Chickenpox in adults is a contagious and infectious disease with extremely wide spread, with flue like symptoms accompanied by the eruption of vesicles (blisters) specific for this disease, occurring in successive eruptive waves. The vesicles are very deep and scratching them will cause permanent scarring.
Although you couldn’t tell, I just recovered from chicken pox, after almost 2 weeks of agonizing pain. Judging by the number of blog posts I produced, you could swear I was perfectly healthy but the truth is, there were days when I literally had to drag myself to grab a glass of water.
It’s been a nightmare to deal with chicken pox, look after a 4 years old kid, cook, bake, and do all the other house chores but I had no choice, someone had to do all these and since there wasn’t anyone else to fill in the “someone” position other than myself, I simply had to toughen up and just do it. Family and friends have been a real blessing, helping a lot with stuff I couldn’t do especially tasks involving getting out of the house.
I did learn a lot along the way, things I wish I knew before I got chickenpox and one main thing is that chickenpox in adults not only sucks but is hundred if not thousand times more painful and dangerous than in children.
I did take it for granted when my daughter had it, 4 weeks ago, this is how it all started. She had a mild version, with no fever at all and just a few light blisters on her body, in her throat and mouth but almost none on the face. She was as cheerful and playful as always, she didn’t have any troubles eating, sleeping or hydrating and she’s been completely cured in 2-3 days so I thought I’ll be just as fine when I’ve noticed the first blisters on my thighs.
But how wrong I was! It has started with an ugly cough and strong headaches, a couple of days before the blisters popped up but I thought it’s my sinuses although I never experienced that kind of headache. It evolved into the nastiest, strongest, life changing headache; a migraine would be considered a little baby if I was to compare them. I honestly though I have meningitis which I later found out it’s a possible complication of the chickenpox. How scary!
For 2 days straight I had extreme high fever (40 – 41 C = 104 – 105 F) which I haven’t experienced since I was a kid. I took medicine but the headache and fever wouldn’t go away. The fever stopped on day 3, in the evening and the headache started to be milder after day 4, taking more than a week to completely disappear. I was in so much pain, my skin was literally burning, especially the face and I couldn’t even move my eyeballs without getting dizzy and having excruciating pain.
On day 2 my face, neck and scalp were covered in blisters and then on day 3 the rest of the body, except for my legs which were “blessed” with just a few. I’m now on day 14 and I still have scabs; they’re healed but are still visible.
I was so lucky to be blessed with the most wonderful child in the whole world who has been so understanding and supported me all this time. She even paid a great compliment when I was at my lowest, complaining I look like a monster. She said “No, mommy! How can you look like a monster? You have such pretty hair!” (although trust me, I did look really bad; see below)
This is me on Day 1
Here are a few facts about chickenpox in adults:
- Incubation lasts between 7 and 21 days
- Even if you had the vaccine you may still get chickenpox. I had the vaccine done 11 years ago, then 5 years ago and again 2 years ago.
- Chickenpox in adults can complicate into pneumonia, encephalitis or meningitis and certain drugs are prescribed to prevent that, such as Acyclovir
- If you suffer from anxiety or/and panic attacks as I do, inform your doctor about it before taking the medicine. Acyclovir may cause agitation which will trigger severe anxiety and panic attacks. I haven’t had a severe one since 2009 yet when I took the first pill I had what it seemed like a life threatening panic attack. My doctor did not have the decency to discuss about the medicine and I was too foggy from the fever to ask or read the label. Big mistake!
- You are contagious only until the blisters turn into scabs.
- You may have scabs on for up to 2 weeks depending on how fast your skin normally heals
- Certain foods may cause chickenpox complications so they should be avoided: fruit with small seeds (like berries), citrus fruits, fish, eggs, all nuts, dairy, margarine and butter, spices, cocoa, sugar, pickles, chocolate.
- Aspirin is totally forbidden as it may cause Reye’s disease.
- After the chicken pox has gone, your immune system is very weak so you need to try and avoid getting sick.
- After the disease is cured, the virus can remain dormant in your body and then, especially during adulthood, can cause a different disease called shingles.
This is me on Day 5
Symptoms of Chickenpox in adults:
- Skin may feel more like burning not itching.
- Very high fever – 40 – 41 C = 104 – 105 F
- Extreme headache (eyes, forehead, back of the head, neck, throat)
- Stiff neck which might indicate meningitis – see a doctor immediately
- Vomiting sensation
- Dizziness
- Extreme weakness
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Extreme muscles and joint pain
- Insomnia
- Loss of appetite
- Flue like symptoms
- Blisters on most body parts but more on face, scalp, upper body, mouth, throat
Treatment:
- Antihistamine medicine to help with itching
- Fever and pain killer
- Acyclovir (again discuss your anxiety disorder with your doctor)
- You may be placed in quarantine although there’s a 90% chance the rest of the family and the ones you got in contact with for the last few days will get the chickenpox.
Recovering, 14 days into chicken pox – marks left on skin, though I haven’t scratched
Tips on how to make chickenpox in adults more bearable:
- Don’t wear perfume; it’s obvious the alcohol in it will irritate your skin and the blisters
- Don’t think that by avoid washing your body, face or hair you will do yourself and the blisters a favor. Chances are the sweat will irritate them more so they may get infected, causing you a visit to the doctor for a different round of medicine which might involve antibiotics; that’s the last thing you need as antibiotics cause your immune system to slow down and since your body is already weak, it won’t be able to fight the chicken pox infection.
- Don’t take shower but baths. Your skin is too sore to bear the water drops.
- Take lukewarm baths instead of hot as the latter will make you sweat and will open up the blisters more which will cause you pain.
- Use a mild soap like glycerin or a baby soap. I used my daughter’s for the body and a glycerin one for the face. I love hers so much I am now addicted to it, I may never go back to the adult version.
- When washing hair don’t rub the scalp just gently massage the shampoo into a lather which you can leave on for a minute or so to work its way down the roots.
- Gently pat dry your body with a soft towel, resisting the urge to rub (unless, of course, you love getting deep, nasty marks on your body for like FOREVER!)
- Take many lukewarm baths a day if you need to, without any soap or shampoo, just to cool down your skin and to relieve itchiness. If you can, air dry, body and hair.
- Eat soft food if you have blisters in your throat, such as warm soups, mashed fruit that won’t cause allergy
- Drink plenty water to stay hydrated, especially during high fever days (I had up to 4 liters)
- Stay in a cool area so you don’t sweat
- Wear loose, comfortable and soft clothing. I basically lived in my VS nighty for a week.
- Apply a menthol solution to skin (like Calamine) if you can’t bear the itchiness.
- Don’t scratch the scabs off, even if you think they’re healed. They are healed when fall off on their own. The blisters form deep into the skin and heal very slowly; if you scratch the scabs off while the root is not healed you may leave permanent scarring to the skin.
- Try and sleep facing up; if your face touches the pillow the scabs might rub against the pillow while you sleep and leave deep scarring. I believe that’s what happened to me as I haven’t scratched at all but I still have some scars on my face.
- Don’t wear any makeup until the scabs are completely gone and your skin seems healed.
- Do not dye your hair for about a month after the scabs on your body have healed. Hair follicles produce oil and make healing slower. Plus you are not able to see your scalp to check if all scabs are gone and healed.
This was my experience with chicken pox and how I handled things. If you have any tips on how to make things easier during chicken pox, please share in the comments, other people suffering from this nasty infection might find them useful.
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Richa Gulati says
Hi petro, thank you for writing such a relatable post. There really isn’t good information on adult chickenpox on internet. I had flu symptoms like you described for 2 days before I saw rashes. It’s day 5 today since rashes. I don’t think I have had any new rashes since yesterday and in general it’s a mild form with rashes mostly on my face scalp and upper body. The ones in the throat made life hell for first two days but other than no fever no loss of appetite here. I think anti viral medicine were helpful because I took them right away after rashes came.
btw How long will I still be contagious? I am basically locked in a room so that my 2 year daughter doesn’t catch it from me. We got her boaster dose of vaccine also(it can be given 3 months after dose 1, if required) as she was in close contact with me for those 2 days I had fever but no rash. I so pray to God she doesn’t get it. So I really wanna know how long before I can hold her again :(.
My husband and mother in law are handling her sometimes at night I hear her crying for me and it’s heartbreaking.
Thanks
Petro says
Hi Richa! You re contagious 48hr before the rash starts and up to 21 days or until the last last scab falls. I know how painful it is to be in the same house with your little one and not able to give her comfort! Both my daughter and i have been sick almost the same time and as I was in excruciating pain I wasn’t able to care after her. She was a huge help, acted so mature for a 4 years old. Hang in there, you’ll both be fine even if it doesn’t look like that at the moment! Get well soon! xoxo
Agatha says
Hello Petro,
Thank you for this post!!! It made me feel better about getting this horrible virus. This is my 6th day I believe (noticed the rash) and it keeps getting worse. I’m itching like crazy tried calamine lotion and antihistamine but it isn’t enough. Hope that I get this over with as soon as possible 😭
Prajna says
Lovely article. It helped a lot on what to do n what not to. And your progressing photos helped me deal with the chicken pox. I’m on my 6th day, taking acyclovir and putting on calamine lotion to ease the itchiness.
Fingers crossed that those scabs would fall off soon leaving no scars.
MK says
Thank you for this blog post on chicken pox. I am 34 and got severe chicken pox with lots of blisters on the face and chest and back but luckily no complications. Most blisters are now scabbing so I am relieved this ordeal will be over. 3 weeks sick leave from work !!!
Reading yours and the comments below helped provide solace and calm!
Shan says
Your post remains relevant. Thanks for making it less lonely. I’m sporting a carpet of blisters torso neck face hair ears eyelids limbs. I’ve given up on calamine and use a cool damp facewasher to ease itchy &/ or hot zones.
Breastfeeding my 6 month old is pretty hard. He too contracted if but is fairing better. Day 5 for me and blisters continue to form. Oh well chin up.
Imee Diane says
This is my day 2 with a lot of rashes on my face. I consulted a derma yesterday the moment I saw the first symptoms of chicken pox. I was prescribed with aciclovir which I immediately took an hour after the consultation. My doctor said that it will stop the spread of the rashes. Unfortunately,I woke up this morning with around 70 rashes on my face (sorry,that was a good estimate). Shall I consult this with the doctor again? (By the way,my mom said I already had CP when I was a kid but not as worse as this. I am very oily and is afraid of the scarring these may leave me)-Imee from Philippines,25 years old
Petro says
Imee, I’m no doctor but my doctor didn’t prescribe me acyclovir to stop the rashes but to avoid the infection to spread to my brain and lungs that’s why this disease is dangerous for adults, not because of the rashes. I’ve got oily face too and all the remedies I recommended in this article helped me a great deal! I still got a few scars but looking at my skin now, a few years after the disease, the scars are almost impossible to notice. I wouldn’t worry too much about scarring as this puts a lot of stress on you and all you need now is rest and peace so your body can recover fast. Focus on being healthy and if acyclovir doesn’t give any side effects, I would keep taking it for the reasons I mentioned above. Stay hydrated, eat healthy and rest a lot and you’ll be fine. Get well soon!
Jeve ann says
HEllo. Nice article. I still have chicken pox at 11 days and when I consulted a dermatologist awhile ago coz im really worried, she prescribed me Aciclovir 800mg tab 5x a day for 5 days. Im so desperately to ask you how does it taste? Lol is it bearable? Thank you in advance for the reply.
Petro says
Aciclovit is a pill and you swallow it with water so it doesn’t have any taste.
Erin says
Hi!
I was searching for chicken pox on adults when I stumbled upon this page and this is the most informative post I found. I’m also an adult and think I have chicken pox even though I’ve also been vaccinated. I have bad anxiety so thank you for mentioning how Acyclovir may affect it. I’m going to the doctor’s tomorrow and I’ll make sure to tell her about it. Thanks again!
Yamely J. says
Hi Petro thank you very much for your post about CP, is very helpful. I’m 34 yrs old and on my 3rd day having this nasty disease. I got it from my husband who had shingles 3 weeks ago. I have 4 boys at home ages 12,11,7,6 and I’m praying to God that they don’t get this horrible virus from me, even though from what I read they might get it anyways. They have all been vaccined. So far I have a lot of blisters in my face, neck, back and chest and some on my legs. They’re very itchy and painful too especially in the morning. Also I haven’t been able to sleep since day one. I’m not sleepy at all more like insomnia. I haven’t visited a doctor yet and I haven’t taken any meds only Calamine which I Apply on the blisters like 3 or 4 times a days. I’m really glad now I didn’t go for any meds after reading about the side effects of the acyclovir bacause I can get very anxious and feel panic attack easily at times. I’m just hoping to go through this as quickly as possible and to not have any scarring especially on my face so I’m praying for that. Again thanks for your post!!
Petro says
Hi Yamely. I’m so sorry this ugly disease got you too 🙁 Your kids might get it but not show any symptoms or just mild ones. Vaccination doesn’t mean they won’t get it but it might help with the symptoms. I got vaccinated twice and still got it for some reason. Calamine will help a great deal, it was life saving! I would still advise seeing a doctor, even if they’ll just prescribe rest, isolation and Calamine! This is a serious disease, especially in adults. Some of the most dangerous complications are encephalitis and pneumonia, that’s why they prescribe acyclovir. Hope you’ll feel better soon! Take good care of you!
Mallow says
Hi Petro.
Thank you for this article! Such a blessing. Indeed a terrible disease! I am 28 and first time to experience this. Im on my Day 3 since the blisters appeared. Itchy all over. Not itching my face though I really want it! Huhu. Except im itching outside my shirt in my body parts. Haha. I still could not see the effect of Aciclovir prescribed to me. Ugh. I hope takes effect soon. I am quite worried about the sick days off that my doctor gave me. It was only 5 days (?!) off work then I can work again. I feel like I am still able to spread the virus and I am dealing with patients as well. I feel so alarmed by this. Could you please advise me how many more days off do I need to take to be completely healed? Although, I am concerned that it can be different from everyone like race, age, etc. I am Asian working overseases. I would appreciate some advise from you. Thank you so much.
Petro says
Hi Mallow. I’m sorry, I am not a doctor, not really sure how many days are recommended to take time off in your case. I can only speak from my experience and for myself. I’m happy I could help with my humble advises though and I hope you’re feeling better by now. Get well soon!
Mario says
Great post. It has helped me a lot. All information online is so general and always left me with paranoia. This article is a life saver. Thank you for this!
Petro says
Hi Mario. Thanks for taking the time to comment! I’m happy I could help 🙂
Ella says
Hey Petro, I haven’t contracted chickenpox, but I’m a little paranoid right now. My boyfriend’s blisters started almost 3 weeks ago, and he came to see me for a bit on day 16 which was last Monday. He said that his blisters had scabbed over on day 13, but since we met up again I’ve been experiencing light itching that comes and goes throughout the day. Is it possible that he was still contagious at this point and that my itching is an early symptom? I’m concerned and confused at the same time, because I’m 22 and I haven’t had the chickenpox yet. Did you feel any weird symptoms like itching during the incubation period? When did you consider it safe for you to start seeing your friends and family again after the illness?
Petro says
Hi Ella. I haven’t experienced any symptoms until I got the blisters and a huge headache. I don’t think your boyfriend was contagious anymore since his blisters already scabbed.
Sasha says
Hi. I realised that i just got chickenpox today, a month after all my sisters were cured from it. I think reading your blog made me less scared now. In my island, we use neem leaves on the scabs that promotes healing. I heard neem products help too, and I’ve been just grinding some leaves and pasting them on my face. Bathing in neem water really helps with the itching too. Hope this gave you some ideas and pass it to friends who might get infected :’D
Petro says
Hi Sasha. Thanks so much for the tip! Hope you have a mild version of the disease! Get well soon! xoxo
Kasimiira says
Oh my god – BLESS YOU, YOU ABSOLUTE ANGEL FOR WRITING THIS POST! ❤️ I caught the adult chicken pox last Wednesday (well, that’s when the I noticed I was dead tired and on Thursday I woke up with a rash). I’m now on day 6 and luckily so far I’ve managed to get away with no fever or nausea or lack of appetite so I’m keeping my fingers crossed it doesn’t get worse than this. I have however developed an eye infection which is absolutely a complication to be wary of… but yes, thanks so much for writing it! All the info is so formal so it’s hard to relate it to the agony everyone’s going through alone. I have been really ill this year and had a kidney infection in March but this one, regardless of being relatively pain free, has been the absolute worst. I’ve never felt more alone, more scared, insecure and ugly than I do right now. I know it sounds awfully shallow but I have depression and anxiety and I also used to have acne. This year my skin has finally started getting better and the acne scars have started fading so it is probably easy to imagine how devastating it is to have your face crusted with scars yet again… I am 26 and I have quite a soft skin so I am hoping there won’t be too much scarring as I’ve managed to not scratch them. I can fully recommend wearing mittens over night even as an adult as I can imagine it’s easy to scratch them in your sleep too! I’ve also been taking some aloe vera gel supplements orally once a day hoping that it will help me with the scarring.
On a day 6, I still have yellow spots on my face and two really ugly dark spots that are scabbing over as we speak but I am thoroughly hoping there’ll be no scars. This is truly a horrific disease to have 🙁 my mental health is so so down and the itchiness has just been an absolute killer.
Good luck to anyone who’s currently battling with this!
Just one more question: when did you first put on any make up over the spots?
Petro says
Hi Kasimiira! I’m so sorry you’re going through this, it’s indeed a terrible disease, especially as an adult. I felt the same way as yourself and I wrote this post mainly because I felt alone and abandoned, no one seemed to be able to offer any support, the internet included. I’m so happy to see it’s been a great help for so many people! And I’m glad to see you are on the right track, keep up the good work and stay positive! Chances are your skin will heal with no scars left since you’re so young and taking supplements too so fingers crosses! Just as a side note: I’ve been battling acne for most of my life as I suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, been dealing with it through this day. I haven’t seen success with no skin care products until 2 years ago when I discovered Paula’s Choice acne kit I still get a couple of pimples every once in a while but the quality of my skin is unbelievable! It’s changed my life completely!
As for the makeup I don’t think I’ve used any on my face, neck and cleavage for months just my eyes, about a month after I completely healed, if I remember correctly.
Get well soon and take care!
Dan says
Hi Petro,
Thank you so much, your post really helped me with all the do’s and dont’s. It has been about 3 weeks i got chicken pox and they are nearly healed but then i got these holes on my face and a few scars even though i did not pick them and then they are not completely healed even after 3 weeks and so i’m worried BTW i am 19 years old and I got oily skin
Petro says
Hi Dan. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know my tips have helped at least a little, this totally makes my day! Glad to hear you’re almost completely cured! I’m sorry about the scars though 🙁 Same thing happened to me and unfortunately there’s still some marks left where those nasty holes used to be. But keep in mind, when I had this I was about 40, my skin has lost elasticity and a lot of collagen which is not your case since you’re so young. Chances are you’ll recover with no marks especially since your skin is oily. Even if they won’t completely disappear the marks will fade in time and become nearly invisible to the others.
Hasna says
Hello Carrie,
Thank you for your article. Im have fever since Monday. Today is Day 4 since The blisters came out. Ik so worried about this disease as it gaves me excruciating paid on my face and my mouth. I have been seeing doc on daily basis. They have given me anti which I took since Thursday but so far I dont see any improvement. I am bery down right now but your post really help me to understand more on chicken pox. Thank you.
Petro says
Hi Hasna. So glad I could help a little! I’m happy to hear you’re feeling better already! Stay positive, it will all go away soon! xoxo
Carrie says
Just a huge thank you – day 8 and almost pain free. Your website really helped me as I couldn’t find any information to relate to what I was experiencing and then your article popped up. To know that the pain and the headaches, particularly at night were all part of my body fighting the chicken pox and that there would be an improvement was an enormous relief. Thank you so so much. I took your advice as to how to wash my hair without rubbing the spots and something so little helped so much. Thanks again.
Petro says
Hi, Carrie! I’m so happy I was able to bring some relief through my article, thanks so much for letting me know! You just made my day! Hope you’re feeling much better by now and keep up with the positive attitude as it plays such a big part in fighting this nasty disease! xoxo
Carrie says
Thank you. The nights were definitely the hardest for me, I would often sit almost upright with pillows, with a small light on and look around me at photos or a card just to help me with positive thoughts. I also read quite a few books and magazine articles just to distract my mind from the pain. Now I have recovered, I feel calmer and more productive in my day to day life. Thanks again for your article, I really can’t tell you how much it helped. Now waiting for the spots to fade, I am drinking lots and lots of water, just as I did during the illness and that really helped. I am also back to exercising, eating well and fresh air which is definitely helping too.
Jackieee says
Hey Petro! U really helped me a lot. I’m still like in day 4 of this stupidddd disease but u encouraged nd helped me a lot! I wanted to know that if I can share toilet with others nd is it ok for someone to use the tv remote (which is always with me hehe) but thnx a lot once again
Petro says
Hi Jackie. I’m glad I could help! Staying positive is really important and I’m happy to see you got a lot of that! You should actually be isolated at this stage. I had no one but my daughter around me and that was only because she was already carrying the disease, I got it from her. Friends and family used to leave food at my door and they were gone before I opened the door. Get well soon!
Afrina Athirah Abdul Aziz says
Hi, there. I’m 22 years old and I’ve never had chickenpox before. Dear lord, what I can say is the experience is so terrible. I pretty much can say that I don’t feel quite itchy but more painful feeling as if my blisters are pierced with needles. So I’ve been consuming acyclovir for 4 days now, and according to my doctor, she said that I need to finish my tablets until day 5. So, after I’ve stopped consuming the acyclovir, would the rashes come again? That’s my concern because I have an examination in 10 days I really hope that there will be no more new blisters coming.
Petro says
Hi there. I haven’t taken the medication, it was real bad for me. But I’m pretty sure the rash shouldn’t come back especially after so many days. Get well soon!
Kamal says
Hi Petro,
Thanks a lot for sharing the post. It is day 4 for me. Just wanted to ask if we can use a moisturising cream like Nivea on face after washing face? Or mosturizer should be avoided on face full of spots/blisters?
Petro says
Hi Kamal. I didn’t feel like putting anything on my skin that would add up to my already oily skin. To me it felt like the blisters would get more inflamed; all I wanted was to feel my skin as fresh and clean as possible. Plus creams and lotions contain all kinds of chemicals that might irritate the blisters even more. Do what you think it’s best for you but I would advice testing the lotion or cream on a small area first to see how it feels. Get well soon and have a quick recovery!
Denise Mitchell says
Hi Petro!
Your post is very helpful. Thank you so much! I’m on my 7th day dealing with chicken pox. It’s definitely a stressful one but good thing I was able to consult a doctor within 24 hours after feeling I’m having a chicken pox. The Aciclovir (4x a day, every after meal and before sleeping) to fight the virus and Cetirizine (before sleeping) to relieve the itchiness really helped combat the influx of blisters on my face and body. These, however, need prescription and must be taken within 24 hours after the first symptoms. Vitamin C and lots of water are also helpful! Now, the blisters are drying up and some are already scabbing. I’m just hoping these wouldnt leave scars. Once again, thank you for this insightful post!! Love from the Philippines ????
Petro says
Hi Denise! So happy you found my article useful! And loving your positive vibe, it helps a lot in these stressful time! Get well soon!