A Guide to Chickenpox Remedies and Medication

When it comes to chickenpox, it can be an itchy, and rather uncomfortable experience to deal with. Chickenpox can infect both adults and children at any age, and for those with weakened immune systems, it can be difficult to deal with.

The virus usually goes away within one to two weeks, and you are not required to see your GP unless symptoms become severe. However, there are at-home remedies and medication that can help reduce your symptoms to make them more bearable until it goes away. 

Remedies for chickenpox

Oatmeal/cornflour bath

A great way to soothe itchy skin from chickenpox is to bathe in oatmeal or cornflour. If you’re worried about chickenpox spreading from one place to another while you are bathing, then you can relax, as this won’t happen.

You can purchase oatmeal lotions from your local drug stores or pharmacy too, which can help soothe your skin and keep it moisturised as well.

Aveeno’s Soothing Oat Bath Sachets can simply be added to your bath and dissolved for you to soak in and soothe your itchy skin. 

Bathe in baking soda

Another option to soothe itchiness is to bathe in baking soda. All you need is one cup of baking soda to add to warm water. You can do this repeatedly if you find this option relieving. If your child also prefers this method, then you can bathe them up to three times a day with baking soda.

Trim your nails

You will more than likely be tempted to scratch that itch when it comes to chickenpox, but this will make it more uncomfortable for you, and breaking the skin can lead to infection, leaving scars on your body.

A good way to negate the temptation is to trim your nails down with nail clippers, as you will be less likely to scratch infected areas. Wearing gloves, mittens, or even socks on your hands can also help reduce scratching your skin.

Use calamine cream

An effective way to reduce itchiness from chickenpox is to apply calamine cream to affected areas. Calamine cream can leave your skin feeling cool and soothed to lessen the effects of itchiness caused by chickenpox and other itchy skin conditions.

Take antihistamines

Another way to help relieve itchy symptoms is to take antihistamine tablets by mouth, which can be purchased over the counter. 

It should be noted that any lotions or creams that contain antihistamines should not be applied topically on the skin for chickenpox.

At Weldricks Pharmacy, we stock a wide range of antihistamine tablets to suit your preferences, including tablets from popular brands such as Piriton.

Other remedies

If you are looking for ways to help soothe the symptoms of chickenpox, then you can also try:

• Wearing loose clothing
• Compress affected areas with a soft, damp cloth to cool the skin
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
• Have ice lollies to soothe chickenpox that is in your mouth
• Wash your hands, clothing, and bedsheets on a daily basis
• Avoid getting hot and sweaty as these are triggers of itching
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol to help with any discomfort, and reduce fever.
• Avoid ibuprofen as this can cause skin infections

If you are ever unsure about what to use, then speak to your pharmacist or GP for advice on chickenpox remedies.

Medication for chickenpox

In some rare cases, chickenpox can have severe complications. If this is the case for you, then your GP might prescribe an antiviral medication called aciclovir. Creams containing aciclovir can also be purchased over the counter.

Aciclovir is a type of medication used to treat infections that are caused by different types of viruses. Cold sores, caused by herpes or chickenpox, can be taken care of with aciclovir.

Aciclovir can decrease the severity of the chickenpox virus and shorten the time it takes to recover from it. It also helps heal sores faster, as well as stop new sores from forming on the skin. It can decrease pain and itchiness from chickenpox and help reduce the spread of the infection across the body.

It should be noted that aciclovir is not a cure for chickenpox. The virus remains in the body forever and can flare up again, but this is a very rare case. 

The chickenpox vaccine

To avoid the need for chickenpox remedies and medication, another option is to vaccinate yourself and your loved ones, such as children, from the virus. Weldricks Pharmacy is proud to now be offering the chickenpox vaccine at our local branches, so you can book in for the chickenpox vaccine today. 

Our blog on chickenpox symptoms and stages is also a useful resource and has all the information you need on understanding the different types of symptoms as well as reading more about the vaccine.

Be sure to contact your local Weldricks Pharmacy to see about making an appointment to get the chickenpox vaccine, and minimise the spread of the virus.