# what do chicken pox look like at the start?



## seemfrog (Mar 30, 2006)

Does anyone have some pics or description of what the bumps look like when they are just starting to come up?

ds1 who has been sick with some kind of bad stomach bug for the last 4 days suddenly has around 5 red raised bumps on his face...

I'm sure it's wishful thinking that its chicken pox, but now I'm wondering what they DO look like at the very start.

Also, are there other logical ideas to what they'd be from?

Thanks!


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Maybe we had atypical chicken pox but it kept me guessing for well over a week.







First the DD's had rashes, very small raised bumps, DD1 had two small red marks for 5 days that she said itched, but they were so tiny. Finally one night I noticed two little bumps on DD2's back, they looked like bug bites. by the next day she had pox all over, DD1 was a couple days behind her.


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## seemfrog (Mar 30, 2006)

well, I'm getting excited and scared at the same time here...
It started with several on his face, they are randomly all over now, some in close together clumps others farther away. Legs, torso, face...
look kind of like small bug bites.
already starting to be itchy.
Could this be anything else?

I'd love to "have a party" for others if this is cp, when is it most contagious?
or when does it start to be contagious and when does it stop?

Its pretty weird, my boys had what appeared to be really bad stomach bugs, ds2 is on day 6 and ds1 on day 4, with vomiting and diarrhea, today they were both much more alert, were actually hungry for the first time, ate lots of bites of things, were fighting which indicated they were feeling better... and actually got out of the pjs!

thanks for any thoughts on this!


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## nathansmum (Nov 13, 2003)

Both my kids ones looked like insect bites in the first day or two, by day three they had started to blister. I knew they were likely chicken pox from the start though just coz it was going around at the time and also because theirs appeared on their backs which would have been covered from insects.

We didn't have v&d with ours though - maybe they just have a virus and this is the post-viral rash?

If it is CP it's contagious until the blisters heal over. So I'd wait till you know for sure before inviting others over.


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## seemfrog (Mar 30, 2006)

so this morning I was thinking maybe "nathansmum" was right, that it was just a post-viral rash.
But, I have no idea what that is either, is that just the response some bodies have to a virus?

Anyway, last night they were looking like welts, swollen and blotchy in some areas...

this morning it had gone down so much that in the partial darkness I thought it had gone away (on his cheek), but when I took off his pjs, they are still all over, especially torso and thighs, but also face, arms, lower legs, etc. and now just look like soft red bumps.

so now I'm still wondering...

does anyone have info on viral rashes? like what they look like, how long they last, if there is anything I can/should be doing for them

if he still has them (whatever it is) on Wed I'll take him to a walk in clinic (if its cp, to get it documented to not need the vaccine in case we do day care this year).


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## Gitti (Dec 20, 2003)

By now some of them should look like dew drops on the skin. That is cp. Dewdrops.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Any other rash will go away on its own (as cp will also).


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Would you do anything for the chicken pox? SA? Or any other immune boosting stuff? Or just let it ride out? It is going around here too.


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## Onemagicmummy (Jul 27, 2007)

chicken pox to me looked like small fluid filled blisters. 3/4 of mine have had it the boys were OK rest, cream, pain/fever meds.
DD1 was horrific. burts blisters, infected weeping sores on her neck adn back that needed dressing to help it heal a bit, she was sa mess for a while but she is fine now tho she has some scars
kiz


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## snitker79 (Apr 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momofmine* 
Would you do anything for the chicken pox? SA? Or any other immune boosting stuff? Or just let it ride out? It is going around here too.

I'm trying to research this exact question. I exposed my 2yo dd to her cousin over the weekend to CP. I'm wondering if I start boosting her immune system or just let it go on it's own.

Also, her other cousin (sister of first one) should hopefully get CP too from being around her brother. So should I double expose my dd to ensure she gets CP or will it only make it worse?

Some say that re-exposure makes the case worse and others seem to think there isn't a correlation.

Thoughts?
TIA


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