Shingles In Children

[mumof4]

Right, most of you know that my 2 yr old is recovering from shingles.Most of us know about shingles but some of us dont know what it looks like or the pain that can be suffered.

 

Shingles in children is getting more common.Usually in the over 3 catagory but now is rising its head more often in the under 3 catagory.

 

We all know about chicken pox,shingles looks abit like chicken pox,but whereas chicken pox is single blisters covering the body,shingles is patches of smaller blisters clustered together and it travels along a nerve.

 

I am telling you this as my daughter was misdiagnosed several times before she was finally diagnosed,shingles has to be diagnosed within 72 hours to be able to take an antiviral drug that will help.

It doesnt cure the shingles but it can stop it turning into the nasty case it might be if left untreated.

 

I dont know everything but i thought that i would make you aware that it is on the increase.

My daughter has never had chicken pox but she got shingles which is according to my doctor highly unlikely.She may have had such a mild dose of chicken pox that it went undetected.

 

If your child comes down with chicken pox and they have had it before,but the blisters only seem to run in a line..then get an appointment asap to rule out shingles.

 

I have added some pics of my daughters shingles after the antiviral trsatment...this now looks a 100 times better than what it was..

 

I know this is a car forum before any one complains, but we all have children be they young or old, so i thought id share this with you.

 

Believe me...having to hear your child screamimg for hours on end in agony knowing that there is nothing that you can do is heartbraking.

[NikpV]

Cheers for the information & pictures - looks nasty, I'm sure that I can speak for all of us - wishing her well and a speedy recovery, I hope (and feel sure) that she is young enough to get over the trauma caused

 

Wishing you well

 

Kelly & Nik (+kids of 7, 4 & 7 months)

[Guest BagPuss]

Thanks Mumof4,

 

Some good info, my mother has just recently recovered from Shingles, She had it when we all went away for Xmas to good ole Skegness and she was in a lot of pain.

 

Thankfully she is over it now although it took a lot of drugs and quite a while to recover, Hope your daughter gets better soon, not nice at all for the littlens.

 

Konnor gave me my second bout of chicken pox when he was aged about 4, I've never felt soooo rough in all my life. I could barely walk 5 paces without nearly keeling over! It was like my battery level was zero, no energy what so ever. Worst 2 weeks of my life.

 

Regards to all the family mumof 4

[Bigjeeze]

Ooowww!!

 

Poor little sausage!! Thank goodness she's getting better now. :5:

 

You'd better hope you or Hubby don't get it.

[mumof4]

Thanks Bagpuss,Nikpv and Bigjeeze,She is on the mend now but i dread to think if it hadnt of been caught in time like my 4 yr olds wasnt.Up in Sctland when my 4 yr old was 2,she got shingles and the doctor refused to believe it..as there was no other doctor there was nothing we could do.She had to be flown to Aberdeen Hospital for pain management!.Not a good tiime.I just wish more doctors would realise that it is on the increase in young children and think of it more when confronted with a child who may have chicken pox.

As Bagpuss said...it is more common in adults and most peeps only ever hear of it in adults,unfortunately it does occurr in children and it seems worse as it is hard to explain to them what it is that is causing them so much pain,plus you are limited as to what pain meds you can give children.Adults can take just about anything..but as for children.....no such luck. :5:

[johnb80]

Ouch, that looks nasty. I do hope you make a fully recovery very soon.

 

Regards - JB

[familyman]

:5: Nothing worse than having poorly kids and the doctor saying "it's a virus" then given calpol as a cure all ,hope littleun gets better soon ,and take care yourself

[teresa]

:5: awwwwwww poor hun hope shes on the mend

 

 

 

give her a big hug from us all

 

teresa jase and family

[El Dingo]

Hope she's feeling better now.

 

Send her a 'Dingo Woof' from me!

[Goofygolfer]

ouch! that looks nasty glad she is on the mend

[mumof4]

Thanks everyone, she is on the mend but it will take a couple of weeks for all the spots/scabs to go.Touch wood that she wont have any lasting pain that some sufferers get when everything has cleared up. :5:

[Guest Cepheus]

I had shingles when I was about 11 .... had the same kind of little blisters round my left nipple!!! The pain is horrendous so my thoughts are with her. Hope she recoveres really soon :16:)

[mumof4]

everything practically healed except her back where the worst of it was and where it started, that is scabbing over slowly and looks awful and still hurts her if touched.

Thanks for all the support everyone.:16:

[mumof4]

Blimey..cant believe this was only last year!!.......She recovered well and the only place she scarred was her lower back where the shingles was worst (is that a word??)...It took nearly 3 weeks for everything to clear up..She hasnt caught it again, but i do have a stock of the drugs needed just in case, as once you have had shingles you are more prone to getting it again.And with the amount of kids that have had chicken pox in her class i cant be too careful.