Has anybody had a child with Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus?

[kwickimom]

I think its actually called a disease, but I refuse to call it that.

 

UGH it so nasty! My two DS's have it and the sores in their little mouths are DISGUSTING! So I havent slept in 5 nights because they just cry in pain all night. There is some "magic mouthwash" you can get to numb the pain, but they wont spit mouthwash out so I cannot give it to them. It is breaking my heart to see them like this and be able to do NOTHING for them. It can last for 10 stinking days and apparently the sores will end up on the outside of their mouths. :crying:

I HATE VIRUSES. I HATE having my babies in so much pain. Tell me someone else lived through this and made it out OK

[jenL]

Both of my boys had it. One when he was 15 months, the other when he was 10 months. It was awful and heartbreaking to watch them suffer. I believe I tried to ease the pain with tylenol and/or ibruprofen. Also, they both spiked very high fevers (104-105) that lasted 4-5 days. We made it through though! Hang in there... :grouphug:

[MariannNOVA]

I'm so sorry your kids are sick with this -- yes, it's awful. My older girls had it when they were 6 and 7, I think, and they were miserable. It feels like it lasts forever, and they, unfortunately, can get it again. The summer that my girls had it, it was going around like wild fire.

 

 

HOW DO I TREAT MOUTH SORES?

 

• Cold liquids – Popsicles, slushies or frozen juice can both sooth your child and provide needed fluids during this illness. Acidic foods like orange juice may be painful for your child
  
• Medications
  
  • Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with the pain and fever. If needed, you can alternate between the two, giving something every three hours. Click on each for dosing.
    

   

   

 

We survived, but it was not any fun. :grouphug:

Edited July 3, 2010 by MariannNOVA

[EKS]

Yes. Twice. Same kid. Unfortunately, I can't remember what we did for the pain (maybe tylenol or advil).

[G5052]

But one of mine came down with it while we were on vacation, so we went home early. I took her to the doctor, and he gave me all the particulars. Then my other one got it, and then I got it.

 

We were miserable and stayed home from everything for several weeks. Yes, it was miserable.

[kwickimom]

I read they can keep getting it. YUCK. They both had 104 fevers for 2 days with it too. I am rotating Advil and Tylenol. Super sucky virus/disease.

[momtothreeboys]

We suffered through that 3 times one year. Each time my kids dehydrated enough we had to be hospitalized. I guess some kids just stop drinking cause it hurts so much. I hate this virus with a passion. We've had it 5 times now although its now been 2 years since our last bout with it.

[Tree House Academy]

My older son had it when he was 2. I got it from him too!! We both just had the tiny painful blisters on our toes and fingers. Neither of us got it in our mouth.

 

Can you put the numbing mouthwash on some kind of swab or your finger and put it in their mouth without them having to swish and spit?

[MyLittleWonders]

My oldest had it when he was 12 months old. We took him to the ER because we were afraid he was getting dehydrated (he wasn't and they sent us home with "magic mouthwash" but told us it was safe to swallow). He got better and then dh and I came down with it. MIL watched ds#1 while we were at our worse, and then she got it. It was the most horrible couple weeks I can remember (ds#1 had it for a week; dh and I were sick for a week; poor MIL took 2 weeks to get over it). It does eventually go away. We only had blisters in our throats and I think ds had a couple little ones between his fingers. Otherwise it was the excruciating sore throat and the high fever that made us miserable.

[AngieW in Texas]

All three of mine had it, but they all had very atypical cases.

 

My oldest had a mild sore throat and a sudden temperature spike that caused a seizure. That was it. No sores anywhere except for the spot on her tongue where she chomped down on it during the seizure.

 

My middle had what looked like a single canker sore in her mouth that lasted about one week and sores on her hands and feet that lasted about 10 minutes.

 

My youngest broke out in hives all over (scary hives that made her look inhuman). She didn't have any sores at all.

 

They all had the coxsackie virus and spread it to their friends because we didn't know that's what it was until all our friends broke out in it. I was at the doctor's office (again) for my youngest because her hives had flared up to a scary level when my doctor said that she thought they might possibly have all had atypical cases of coxsackie virus. Then two of our friends called to say that their kids had just been diagnosed with it (and they had typical cases).

[Heather in Neverland]

yep. It is going around here. Both my boys had it and about 5 of their friends had it all last week. There isnothing you can do but wait it out and try to keep them comfortable (and away from other kids as it is highly contagious). You'll all get through it. :grouphug:

[OLG]

When ds had this, the pediatrician had us mix liquid benadryl and malox to swish around in the mouth and south the sores. It really worked and wouldn't be harmful if swallowed either.....So sorry you are all going thru this.

 

Mary

[PollyOR]

Can you soak a swab and use the swab to coat the inside of the mouth? I think our doctor prescribed a liquid used for stomach ulcers.

[DianeW88]

Coxsackie virus and/or enterovirus causes this nasty disease. I saw it frequently as a ped nurse. Yep, the symptoms are awful but they should be all better within 14 days.

 

One important thing to note is that the virus does stay in your system for weeks after the symptoms have disappeared and the infected person can still pass the virus to others. Also, adults who have it may be symptomless, thus spreading it like wildfire to kids who have no immunity against it.

 

It is most common (and nasty) in kids under age 10 and you can catch it again. It will not be from the same virus...ie. if your child caught the Coxsackie 16 virus the first time, they can get it again if they're infected by the enterovirus 71 that also causes it. They also suspect other viruses may produce HFM as well.

 

The only thing you can do is try and reduce the pain with ibuprofen and/or Tylenol. Numbing mouth sprays also help quite a bit. You could try some numbing spray for sore throats if your kids can't do the mouthwash. Really watch for signs of dehydration, particularly if they're young. They should be urinating regularly and when they cry, you should see tears. If not, they may need IV rehydration. Keep an eye on it.

 

Complications are rare, but viral meningitis is one possible one. Just watch for any new and odd symptoms like neck stiffness, headache and vomiting. And, by neck stiffness, I mean have your child lie flat on their back and see if they can raise their head to touch their chin to their chest. And, let me stress, meningitis would be RARE, but it is something to be aware of.

 

Just be sure that when they are feeling better, still keep them away from others for a couple of weeks (no kissing, hugging, sharing food, utensils, etc.) and wash everyone's hands frequently. It is crazy contagious.

 

Hope they feel better soon. Feed them lots of jello and fudgesicles (they tend to coat the throat better) or pudding pops.

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

[kwickimom]

Coxsackie virus and/or enterovirus causes this nasty disease. I saw it frequently as a ped nurse. Yep, the symptoms are awful but they should be all better within 14 days.

 

One important thing to note is that the virus does stay in your system for weeks after the symptoms have disappeared and the infected person can still pass the virus to others. Also, adults who have it may be symptomless, thus spreading it like wildfire to kids who have no immunity against it.

 

It is most common (and nasty) in kids under age 10 and you can catch it again. It will not be from the same virus...ie. if your child caught the Coxsackie 16 virus the first time, they can get it again if they're infected by the enterovirus 71 that also causes it. They also suspect other viruses may produce HFM as well.

 

The only thing you can do is try and reduce the pain with ibuprofen and/or Tylenol. Numbing mouth sprays also help quite a bit. You could try some numbing spray for sore throats if your kids can't do the mouthwash. Really watch for signs of dehydration, particularly if they're young. They should be urinating regularly and when they cry, you should see tears. If not, they may need IV rehydration. Keep an eye on it.

 

Complications are rare, but viral meningitis is one possible one. Just watch for any new and odd symptoms like neck stiffness, headache and vomiting. And, by neck stiffness, I mean have your child lie flat on their back and see if they can raise their head to touch their chin to their chest. And, let me stress, meningitis would be RARE, but it is something to be aware of.

 

Just be sure that when they are feeling better, still keep them away from others for a couple of weeks (no kissing, hugging, sharing food, utensils, etc.) and wash everyone's hands frequently. It is crazy contagious.

 

Hope they feel better soon. Feed them lots of jello and fudgesicles (they tend to coat the throat better) or pudding pops.

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

 

Thank you for this! My doc basically told me nothing (he sent us for a strep test and they simply called to tell me it was neg and they probably had the HFMD) I asked about the mouthwash because my sister had this awhile back and he asked if they will spit it and not swallow and I said no so he said no)

 

I read online it was mainly Maalox and Benadryl, I will see if they will take it (they are major weary of taking anything because they hurt so bad) thankfully they are eating and drinking just fine.

[LaissezFaire]

We just got over it a month ago and I can say it was HORRIBLE. Worse than h1n1 (which we had over Christmas). I have never seen kids in so much pain before. My sweet DS4 did not eat or speak for 4 days because of pain. It helped a teeny bit to mix a cocktail of mylanta and benadryl and have them swish and spit with it.

[Guest aquiverfull]

Yes, last June my then 10 year old had it. She was hospitalized for dehydration. It was awful. She had horrible sores in her mouth and therefore couldn't eat or drink. I know it's hard, I hope your little ones get well soon.:grouphug:

[Pamela H in Texas]

The doctor didn't give you anything?

 

It was ages ago...maybe 13 years? I had THREE (out of 5) with it. One (15mo) had it REALLY bad and the other two more mildly (thankfully). Anyway, the doc gave me something. I know I mixed novacaine and something else (maybe two something else's?).

 

Anyway, I can't imagine not doing ANYTHING. How can they even eat/drink without some help?

 

ETA: After looking at some other posts, I think I remember Maalox or something like that being part of it.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

We've had 4 bouts with it over the years. Our latest one was a few weeks ago. It wasn't as severe, and I wonder if it's because my dds had had another version of it 3 years ago.

 

It spread like wildfire through our church. The week my girls had it, I knew of 7 kids who had been infected with it since our last church service.

 

When my boys had it in the summer of 2004, I ended up with viral meningitis. If anyone complains of a severe headache, call the dr.

[kwickimom]

The doctor didn't give you anything?

 

It was ages ago...maybe 13 years? I had THREE (out of 5) with it. One (15mo) had it REALLY bad and the other two more mildly (thankfully). Anyway, the doc gave me something. I know I mixed novacaine and something else (maybe two something else's?).

 

Anyway, I can't imagine not doing ANYTHING. How can they even eat/drink without some help?

 

ETA: After looking at some other posts, I think I remember Maalox or something like that being part of it.

 

Not a thing. He wouldnt have even mentioned the mouthwash if I didnt ask. And he is a well known highly recommended peds doc here. He is never big on handing out meds. Very laid back...too laid back sometimes. He didnt even give me any info on what to look for for dheydration and the meningitis. My sister had a horrible case of this a few months back and the clinic she went to 4 times never did know what it was. It wasnt until we were in the ER that the doc told us what it was. She had been dead sick for 2 weeks and all they gave her was the mouthwash. They never mentioned the complications or things to watch out for either :001_huh:

 

Thankfully my boys are still eating and drinking well. I dont know if its because their case is not severe (I cant imagine it much worse) or if it is because they are boys and nothing stops them from eating :D

[dansamy]

Miracle mouthwash is a swish and swallow, not swish and spit. We use mouthswabs to swab the inside of little ones' mouths.

[kwickimom]

Miracle mouthwash is a swish and swallow, not swish and spit. We use mouthswabs to swab the inside of little ones' mouths.

 

you mean the maalox, benadryl mix? I cannot see why they couldnt swallow that. I wonder if my doc has some kind of different mouthwash with something in it that they can't swallow a lot of? The stuff they gave my sister had 6 different ingredients (she cant remember all of them)

 

Maybe I will just try the Maalox and benydrl mix myself. although the kids seems a little better today and havent complained yet and they ate pancakes. They both still have the sores though.

[AuntieM]

My twins caught it as babes (maybe 6 mos old?). They looked pretty bad but did not act as if they were in much pain. Fever on the mild side. Thankfully no one else came down with it then and none have had it since (they are now teens).

 

I remember that we had to cancel a family vacation because of it and that I put socks over their hands to help keep their fingers out of their mouths.

[AnitaMcC]

My Dd and middle son had it.

 

Dd had it pretty bad in her mouth and on her hands. I gave her tylenol and lots of ice pops and occassional sore throat pops.

 

Ds had a very weird case of it. He was just a year old. He had a bad stomach virus, then soon after he had chicken pox and before the chicken pox was completely gone.. he got hand/foot/mouth disease. He had it head to toe!!!! Took him in to doctor and the doctor said "too bad my residents aren't here because they likely won't see a case like this". I soaked Ds in tub with aveeno just like we did for chicken pox. It helped a bit. For his mouth pain the doctor told me to give him lots of icepops and sore throat pops if it got bad like we did for Dd.

[dansamy]

you mean the maalox, benadryl mix? I cannot see why they couldnt swallow that. I wonder if my doc has some kind of different mouthwash with something in it that they can't swallow a lot of? The stuff they gave my sister had 6 different ingredients (she cant remember all of them)

 

Maybe I will just try the Maalox and benydrl mix myself. although the kids seems a little better today and havent complained yet and they ate pancakes. They both still have the sores though.

 

Depends on the recipe. The one we use also has a small amount of viscous lidocaine in it as well.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

DD was just diagnosed with it last week, but I don't believe she had it. She had a red, inflamed throat for about 3 days and 1 day of fever. The dr. did the strep test, it came back negative, and he said it was HFM, even though DD had NO sores anywhere.

 

Anyways, he gave us magic mouthwash and said if she wouldn't swish and spit I could put it on a qtip and swab it on the ulcers (that she didn't have....) So maybe you could do that.

 

Hope they feel better soon!!!

[kwickimom]

DD was just diagnosed with it last week, but I don't believe she had it. She had a red, inflamed throat for about 3 days and 1 day of fever. The dr. did the strep test, it came back negative, and he said it was HFM, even though DD had NO sores anywhere.

 

Anyways, he gave us magic mouthwash and said if she wouldn't swish and spit I could put it on a qtip and swab it on the ulcers (that she didn't have....) So maybe you could do that.

 

Hope they feel better soon!!!

 

I made the mouthwash with just Benadryl and Maalox and it helped a lot! 50% of the time I got them to spit. The sores went away about 4 days after I started this thread and they are all doing great. thanks!

You are SO lucky they didnt have the sores, but i agree your kiddos prob didnt have it if they had no sores in mouth or on hands and feet. From what I learned they get sores somewhere if they have the virus

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I had it when I was nursing my oldest. She never got it due to the antibodies in my milk.

 

The pain was horrible! It hurt to have water, air anything in my mouth!

[TravelingChris]

My youngest has this now. She has had high fevers yesterday and it started on SUnday. Her fever is less today. Neitjer of my other two have ever had it. I certainly pray I don't get it since I am on immunosuppresants.