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What Causes Stomach Pain And Loss Of Appetite While Treating Chickenpox?

Posted on Mon, 30 Nov 2015

Question: I had chickenpox 14 days back and my wife got it 3 days back.
Son,3 years old,complained of stomach pain yesterday and had loss of appetite.
today morning he had loose motions afterwhich the pain was gone.He drank milk and ate a idli afterwhich he puked. After an hour he asked for food and rice soup was given. now he has fever of 100.1 and we gave crocin. he is very tired and is inactive since morning.
Is it chicken pox or someother fever?
pls note-No CP vaccine was given to him earlier

Answered by Dr. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Jain (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
This can be due to chicken pox or some other infection

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for asking the query

The infectivity period of chicken pox is 2 days before to about 6 days after the onset of rashes.
Fever may be the only manifestation of chicken pox and rash may follow the fever. Rashes of chicken pox develops usually on the same day of fever or next day.
As your baby has no active skin lesion the diagnosis of chicken pox could not be made but as there is history of close contact it's possibility can not be ruled out.
I would suggest you to give him paracetamol for fever,keep him hydrated well by giving adequate feed/fluid and to observe closely for development of any rash.
In case he develops any rash acyclovir(an antiviral) syrup may need to be given after consulting your pediatrician. Adding acyclovir decreases the complications of chicken pox.If there are no rashes within one or two days you can get him vaccinated for the varicella vaccine.Right now If already he has got infection vaccination would not help much.

I also suggest you to keep other family members away from the infected one to avoid the spread.

I hope this helps.
Please let me know if you have any more query.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar