What is this?!

[citrusfruit]

'''Tis the season for every nursery virus under the sun

So, about a month and a half ago my toddler came down with what I thought was nursery-caught hand, foot and mouth. Took him to the docs and they weren't convinced but gave me antibiotics as they thought the sores on the outside of his mouth may be infected. He had little white spots all over his tongue and was refusing most food and saying it was hot.

Then I also got the mouth spots, like tiny ulcers and they reeeally hurt. My mum also got them so definitely something contagious, whatever it was. My toddlers spots cleared up but then came back so off we went back to the docs, who gave us cream this time and just told myself and my mum to use mouthwash??

The spots on our tongues keep coming back!! They are much less painful but very irritating. Anyone had a virus like this before? I don't think it is hand foot and mouth as not really any symptoms on hands or feet plus the timescale isn't right. Just interested to see if anyone has experienced anything similar as two docs haven't really diagnosed anything? I will obviously go back if it persists.

 

[_Meep_]

Oral herpes perhaps? Basically coldsores inside the mouth? Sounds horrible!

Did the antibiotics actually help? As they only would have done anything if the mystery spots were the result of a bacterial infection. Antibiotics wouldn't touch a virus (which is what herpes is).

 

[broodymrs]

I was thinking it might be herpes 😬 Hope it's not but that's what it sounds like

 

[citrusfruit]

Urgh, that sounds so terrible. I will go back to the docs after Xmas with my son I think. The antibiotics cleared up the sores on the outside of his mouth but we all keep getting new ones on our tongues every week! They last for a few days, then a couple of clear days, then another one of two appear. So annoying.

 

[_Meep_]

If it definitely was the antibiotics that cleared up his sores then it won't be herpes.

It sounds really nasty! Hope you find out what it is. :/

 

[_Meep_]

In fact, the only explanation that I can think of is that he has possibly developed two different infections - probably impetigo around his mouth (though how a doctor could fail to identify that I don't know), which is bacterial, and something else affecting the inside ... something likely viral (e.g. herpes) if it didn't clear up with the use of antibiotics.

Urgh!

 

[citrusfruit]

Sorry - Yes! The doc did say impetigo for the outside. It has come back twice so far on the outside. So could be two seperate things although very odd that they came up simultaneously. Myself and mum have never had the outside sores just the tongue ones. I will update if we ever get an answer in case anyone else experiences similar.

 

[_Meep_]

Apparently impetigo doesn't develop inside the mouth, so it must be two things. Poor little guy!

 

[broodymrs]

Just be careful with kissing and other things you do with your mouth (I'll let you use your imagination!). Speaking from experience if someone has herpes in their mouth and uses it for something 😉 it's highly likely it will be passed on and you really don't want it down there. It's excruciatingly painful and stays with you for life 😟