stuff like this! We just moved to a new state about a month ago, and I took my DS for his pre-kindergarten check up. The Dr was just horrible. Needless to say, I won't be taking my DS back there! At least it was just a check-up, and not something like your case.
I hope the spots disappear soon!

 

[mommytomy3]

It could also be molluscum, which are caused by a virus. My son got these, and I thought they were chicken pox at first.

this is my thought as well