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* Updated November 25, 2025 *
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is best known as a childhood illness, but adults can—and do—get it. When adults become infected, symptoms are often more intense, recovery may take longer, and the experience can significantly affect daily life, work, and family responsibilities.
This guide explains how HFMD affects adults, what symptoms to expect, how long it typically lasts, when to seek medical care, and practical steps that make recovery easier. It includes expert-supported information, adult-specific guidance, and first-hand experience to help you manage the illness confidently.
What Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
HFMD is a contagious viral illness caused mainly by Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, both part of the enterovirus family. These viruses commonly live in the mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
While HFMD is most common among children under 10, adults can also contract it—particularly parents, teachers, daycare workers, healthcare providers, or anyone exposed to young children.
The virus spreads through:
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Saliva or respiratory droplets
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Fluid from blisters
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Feces (especially during diaper changes)
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Contaminated surfaces
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Close contact such as hugging, kissing, or sharing utensils
Adults may remain contagious for days or even weeks, even after symptoms improve. According to the CDC, the incubation period is typically 3–6 days.
HFMD Symptoms in Adults
Adults may experience stronger, more disruptive symptoms compared to children. Common signs include:
Early symptoms
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Fever (often the first sign)
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Sore throat
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Loss of appetite
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Fatigue or feeling unwell
Classic HFMD symptoms
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Painful mouth sores: tongue, gums, inner cheeks
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Blisters or rashes on hands, feet, or buttocks
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Red spots that may blister but typically do not itch
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Pain when swallowing, making hydration difficult
Additional symptoms sometimes seen in adults
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Headache
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Joint pain
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Mild conjunctivitis (pink eye)
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Cough or congestion
Symptoms typically last 7–10 days, though peeling skin on hands and feet can persist for several weeks.
Is HFMD More Serious in Adults?
Most healthy adults recover without complications, but symptoms can be more severe than in children. Adults often report:
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More painful blisters
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Difficulty walking due to foot lesions
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Significant tiredness
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Extended recovery time
While rare, adults are more likely than children to experience complications because they have stronger immune responses.
Other symptoms:
Some individuals may also develop a runny nose, cough, headache, or mild conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Symptoms generally last for about a week, though it may take longer for the body to recover fully. Adults may have a more severe response, experiencing intense pain from blisters and difficulty performing daily activities. Credit Mayo Clinic
I did not find any detailed information regarding the risk to pregnant women or very much info on Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Adults.
How Long Does HFMD Last in Adults?
Here is the typical adult timeline:
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Day 1–2: Fever, sore throat, fatigue
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Day 2–4: Blisters appear on hands, feet, or in the mouth
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Day 4–7: Fever improves; blisters may peak in pain
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Day 7–10: Symptoms fade, but peeling skin may begin
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Weeks 2–4: Hands and feet may remain tender or peel gradually
Adults are usually most contagious during the first week, though viral shedding can last longer.
Can Adults Go to Work With HFMD?
Most should not.
Adults should stay home if they have:
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Fever
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Open blisters
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Pain that limits walking or eating
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Active symptoms
Once the fever is gone and blisters begin healing, many can return to normal activities as long as they:
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Wash hands frequently
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Avoid sharing personal items
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Keep blisters clean and covered if possible
Some workplaces—especially healthcare or childcare—may require additional clearance.
HFMD and Pregnancy or High-Risk Adults
Current medical guidance (CDC + Cleveland Clinic) states:
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HFMD during pregnancy is usually mild, but
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Infection near delivery may transfer the virus to the newborn
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Pregnant individuals should notify their healthcare provider if exposed
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Adults with weakened immune systems may experience more severe symptoms
If you are pregnant or immunocompromised and develop HFMD symptoms, call your provider promptly.
Diagnosis
HFMD is usually diagnosed through a physical examination. A provider will check:
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Mouth sores
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Rashes on hands and feet
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Fever and symptom pattern
Lab testing is rarely needed unless symptoms are severe or complications are suspected.
Treatment for HFMD in Adults
There is no specific antiviral treatment for HFMD. Care focuses on relieving symptoms and staying hydrated.
Recommended care
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Rest: Critical for recovery.
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Hydration: Cold drinks, smoothies, ice pops, soups.
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OTC pain relievers: Ibuprofen or acetaminophen (avoid aspirin for children).
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Mouth pain relief: Numbing gels or salt-water rinses.
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Cool compresses: Reduce discomfort on hands or feet.
Avoid
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Spicy or acidic foods
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Tight footwear
- Picking or popping blisters
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical attention if you notice:
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Symptoms lasting beyond 10 days
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High fever that doesn’t respond to medication
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Signs of dehydration (dark urine, dizziness, dry mouth)
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Severe headache or stiff neck
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Confusion, fainting, or difficulty walking
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Shortness of breath or chest pain
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Pregnancy + worsening symptoms
Rare complications in adults include meningitis, encephalitis, or myocarditis—these require urgent care.
Who Is Most at Risk for HFMD?
Adults with higher exposure or reduced immunity include:
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Parents of young children
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Childcare or school staff
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Healthcare professionals
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Adults who have never been exposed before
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People with weakened immune systems
Complications of HFMD in Adults
Though uncommon, HFMD can lead to:
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Viral meningitis
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Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
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Myocarditis (heart inflammation)
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Severe dehydration
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Secondary skin infections
Prompt care helps minimize risks.
Personal Experience: What HFMD Feels Like as an Adult
As an adult who has gone through HFMD, I found the symptoms unexpectedly intense. Painful blisters covered my hands, feet, and mouth, making everyday tasks like walking, eating, typing, or dressing difficult.
Key parts of my experience:
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Mouth sores made cold drinks and smoothies the easiest way to stay hydrated.
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The blisters on my hands and feet eventually peeled, leaving the skin tender and raw.
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Fatigue lasted longer than I expected—nearly two weeks.
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My feet remained sensitive even after the blisters healed.
This first-hand experience is part of why I emphasize hydration, rest, and gentle care throughout this guide.
Prevention Tips (Including First-Hand Advice)
You can reduce the risk of catching or spreading HFMD by:
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Washing hands frequently with soap and water
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Disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects
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Avoiding close contact with infected individuals
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Not sharing utensils, towels, or personal items
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Staying home during the contagious phase
Helpful real-world tips
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Trim fingernails: Prevents picking at blisters.
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Use soothing lotions: Comforts peeling or irritated skin.
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Drink plenty of fluids: Cold beverages reduce mouth pain.
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Avoid tight shoes: Helps reduce foot discomfort.
Summary
Hand, foot, and mouth disease can be painful and exhausting for adults, but most people recover fully with rest, hydration, and symptom management.
Key points to remember:
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Symptoms last 7–10 days for most adults.
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Adults often have more severe symptoms than children.
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Staying home during the first few days helps prevent spread.
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Seek care if symptoms worsen or complications arise.
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Good hygiene practices reduce the risk of infection.
If you’ve had HFMD as an adult, your experience can help others—consider sharing in the comments below.
Have you had Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease? Below are some comments found below this blog post
*I am not an MD. None of this is medical advice. Please see a doctor if you need medical advice*
Lyndsey
I have Hand Foot Mouth Disease right now, and my hands are SO itchy! my feet hurt when i walk. I am ready for this to all be over. My 18-month-old son has it but is doing well. What are some relief tips you have to get over this irritating feeling? Lyndsey
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- Katrina – I really found the Aveeno Intense hand cream soothing. I cut my names super short and just kept rubbing the hand cream in my hands and feet so I wouldn’t itch. It will be over soon—I promise. Feel better soon.
- Angel – My husband has found the Naprosyn (Aleve) will help with the pain and swelling in your feet.
- Amy – Epsom salt bath and then after I put coconut oil on my skin.
Ashley
I am getting over the worst of HFMD now and it was horrendous. Anyone who has had it as an adult knows it’s MUCH worse in adults than children. I started with a sore throat, fever, vomiting, ear aches, body aches, chills on Saturday. The fever and his friends aches and chills were gone by Sunday night but then the rash and blisters started to appear. My feet were the worst and everything itched. I could barely walk. My face looked like a pimply 13 year old again, even my scalp was covered. I can walk mostly normally now and the rash has mostly faded, leaving the blisters. It’s day 6 so I feel as though mine took a little longer to get better. I only had a small sore in my mouth so I was lucky there but I had no appetite anyways. I’m hoping no scars are left behind but am glad it’s starting to clear up.
Alexis
I’m just getting over HFM after getting it from my 9 month old or 6 year old- not really sure which one bc they practically had zero symptoms! I on the other hand- was a wreck. I did find that cortisone cream was totally useless, instead I washed my hands with peppermint Castile soap ( dr bonners) and completely dipped hands in calamine lotion and let dry. My feet have blisters but thank goodness it’s not on the bottom of me feet- but I between my toes (gross I know!). My hands were on fire and so itchy one night I was in tears. Thankfully I also found that using Carmex on your lips prevented the blisters in my mouth from spreading to my face. My hands broke out on Monday morning and by Friday they are practically healed with just a little spotting and discoloration. I really believe that peppermint soap was the trick though ( I read about peppermint having antiviral properties)- or maybe it was just wishful thinking. Definately a horrible illness to get as an adult.
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- Katrina – Great tips that I didn’t try. Thank you for sharing and feel better soon.
*I am not an MD. None of this is medical advice. Please see a doctor if you need medical advice*
Additional Reading, When Getting Pregnant is Not Easy, The Distracted Child: an Infographic, and How to Prevent SIDS.
I have Hand Foot Mouth right now and my hands are SO itchy! my feet hurt when i walk. I am ready for this to all be over. My 18 month son has it but is doing well. What are some relief tips you have to get over this irritating feeling?
Lyndsey
I really found the Aveeno Intense hand cream to be soothing. I cut my names super short and just kept rubbing the hand cream in my hands and feet so I wouldn’t itch. It will be over soon – promise. Feel better soon.
My husband has found the Naprosyn (Aleve) will help with the pain and swelling in your feet.
Epsom salt bath and then after I put coconut oil on my skin.
I am getting over the worst of HFMD now and it was horrendous. Anyone who has had it as an adult knows it’s MUCH worse in adults than children. I started with a sore throat, fever, vomiting, ear aches, body aches, chills on Saturday. The fever and his friends aches and chills were gone by Sunday night but then the rash and blisters started to appear. My feet were the worst and everything itched. I could barely walk. My face looked like a pimply 13 year old again, even my scalp was covered. I can walk mostly normally now and the rash has mostly faded, leaving the blisters. It’s day 6 so I feel as though mine took a little longer to get better. I only had a small sore in my mouth so I was lucky there but I had no appetite anyways. I’m hoping no scars are left behind but am glad it’s starting to clear up.
I’m just getting over HFM after getting it from my 9 month old or 6 year old- not really sure which one bc they practically had zero symptoms! I on the other hand- was a wreck. I did find that cortisone cream was totally useless, instead I washed my hands with peppermint Castile soap ( dr bonners) and completely dipped hands in calamine lotion and let dry. My feet have blisters but thank goodness it’s not on the bottom of me feet- but I between my toes (gross I know!). My hands were on fire and so itchy one night I was in tears. Thankfully I also found that using Carmex on your lips prevented the blisters in my mouth from spreading to my face. My hands broke out on Monday morning and by Friday they are practically healed with just a little spotting and discoloration. I really believe that peppermint soap was the trick though ( I read about peppermint having antiviral properties)- or maybe it was just wishful thinking. Definately a horrible illness to get as an adult.
Great tips that I didn’t try. Thank you for sharing and feel better soon.
I have it right now from my two month old wh got it from my friends 18 month old. It is horrible! I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I can barely walk and it hurts to use my hands. I have them on my feets top and bottom, hands, scalp, stomach. I’m breastfeeding only so I have it on my breasts and nipples as well. I will def try the aveeno. I don’t know If I sent the hubby to the store if he’d find peppermint soap ?
Go to a natural foods store like Moms or whole foods- that peppermint soap (dr Bonners hemp and peppermint Castile soap) really eased the breakout and faded it all away in a day or so- my hands never developed the huge terrible blisters but just dried out and the spots faded away. Now my hands are peeling but I’d rather have that than the blisters all over my fingers 🙂 best of luck!
Husband goes to store:
husband to employee, “excuse me where is your peppermint soap?”
employee: “isle 6.”
husband: “cool thanks.”
husband picks up peppermint soap and say to himself, “I don’t understand why my wife thinks finding soap is so hard?”
It’s not that husbands can’t find anything, it’s that this particular soap isn’t going to be found at every store. It’s a bit frustrating for a person to go to three stores and have those stores not carry a very specific item! No worries Mate!
I have it right now, day 4. My hands are so swollen right now! No blisters at least but it is so painful. I have been taking 600mg of Advil every 3 hours. I’m hoping an oatmeal bath will relieve some of the swelling in my hands!
Urg, I’m sorry that sucks. Does ice help take down the swelling? I didn’t swell too much (thank goodness). If you are on day 4 you should be close to the end.
Ice just numbs the pain temporarily 🙂 A few spots are on my feet now. Boo
What was it like for you once you start recovering? Did the sores on your hands become “hard” my hands finally stopped hurting with that burning feeling but they are still swollen and I still do not have much feeling in my fingers.
My hands still itched for a while but the pain kind of faded away day by day. My hands still are peeling little holes all over the palms- a coworker asked what was going on and I lied and said it was an allergic reaction or something! It looked so gross! But over a month later and my hands and feet are almost better… I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy!
I have HFMD now, I am on day 6, my hands still have red bumps but they are flat and not very itchy now. Is this recovery? We’re your bumps still red for a while?
As an adult, once you get this HFMD and your body has an immune response and it goes away, can you get it again? Or is it like chicken pox where you get it once and your body is immune to it? This seems to be similar to chicken pox, but more in the hands, feet, and mouth where chicken pox is all over the body.
I did a quick google search and there seems to be some conflicting information so I am not quick sure. From what I can tell – you can et HFMC more than once, however it is unlikely.
Thank goodness! I got chicken pox when I was younger, and don’t remember it much. I am now 40 and just got HFMD from my 18 month old and I thought I was knocking on heavens door Wednesday night the 18th. Fever spiked to 103+ that night! after fever broke I thought I was fine and then late on the 20th started the hand & foot pain and swelling. Seems to be getting worse, but i am not sure if it has peaked or not. Just feeling miserable when walking or trying to use my hands. I haven’t taking any meds other than aleve and ibuprofen
I hope you feel better soon!. Moisturize as much as possible. It seriously helps – especially for after when you skin starts to peel off on your hands and feet.
I’m on day 9 – hands got it the worse and are now peeling. I found using Virgin coconut oil on my hands and then putting a 100% cotton glove on has been helping with the peeling and keeping my hands moist. I was taking 600 mg of Advil every 4 hours for the first 5 days to relieve the pain in my hands which swelled up with a fiery/burning feeling. I have to say it gets worse before it gets better.
Thanksgiving day and so far so good! Most of the other symptoms are gone, just remains some minor swelling in my hands. This is day 7 and it seems the sores have all healed up and no more itching. Just a few left on hands and minor swelling. I hope I never get this again!
I think the conflicting info has to do with the nature of HFMD vs Chicken Pox.
The two are similar in that when exposed to the virus there is an initial reaction, it shows as chicken pox or HFMD. After the symptoms pass the virus remains in the body dormant. encountering the virus again will not cause another outbreak because the virus is already present and the body has already built up antiviruses against another outbreak. Of course, the virus that causes Chicken Pox (a herpes simplex) is known to flare up again later in life like many herpes do. However once already in the body, future outbreaks of this particular Herpes virus are known as Shingles and present differently than the initial outbreak (for unknown reasons).
The difference, and why you find conflicting information, is that chicken pox is caused by only one specific virus. (I believe the same is true for measles, mumps, etc, hence why future outbreak isn’t a concern once you’ve had the virus or the vaccine). HFMD, however, can be caused by several different viruses — a few coxsackieviruses and at least one enterovirus. You can only get it once per each virus you encounter. Since chicken pox is only known to be caused by one virus, you can only get it once. Since HFMD can be caused by several viruses, you can get it several times, but only the first time you encounter each virus. I believe the most common form is from coxsackievirus a16. It is unlikely you will encounter an alternate HFMD causing virus so it is unlikely that you will contract it again. Also, many encounters with these viruses don’t result in an outbreak, so it is possible you already encountered them and were asymptomatic — meaning another encounter will not give you HFMD. It would not be far-fetched to get it twice, once from coxsackievirus a16 (the most common form) and once from enterovirus 71 (the second most common cause). But it would be highly unlikely to get it more than that.
That’s exactly what I thought, but my doctor believes it’s more like chicken pox and you’re immune to the virus. You have a slight chance of getting it again if you didn’t have a very severe case the first go round! A friend of mine, bless her heart, had it three times!! The last time was the worst for her!
I Got it twice as an adult. About a year apart.
I’m currently going through HFMD from my 16 month old. She’s on the healing end but I woke up this morning with blisters all over my face. I don’t have any blisters or sores on my hands of feet (yet) but my face is a mixture of pain and itching. From what I can find online this is not common as most people get the majority of the rash on their hands and feet but not me. My daughter’s pediatrician gave her some cream to help keep her skin moisturized when she had a lot of blisters so I’ve been using that and calamine lotion but nothing is relieving the pain. This truly is a horrible thing to go through as an adult.
Lavender essential oil mixed with coconut oil will work WONDERS. lavender is soothing, safe to use and smells good, and the coconut oil will also keep it moist and help as it’s an anti-viral. Best of luck.
-a fellow HFMD infected person
Hi I was looking after my niece on Monday and instantly Monday night, I felt the worst I’ve ever felt! I had a temperature and I was shivering, headache ans sickness! Then I woke up Tuesday with blisters over my face and my mouth I can barely swallow, then woke up this morning and I feel as if more blisters have appeared is this normal? Does anyone know when they stop?
How long did your spots last? Do you still have them? Did the spots leave scars?
Spots lasted for about a week or two- once they started to heal my hands just started peeling like crazy but the spotting was minimal. The spots did not leave scars- however* a few months later and guess what is happening … My tiny little toenails are starting to peel off! This just started about two days ago- I had read about this happening but thought I had escaped it. Luckily my fingernails aren’t showing any signs of peeling off- my toes were significantly worse with the rash than my hands so it makes sense. Best of luck dealing with the virus … And months down the road- with the after effects!
My spots lasted a few weeks. I have two scars but it is because I picked them while they were drying off. That was my fault. If I left them alone I wouldn’t have had scars.
I contracted this from my Nephew. His parents thought it was chicken pox at first, and since I’ve already had chicken pox as a kid, I didn’t worry about it much. That’s until I came down with a bad sore throat, fever and headache. The flu-like symptoms lasted 2 days. The following morning, day 3, I woke up with no fever, no headache, but my throat was worse and my palms were very itchy. Within a few hours the red dots were all over my hands. Looking at my throat I could see spots on the back of my throat and on my tonsils that were starting to blister. I also developed an earache. I’m so thankful I found this forum. There is very little information about adult HFMD and all the general information states that the bumps aren’t usually itchy — apparently (and confirmed by comments here) this only the case for children. I was unable to sleep due to the extremely intense itching on my palms. the blisters have come in stages for me. First day on my hands and tonsils, Second days my fingers flared up with lesions on top of lesions and they started appearing on my feet. Now there is one on my nose and the soles of my feet are getting worse. I’m guessing I will have them on my lips and mouth next. I have not found much that helps with the itching. Ice helps the most but the itch but it comes right back, full force, when the ice is removed. I tried the peppermint as someone suggested but it seemed to make mine worse. Benadryl, hydrocortisone, lotions, tylenol, nothing helped with the itch. I hope these are cleared up by christmas.
Very similar situation here. Caught it from brother and his daughter. My son has it but seemed to have gotten over it rather quickly. My flu like symptoms (101 fever) only lasted a couple of days, then the hand and feet itch started. I also have bumps on nose and ears. The palms of my hands feel as if I were constantly being stung by fire ants. Sucks ! Nothing helps. I have tried Benadryl, oil of oregano, silver, hydrocortizone, and coconut oil. Oh well, gotta just live through it. Glad I found this site.
My daughter had a mild fever on Xmas night and a couple of days later was diagnosed with hfmd as blisters started appearing on her lips, hand and feet. A couple of days later I had fevers and chills and then the blisters and spots appeared. I’m currently on day 4 of this and although things heal with time, I think there is a long road to recovery to ahead. I’ve used quite a few things to try combat the horrendous itching and pain but am glad to say the itching days are over. My three month old son now has this so I hope he makes a quick recovery like my daughter. I’m petrified of the possibility of peeling nails which is what I’ve read can happen. I’m trying to put on coconut oil to keep my skin as hydrated as possible along with the usual moisterisers but only time will tell how the recovery will be. Feeling very sad and sorry for myself and for my son…is this part of the recovery process too?! Thank you for taking the time to document your experience – there isn’t enough information out there about adult cases with this horrid virus.
This was super helpful. I could not find any info on adults with HFMD that were actually bad. I’m in so much pain!!!! Thank you for all your info.
Neither of my children contracted HFMD. For me it started on Christmas Day with some spots on the back of my hand. When the spots appeared on my lips that’s when I went to the Doctor. The rash spread over my hands, elbows, feet, bottom, and my mouth. My temperature remained low and I never vomited. But my hands and feet are very painful and achy. It hard to open containers or walk. My tongue is swollen from the sores. Luckily someone recommended “Magic mouthwash” and it really helped. If I could take a bath in the stuff I would!
What is magic mouthwash?
I developed this the day after Christmas. I swear I had not been this ill in my adult life. It started with just a general feeling of, “I think I’m getting sick.” Then the next day I really thought that I had the flu. I had severe body aches and a sore throat. My throat was the worst pain for me. I developed a few blisters on my hands and quite a few on the bottom of my feet. To ease the throat pain I sprayed Cholorseptic Sore Throat Spray in the back of my throat and took 600-800mg of Advil. It’s been a long time since I have had the flu, but I would say this was just as bad.
My 18 month old got hfmd and strep and now he is broke out with a rash/blisters all over his diaper area…what can I use on it?
I caught this from my 8 month old, who seemed to have no discomfort and very mild symptoms.. Felt great Thursday night and woke up Friday morning with a dry and burning and painful sore throat and body aches, and over the course of the day developed fever and chills and a terrible headache. This continued into Saturday so I was figuring the flu or strep. But I started to get this terrible pain in both heels with walking, it felt like my skin was dry and cracked, but skin looked fine, so that made me think something different was going on. By Saturday night, I started to notice red spots on my hands and it all clicked. I won that unlucky lottery of adult HFM. By Sunday spots started to show up on my feet, face and ears. It is now Tuesday and I am hoping things have peaked as I am not noticing any new spots. I have been treating with a mix of coconut oil and tea tree oil, which does seem to help with itching. I cannot wait to be rid of this and for the day that I can walk without excruciating pain.
So glad I found this site as there seems to be very little information online for this disease in adults. And it is SO much worse than it appeared in either of my kids. Can anyone speak to how long the itching in the hands last? I can handle pain, it’s this itching that is making me crazy!!! Thanks to everyone who has posted info!
This blog was very helpful to read. Couldn’t find much other info online and wanted to know what to expect. I had fever, major body aches and chills for 3 days. My fever broke on day 3 and I had a sore throat. I originally thought I was getting the flu. I had a pretty sore throat on day 3 that pretty much subsided by the next day.I felt good on day 4 until the evening, I thought maybe I had a paper cut on my hand and pretty much dismissed the mild soreness in my feet until I woke up with hfmd rash on hands and feet. That bring to today, In the morning it just looked like bumps but by the evening I am limping from painful blisters on my feet. I wonder how long this will last. I just wanna be able to walk and don’t want to be contagious. I am wearing medical gloves around the house.
I got hfmd from my 6 year old son, his was nothing at all compared to mine, thank goodness, he only got it inside his mouth and wanted cold drinks, that’s all.
But I got it right now, (I am also 8 months pregnant) I am on day 4 and got very painful blisters moustly on my hand and feet. They don’t seem to be getting any better yet, it is very hard to walk and to use my hands, i also got some on my knees, buttocks and elbows. It is horrible! I can’t sleep due to the itch. I have tried taking (with my doctors permission ) Benadryl, using cortisone, numbing sprays and lotions, Vicks, but nothing helps. I am on the edge of tears at this point. I don’t wish this on anybody.
Does anyone know what the incubation period is? So, once you have been exposed to someone who has it, how long does it take you to come down with symptoms if you are going to?
My husband cared for our 14 month old grandson, who was never diagnosed with HFM, but it sure looked like it and about 8 days later woke up with a sore throat and then his hands started breaking out.
We have many grandchildren in the area and I do not want to expose them to this! How long do I need to stay away from them to assure that they don’t get it (if I don’t show symptoms)?
I think it is a minimum of a week or more. It is a very contiguous disease.
My 9 month old just got HFMD its clearing up but now i am worried i will get it. I have an itchy bump on my hand and some little bumps on my knees and a sore scratchy throat. How can i know if i have it?
How is your temperature? I started with a mild fever for a night and then started to break out with little red spots on my palms. Check the back of your throat for white sores.
i do not wish this on my worst enemy… all was fine wednesday took my 5 year old to the doctor and suddenly i started getting throat ache neck ache body ache that passed on Thursday and Thursday night the blisters and itchy hands and feet started.
Im on day 1. I have blisters on my feet, hands, nose, mouth, throat, ears and scalp! I cant eat or drink, ive lost 30lbs in the week prior from fever and vomiting. My daughter is 16months and she doesnt have it! I have no idea where I got this from! But I am absolutely miserable! :(For a few hours in the beginning running cold water over my hands was helping, now everything burns no matter what!
Out of pure desperation I used a bun cream with lidocaine in it and it did help alleviate some of the discomfort.
Hello a All! I am on day 6 of this horrible illness. I am pretty sure I got it when I took my 3 year old to urgent care after he had been vomiting all that morning, He showed no other symptoms and seemed to recover that evening. Fast forward 2 days and I start feeling a small scratch in my throat and the worse overall aches and pains plus waking up several time in the night drenched in sweat began. Day 3 my aches were gone but my throat was on fire and seemed to be gettin worse, plus a small rash developed on my hands that felt like small paper cuts. So I went back to said urgent care and was diagnosed with HFMD. UGH! I only heard of kids getting it. Apparently adults with weak immune systems or immunodeficiency diseases like I do (psoriasis) are wide open to the disease as well. I basically quarantined myself as soon as I got home from my husband and 3 year old. One thing that I did that has not been mention is to wear those thin latex gloves that nurses wear. Because I was so afraid of spreading the sickness I basically slept with them and aired out my hands a few times a day. My rash although painful didn’t get too bad. It mostly felt like tiny pieces of glass just right under my skin, so grabbing anything with them was super painful but never blistered. I also got some spots mainly on my toes and a few on my heals as well. But the worse is when I developed a few in the back of my mouth and tonsils that made it feel like I was swallowing glass! The only thing I could take on day 4 was ice cold water and cold chia seed pudding. Anything warmer than room temperature was like hot coals. My doctor give me lidocaine in a liquid gel and I have been putting some on a q-tip and rub them on my mouth sores to help with the pain of eating. I also got a few spots under 3 fingernails and the nail has already started to seperate from those fingers…not looking forward to that final stage. HFMD just keeps giving you more crap to deal with just when you think you are getting better!
Hello, I developed HFMD around the 31st of March and I wear gloves everyday since my hands have rashes. I was wondering are you now over the disease or how long did yours last? I’m getting discouraged……as I am 37 wks pregnant and will deliver soon. 🙁
You should be almost there. Upside is maybe your baby will get some extra antibodies from you fighting this off. Try using calmoseptine lotion. Does wonders, and you its perfect for diaper changing too!! Also, tylenol should be safe to use.
Not sure if you are still feeling ill, but a bath in epsom salt with oatmeal may help. Its desgined for ezcema but will help with the healing of your skin.
My symptoms began on Friday (it’s now Wednesday) with loose stool and loss of appetite. Saturday night the sore throat began. Woke up Sunday with fever of 100 that climbed to 103. I went to ER and was told it was a cold and sent home. Monday morning the itching began on my hands. I went to the clinic on my college campus and was diagnosed with strep throat and the rash as the scarlet fever type rash. I was prescribed Azithrimycin then and began taking immediately. Monday night around 11PM the rash was getting increasingly worse and I knew something was wrong so I went to the ER again and waited for 6 hours to be seen. The doc came in and in about 2 mins just said the rash was from the bacteria in my throat, prescribed Prednisone and an antihistamine and sent me on my way.
The rash continued to worsen through the day on Tuesday. No fever, but rash was getting worse, on my hands and covering my face. Wednesday morning (today) I woke up and knew I had to seek a different diagnosis. I begged for an appointment with my PCP and was thankfully put in a spot where someone had cancelled.
My PCP is a PA and she actually took the time to listen to me and really closely examine my rash. She immediately knew it was HFMD. She said the steroid has been making it exponentially worse and that the antibiotics I had been prescribed has killed off my good bacteria that are needed to help kill off the virus. I was devastated!!!
She prescribed hydrocodone/acetaminophen and finally I have some pain relief and have been able to sleep.
The rash started out as flat red spots on my hands and face on Monday, but today, Wednesday, it has spread to my ears, feet, elbows, and ankles. The blisters are small but numerous and fluid-filled. My fingers are so swollen I had to take my rings off and cannot drive, open a water bottle, or put my hair up.
It is the worst pain I have ever experienced. Hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl, and essential oils and all lotions have proved to be useless to fight the pain and virus.
I cannot wait for this to pass. I’m on day three of the rash and my provider said it peaks on day 3 and 5. Hopefully by stopping the meds that were detrimental and keeping my fluid and nutrients up I can fight it off now! Took a 4 hour nap today and I plan on sleeping all night and hopefully day tomorrow
My 10 year old complained of sores in her mouth on Monday. They looked like canker sores so we didn’t think much of it. By Thursday they had gotten bigger and she found several blisters on her hands. By that time she was having trouble talking due to the pain in her mouth. Then on Friday I noticed some spots on my tongue that were sore. Saturday my mouth was sore and getting worse and I had several blisters show up on my hand. Since then my daughter is in getting over it and is talking up a storm. But now it’s my “day3” and there are 2 very large sores on the underside of my tongue that are making it nearly impossible to talk or eat, in addition to several other smaller mouth sores.
I am hoping it is uphill from here…I can’t afford to take a bunch of time off of work, but I also can’t go to work if I can’t talk! Much of my day is spent on the phone :/
This sucks… but at least I have been spared the worst of the hand and foot blisters and so far no itching, just the hurting mouth sores.
hi i got that too !!! but i like to know something- its been 7 days now and the blisters have gone flat and they dont each or heart at all any more but the throat is soaring very much!! i went to the hospital and they are not sure it is the Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease although the picturs on this site look exactly to what i have –
i only do not have blisters in the mouth !! i am an adult and the doctors think it came to me from a lice bite from my dog!!!
do you have picturs of how does a lice bite Disease look like?
they told me i should take DOXYLINE ANTIBIOTICS
what do you say?
thanks!!!!!!
I had typical flu-like symptoms as Coxsackie surfaced, but I quickly ended up in the ER with the insane blisters on my hands. I have an autoimmune disease and often get “the worst” of diseases that don’t usually knock someone out with a one-two punch. My blood pressure was sky high and I was shaking from the pain and irritation. Mega steroids helped but a month later, the redness is still visible from where the worst patches were. The skin on the bottom of my feet keeps peeling horribly as well.
I’m glad someone mentioned getting diagnosed wrong and taking steroids. That’s what happened to me!
So, mine is pretty much same as everyone else. Started to feel sick, and had just taken my four month old to the doctor, and I figured I’d caught what she had. Fever went to 102 that night with chills and body ache. Felt better the next day, but noticed my hands were itchy. Figured it was ant bites… Then it turned into a rash. I thought it was from me handling my daughter’s amoxicillin. Went to urgent care clinic and asked about HFMD, but she said no, looks like a drug reaction and gave me some steroids. Now it’s spread to my feet and is painful to walk and there are red spots in my log and on my face. This sucks! The itching is driving me crazy. And I have a four month old to take care of, but scared to touch her to pass on the disease.
Me too. My 22 year old daughter had it then my 20 year old son and now me. Miserable flu like symptoms Tuesday night, felt good on Wednesday and by Wednesday night my hands and feet were feeling tight and swollen. Thursday morning woke with a definite rash on my right foot, left knee, hands, and face. I also broke my left ankle last week so this is making it even more impossible to try to get around. Can’t use walker or crutches because it hurts my hands too much. Mainly using a knee scooter, but it’s really painful on the knee. Just trying to hang in there a few more days till it was eases up.
I have to add to this. I am currently having a great week off work… Yeah I have a rash that’s not only on my hands and feet but it’s now moving all over my body. It’s on my arms, back and feet now. On top of that my thrush like sore throat is still going strong. Found two huge bumps on the back of each side of my skull… they hurt… no big thing just swollen lymph nodes. No more fever or migraines but I have a brand new source of enjoyment called epididymitis! It’s fantastic! Doctors were worried that I had moved a testicle and got it wrapped up, nope, just another joyful side effect of the endless platter of pain called hand foot and mouth. I’d love it for somebody to tell me my skin’s not going to turn to alligator skin, because my ears and nose are starting to feel that way and I’m worried about what’s happening to the rest of my head.
Just got this from my 13 month old daughter. She had little more than a few small red dots on the tops of her feet, hands, wrists and a bunch in the diaper area. She never really showed any discomfort other than not wanting her diaper changed (normally she doesn’t mind). This is from Friday-Sunday. Monday my wife calls me at work to say she doesn’t feel well, like really not well. I had just had LASIK on Thursday, and Monday was my first day back to work, so had dismissed my headache has being the result of pushing my new eyes too fast.
I left work, and on the drive home went from not feeling well to wondering if i should pull over before i passed out from being so sick. The next day worked from home and felt like i wanted to die. This thing starts off rather intense. But by evening i felt fine, though my wife was still not feeling well. Then about an hour before going to bed my feet started to hurt. I saw a blister and thought maybe my sock had been rubbing it or something during the day.
When I woke up the next day, I went to stand up and nearly fainted from the pain!!! Holy sh!t this thing just got drastically worse somehow!!! The entire bottoms of both my feet are a mess of red dots (counted about 50 on one and well over 100 on the other), and HUGE patches of blisters all over the bottoms and sides of my feet and between my toes. Evening saw me with about a dozen red dots and 1-2 small blisters on each hand. Thankfully nothing around my mouth. Now its day for, my wife feels better, no rash. I am unable to walk. I am crawling around the house while my baby walks past me so i can try to get to table to work still.
Ssssting stop has helped with the itchings (homeopathic ointment for itchy bug bites, cant recommend enough even before this hell), and I have been soaking my hands/feet in cold tap water to help with relieving the burning sensation. It is becoming less useful tough. I also have been keeping my feet up some to try to help reduce swelling.
I feel like Job from the Book of Job from the bible. Each day some new torture is visited on me. I am afraid of what is to come next. The way my feet have broken out i am afraid the bottoms of my feet are going to just fall off or something. Sadly i almost wish they would they hurt sooooo much!!!
I feel like health care providers should be more aware of how much worse this is for adults. I have had some painful experiences and this one ranks at the top easily.
Agreed. The pain I would experience was not explained to me at all. Plus having to take care of someone during this is much worse.
Our family encountered this horrible virus in May. My daughter, 11 months old at the time had an extremely mild case and recovered quickly with little blistering in just a few days. My husband and I were hit hard. He had blistering on his hands and feet so bad that they were painfully raw and open. I am used to blistering on my feet and hands as I suffer from dishydrotic eczema so my blisters didnt bother me too much. What did bother me were the horrible mouth sores. Most painful things I’ve experienced in recent years.
My daughter is now 14 months old and I got a call from daycare yesterday that she had a fever. As I was leaving the director mentioned a little girl was out with HFMD.
Sure enough my daughter has it again! This round has been so much worse for her. You can see visible ulcerations in her mouth and she has a much worse rash around her diaper area and hands/feet. My husband and I are praying we won’t contract it again as we have no PTO left from maternity/paternity leave and being out from HFMD for so long in May. Even when we felt fine our employer wouldn’t let us back because we are on the healthcare industry and can’t risk getting sick people sicker.
Coxsackie and enteroviruses are evil.
I’m in recovery mode now after getting it from my toddler. Thank goodness she didn’t get anywhere as bad as me. I started feeling off on Tuesday and Wednesday night had sore throat that couldn’t be soothed by anything and fever. Thursday, same thing of off and on fever and throat. Thursday night hell began. My skin was burning from the inside. Friday was the worst, and it appeared my 2 month old started getting it. Nursing was so insanely painful and she was struggling to latch as well. Walking was absurdly painful. I took several baths throughout the day to help with the itch. I couldn’t even cry it hurt so much. I just tried to stay still and breathe.
Saturday my mom came to my rescue and cleaned my house. She brought a big tub of plain yogurt.
I repeat… A BIG TUB OF PLAIN YOGURT. I shoved my hands in it. Instant soothing relief.
Sunday was the day that marked no new blisters and pain declined.
I have issues with picking…. And my biggest regret is cutting away the dead skin from my blisters. They were dried, but left giant bubbles of skin. Now…. I have extremely thin and tender skin exposed on my hands and feet. I look like a burn victim.
I bought a tub of Nivea hand creme and cotton gloves. Slathering hands regularly and wearing the gloves.
This experience has been awful. My entire body was affected. Hands and feet the worst. Breasts second worst (thanks to nursing is my guess). My scalp is recovering too. The rest of my body has spots that are healing or already healed. I’m 1week and a day from on set of symptoms.
I suspect my hands and feet will be a month or longer recovery time. I never want to experience a severe burn as I feel this was as close to that as you can get.
Yes! Yogurt! Plain kefir is working for me! I made a post below.
I can second the yogurt for relief! I actually found plain kefir to be the best itching / burning relief! I just poured some on my hands this afternoon and lathered it around like lotion and it was pretty instant. I don’t know if it’s the probiotics or what. I actually drink kefir daily and wonder if that’s why my mouth has been doing so well through this.
Background – I’m a 34 year old father of two. Our 10 month old started with a fever one day, mild rash on his legs the next… All clear on day 3. Same cycle for our two and a half year old daughter. Few days after my wife got terrible aches, chills, 103 fever, next day bad sore throat which cleared after a few days. Wife did not get a rash. I started down the same path as my wife the day after she was almost 100%.
My progression:
Friday Day 1 – terrible aches, chills, 102.5 fever
Saturday Day 2 – aches, chills, nausea, headaches
Sunday Day 3 – terrible sore throat, swollen tonsils, white spots on tonsils, some sores in the back of mouth and roof of mouth – doctors said strep throat and gave me amoxicillin and I took 2 500mg doses.
Monday Day 4 – Sore throat 75-90% better – was excited started to make my way to work and thought the amoxicillin kicked butt! But then my hands started to feel very raw and I noticed some red spots that were itchy. I thought maybe I got bit by some fire ants. Day progressed and the rash continued to spread on my hands with more pain… Made no sense so I called the docs back thinking I had a reaction to the amoxicillin- nope! HFMD!
Day 5 – Tuesday 130am – laying in bed full quarantine in a spare bedroom. My hands and feet feel raw – like I went running on the beach or got completely eaten up by fire ants. The rash isn’t too noticeable on my hands unless you look close, worse on my fingertips. I can barely see anything on my feet, but I do see the same red rash and they feel the worst. Painful to walk, feels like badly cracked dry skin or like I’m walking on broken blisters. All my other flu like symptoms and fever are gone. Just feels like I’m doing a downward dog pose in fire ant hills. OTC Benadryl and topical creams are no help. Also tried coconut oil + lavender essential oils… Didn’t help.
I can deal with it, knowing it will all pass. It is pretty maddening – here I am awake at 130am looking for relief. But it’s not the end of the world and I’m glad my kids and wife already got through it.
I’ll be doing more kefir applications, will be buying peppermint soap, Aveeno intense lotion, and will report back.
Hang in there! That description is pretty spot on… Fire ants. My hands swelled pretty bad, and I couldn’t move them really at all the second day of burning. Walking was miserable. Be thankful you aren’t mom, and nursing! It spread there too (not anywhere as bad, but still painful on top of everything else!).
I’m now 1 week and 5 days from onset of flu symptoms… Hands can finally be without gloves but I’m constantly putting Nivea Hand Creme to keep them from cracking. The entire thick layer of protective skin is gone but they aren’t as sensitive anymore so they’re quickly recovering. My feet…. I wear socks 24/7 and put very thick layers of lotion on them. The entire callus of my heal and other hard spots has completely fell off. I suspect a very long recovery time for my feet. BUT about 90% of pain related to it all is gone.
The only thing that helped relieve the burning sensation was the yogurt. All else (peppermint wash, Epsom salt bath w lavender, aveeno) were all very short lived and minimal relief. For my throat, I just drank chicken broth. Was the only thing that didn’t sting. As I dunked my hands in the yogurt, I didn’t have any to try eating.
Hope you feel better quick!
Hello, is anyone willing to talk about their symptoms? I am 4 weeks out and am still experiencing peeling skin AND sore finger nail beds. Please message me on facebook sabrina nass friedman
I had hand, foot and mouth 5 weeks ago and am still suffering with the symptoms. My hands have finally quit peeling, but my feet are still really bad. On top of that, my once sore fingernails are now dying and is in the process of falling off. This is truly the worst virus I have ever had. Hang in there, we will get through this. 🙂
Hi. I am on week 6. My feet and hands are only slightly peeling BUT my finger nails have started to loosen from the nail bed. This is a curse. While in the process of falling off, they are sore and it is difficult to use your fingers.
After reading through the comments, I noticed no one mentioned the use of ice during the first, most painful week. I wrapped ice packs around my palms and bottom of my feet. That really helped relieve some pain. Not so easy to sleep like that but I somehow managed. I believe I only needed to do that for 2-3 nights.
Back to the nails, anyone else losing them? Are you bandaging them?…
I went to the Doctor and spoke with my manicurist. Doctor said to keep them bandaged to protect the old nail from being torn from the new nail coming in, he also stated it’s just a waiting game. My manicurist said to put cuticle oil on your nail beds a many times a day as you can think. BTW, I also used ice the first week when I had HFMD to ease the itching. This virus truly stinks.
Coconut oil, coconut oil, and more coconut oil!
And sleep medication.
Worked for me on day 3 when I had about 100 blisters across my 2 hands and it started spreading to my face & feet.
I appreciate any comments
To relieve the itching, mix neem oil and coconut oil and rub into the blisters. This works!! My 15 month old daughter was kind enough to bring HFMD home from daycare, and while she had little to no symptoms, she gave it to me, her 30 weeks pregnant mother. Today is a Friday and I’m on day 2 of the blisters on the bottoms of my feet and my fingers/palms. Last Friday the nausea, headache and fatigue started. Early Monday morning I woke up with severe nausea and dizziness, and a sore throat. Tuesday I felt like a steam roller ran over my body. By Tuesday night I had huge blisters in the back of my throat and could barely swallow. Wednesday morning the blisters were gone and my throat slowly got better throughout the day. The body aches also went away. However, my fingers were itchy and I had a painful spot on the bottom of my foot, like I was stepping on something sharp. Wednesday night I had a small blister on one finger, and a small blister on the bottom of one foot. Thursday morning I woke up with painful red spots and blisters all over both hands and on the bottoms of both feet. These alternated between burning like the sting of 500 fire ants and the itch of 500 fire ant blisters throughout the day. No creams or antihistamines made much difference. After a horrible sleepless night, this morning I decided to try neem oil, which works wonders on my itchy horse. I mixed neem oil and coconut oil 50/50 and rubbed it into my hands and feet, and finally, RELIEF!!!!!! It still hurts to walk because the blisters are there, but the itching has went from an 11 to a 2.
I found this thread searching for HFMD – Adult and i’m glad i’m not alone. I’m a 28 yr old male and generally never get sick, in fact, iv’e always considered myself to have a high immune system. I am never around children but somehow I seem to have contracted HFMD. It started Wednesday with a general feeling of sickness and a slightly scratchy throat. Thursday afternoon I felt horrible and my vision started to go in and out as well as my hearing, it was Thanksgiving and I had drank a few glasses of wine so didn’t think much of it until the fever started. I had full body chills and shakes and a fever of 103 which broke late into the night. Friday I felt like the worst was over until my feet started to feel super sore. It wasn’t until Saturday that I noticed the spots on my hands and feet that were now painful and unbearable to walk on. I also started to notice ulcers forming around my face (mouth and nose area). I went to my doctor who diagnosed me with HFMD and prescribed me with Hydrocodone for the pain. Saturday I spent all day in bed sleeping as much as possible while the symptoms slowly got worse. As i’m writing this it’s Sunday and I am now 5 days in and my feet and hands are covered in painful itchy blisters that make it difficult to walk or sleep. My face is covered in open sores that scab over with a yellow-clear liquid similar to tree sap. I’ve tried Advil, ibuprofen, Benadryl, hydrocodone, and Tylenol, all have failed to provide relief. So far I have found Zquil (sleep aid) and Halls cough drops have been the most effective in providing any aid. For food, i’ve only had protein shakes, soup, and ice cream which have all been great. I would not wish this illness on my worst enemy and i’m hoping this resolves itself soon 🙁
You are correct, the worst. I am in week nine. My feet are still peeling and my finger nail beds still sore. Luckily only lost one nail. I caught this from my grandson who had MAYBE 3 spots in his hand. By the way, I used ice packs on the soles of my feet and palms the first 2-3 nights. That helped. Unfortunately don’t be surprised if some symptoms continue for a month or two
Try having it for 3 MONTHS and then getting it AGAIN after you’ve already had your feet and nails peel. Worst thing ever.
I got this from my 9 month old. Just like everyone else I started with a fever/ sore throat/ chills. Then the fever and chills went away, sore throat became worse and then my hands, feet, and nose started to blister. Very itchy, burning pain. I went to the doctor for pain management and he gave me tylenol 3, which has 30mg of codeine. The tylenol 3 helped me a lot, it does not relieve symptoms but makes them tolerable. I also ate alot of Popsicles and yogurt when my throat hurts. I am on day 4 and the pain from blisters has definitely peaked and is on its way down.
I am on day 14 of this horrible virus. My case was so severe that docs were unsure it is HFMD and literally had to do biopsy – I have NO idea where I got it from.
It started on a Saturday morning, I woke up with a little bit of sore throat and a strong headache. It progressed to body aches and a super high fever, I thought I had a casual flu. Sunday morning 3am I wake up with insane itching on my scalp, so bad I cannot sleep through the rest of the night. Later in the day I end up on ER where doctors cannot diagnose and I get perscribed antibiotics for Scarlet fever even though Strep test was negative. I go home and fever eventually goes away. At this point my scalp is COVERED with crazy itchy blisters that have progressed on my tonsils and my face. Monday I wake up with blisters all over my face where I decide to go to a private dermatologist to get a proper diagnosis. He says it is HFMD and I go home with some antihistamines, an Avene cold creme and a spray for my itchy scalp. Tuesday I wake up with swollen, painful hands FULL of spots. I can barely move my hands at this point and need help to get dressed, eat and do any basic task. I spent that night sleepless from the pain and itchyness on my swollen hands completely covered in blisters (about 100-150 on each hand) and general discomfort. Wednesday I go to the doctor again and my symptoms are so severe he is not sure of his diagnosis anymore and proceeds with biopsy. On day 8 (Sunday), my scalp and face had finally cleared up (my face still had scars), my hands had spots on them (not itchy or painful anymore) but I could not feel my fingertips. Today, after 14 days, my face has almost no scars and my hands are peeling off (I am losing 2 layers of skin from fingertips and 1 layer from the top of my hands). They feel uncomfortable because the new skin is way too sensitive and the old is just … there. The blisters were spread on the rest of my body as well (one elbow was covered and at some point I wasn’t even able to straighten my arm from the pain), also had some on my feet and had some difficulty walking but that was the least of my problems honestly.
If you have this virus, stay strong. It’s a process but soon you will be feeling better.
My nightmare started on Wednesday where I was having high fever and by Thursday midnite, I was feeling sharp pain on my foot. Thursday evening my elder broke a glass coffee table and I thought to myself, could it be from the glass pieces? Friday morning I’m having difficulty walking as both foot was burning feelings, and so sore. Thn I discovered some red dots on my palm. Try apply medication cream and wrap up my feet with socks doesn’t help to ease the burning feel. On Saturday morning, the bloody hell red dots making its first appearance. Gosh, by evening, I’m feeling the itchiness!! Today is Sunday as I type this, I’m still suffering the itchiness and blister pain and only those infected would have known the ill feelings. I’m still nursing my 1yo boy and I have another 3yo boy with me. This is absurd crazy time!!!
So I’m glad I found this thread. So my doctors say I got HFMD FROM the airport or plane I was on.. ew I know. My daughter who is 4 had this when she was 9 months old. Let me say the symptoms for kids are not nearly as bad as adults. I cry and cry and cry in pain. I don’t wish HFMD on anyone I like or dislike!! I am on day 5 of pain. Hope tmr is better. Ok so here’s what has some what helped me.
Aveeno oatmeal baths. 2 a day. Also you must take an anti inflammatory ibuprofen. You don’t want your brain to swell Bc that can be fatal. Also I am taking a high dose of pain killers. But I must say it doesn’t take all the pain away. So far I have been keeping my home disinfected and where mask and gloves to prevent spreading to anyone else. Hope this helps. Aveeno oatmeal bath is great.
Curious, why are tinnitus comments posted with HFMD? Thx
Does anyone monitor this site
Hi Sabrina, I have deleted the spam comments. We get many comments a day on all of our articles. We try to delete the spam right away but sometimes they get buried.
Today my hand started itching like absolute crazy, on my palm. Looking at it a few hours later as it was itching again this time with a burn I have a few red bumps and one tiny blister. I’m definitely hoping it’s not HFM and will be sure if it is soon I’m sure. What were your earliest signs? The bumps and blister look just like when my niece had it. If it is when should I expect all of the crazy blisters to start showing their ugly heads?
It progresses quickly. Within the day…. 🙁 sorry! I started with aches and fever first. Then itching with little blisters. It just kept progressing from there. Drink up as much as you can while you can, maybe that will help you beat it by being proactive before it gets severe
This is mine and my sons second time with HFMD.
fever, chills, sore throat started late Thursday night.
woke up Friday morning with a 103 fever.
didnt kick the fever until saturday morning (2am).
red dots starting showing up on my hands throughout the day saturday (today). these dots are itchy, annoying and i only have about 2 right now that are blisters. the same pain i feel in my hands (not the itchy part) i feel on my feets. no visible dots yet. i have (1) sore under my tongue. my throat hurts to swallow so its getting harder to eat solids. as for my 2yo son, im keeping a close eye on him. he has these speckles of red dots on the roof of his mouth. no visible sores/blisters.
the first time i had HFMD i had 3 blisters first. then a day later had a high fever and then the blisters multiplied rapidly throughout the day. i would circle every single on that popped up to the point i couldnt keep up because it hurt too much. my mouth the first time was horrible. i couldnt eat, period. i tried lidocaine and that didnt help ease any pain. i dont take rx pain killers so i can only say that no otc pain reliever helped at all. i didnt have anything on my feet the first time. as for my son, he was a little over a year old and his HFMD wasnt bad the first time. thank goodness. i hate seeing kids sick and miserable. he had a few blisters on his hands and feet but it didnt seem to bother him. he didnt scratch them or cry of discomfort. he did have a fever.
My 17mo daughter caught hfmd and I had what I thought was a head cold. Her doctor told me that my ‘cold’ was most likely being caused by the same virus. She’s still a bit off, but generally seems to be on the mend. However, my ‘cold’ symptoms have progressed over the week. I’ve had body aches, hot flushes, cold sweats, and an unbelievably sore throat to one side. And only just today (Sunday) I’ve started getting sore spots on my feet. It seems to be a slower process than what I’ve read others describe. How long does marking stay on your skin? I’m getting married in 4 weeks????
OMG Emma this is terrible. Please get to your family MD asap. I am not a Doctor so I can’t give you any advice other than to seek professional help asap.
My daughter has has had an absolutely miserable time with it too. If what I’ve read on here is anything to go by and adults do get it worse than kids, then I am REALLY not looking forward to the rest of this virus.☹️
Im getting married in 2 weeks and just developed symptoms 4 days ago. I went to urgent care today and got two cortisone shots in the upper glute. I was in sooooo much pain and tears just from walking because my feet hurt sooo bad. My hands and feet were swollen and have spots. The two cortisone shots have reduces the swelling and pain A LOT in just 7 hours! I’ve also been soaking my feet in Epsom lavender salt for 15 minutes in lukewarm-cold water….slowly switching to warm water now because the hot water burned at first. Good luck!!
No one has mentioned the crystals you get on the scalp clear slightly yellow tiny crunchy clusters were forming on my scalp all part of hand foot and mouth. I also second my hands were on fire
Yes! I have this too! Crusty blisters on my scalp that itch and are uncomfortable!
My 22 mo old son got a high fever of 103 for a day and then developed the spots on his butt, hands, feet and his elbow and arms. He felt bad for about 5 days and now the spots are all peeling off. I think for him the fever and tiredness were the worst. He complained of mouth hurting a little but I don’t think he had them in his mouth too much and I don’t think the spots on his hands/feet were that bothersome. So he got it on a weds and I started having flu like symptoms the following Sunday night. I was feverish all night and then the next day my body ached/I had no energy. I had the worst headache but tylenol made it feel better. My throat also hurt a little. By Tuesday I started feeling a lot better but then started noticing spots on my hands. By that afternoon my hands were getting worse and super itchy and painful. It was like an itch I had never experienced before, like my skin was on fire from the inside out. I did not sleep at all that night. By Weds morning I started noticing the blisters and spots on my feet. Wednesday I felt horrible, the itching and pain was insane. By that afternoon it was hard to walk on my feet. That night I didn’t sleep at all either. By Thursday, my hands started feeling a tiny bit better. The only thing that sort of relieved the pain was ice. I tried calamine, hydrocortisone and other anti itch lotions like aveeno but until Thurs none seemed to work. I will mention that through the week my throat hurt but I could still eat/drink and it wasn’t that bad. Thursday night i FINALLY could sleep again. Woke up today, Friday with hands still sore but feeling much better. Spots have gotten darker. Feet still hurt when I walk but not when sitting and they don’t really itch anymore. Thank you SO Much for this forum as I really thought I was dying this week and wasn’t sure what I would have done without some information that it gets better. I’m hoping by tomorrow (day 6) that I will be able to walk again normally and that the peeling won’t be too bad.
Wow Ashley thank you for sharing this amazing story – please let us know how this ends. Take care and get lots of rest.
Hi, I picked up HFMD from my two year old who had a high fever and then broke out in spots on face and ears and rash all over body. It started for me with mild enough sore throat and little rash on wrist but I soon started getting small spots on palms of both hands which turned in to blister like lumps, the itching last 3 full days and was driving me nuts, sleeping was not possible. My feet were raw but not itchy and my scalp broke out in blisters which which quickly burst and turned to scabs which is horrible. I drank loads and loads of water and the doc gave me an antihistamine on day 2. I also put Aveeno oatmeal skin relief lotion on hands and cold aloe Vera gel which I had in fridge both seemed to ease the itch. I’m now on day 5 and all symptoms have eased. This is a terrible thing for anybody to get. A lot of people seem to have got it much worse than I have, i.e fever ulcers on throat, feeling unwell, luckily I was able to eat and drink pretty much as normal which I believe helped me get this out of my system quicker than some. Try and drink as much warmer as possible and good luck.
M
I teach Pre-k and this is going around. I started getting a sore throat on Sat. By Sunday I had a fever, body aches, sore throat, ear aches, felt like a truck hit me. By Monday I felt fine…until the blisters started popping up. I have them on my hands and feet and it is so painful to grab things, open things, and walk. Thankfully my mouth doesn’t have sores. (Knocks on wood). I have a few on my scalp though which sucks.
FYI: secondtime I had this. I had it about 8 years ago. I think there are different strains of the virus so I unfortunately must have been exposed to 2 different types. It’s horrible andI can tolerate pain.
I am so glad to have found this thread. Most of the information elsewhere talks about how mild this disease is, but my hands, soles and feet are completely covered by spots and blisters, which like many others say, feel like they’re on fire and are very painful when touched, not to mention looks frightful. Thank you all for sharing your stories – I’m only on day 5 but beginning to think that this will last forever, so am very encouraged by the other posts.
Should I wear gloves, socks, and a mask? or covering it makes it worse? I’m on day 2 and covered. been researching for a while and this is by far the best and most honest information/feedback. Thank you
Hi John – we can’t judge if gloves, socks or mask is right for you. But it HFMD can be contagious so wearing a mask may limit transmission. Please always ask you Doctor (I am not a Doctor).
Im on what I think is day 5. Maybe day 6. It started out with a few little bumps on my knuckles and elbows. I didnt have a sore throat or fever, but the rash spread fast and with a fury!! At first, I was told it was an allergic rash, but It spread fast to my back, butt, legs and arms. I noticed that some of it was small red bumps and some was blister like and I developed this fluid filled crater on my hand that was frightening to look at. Finally I went to the ER because I couldnt bear it and I was getting scared. The itching was so intense and Antihitamines and cortisone was doing nothing to help me. The ER doctor diagnosed HFMD and said there has been a resurgence in adults getting this illness and that adults tend to gte it worse (like chicken pox) and that people with auto immune disorders (especially of the skin) are more prone to viruses that attack the skin. Someone posted earlier that there are several viruses that cause HFMD (coxsackie a16 and entero virus 17 as well as other more devastating enterovirus strains and also echo virus). It is actually caused by an intestinal virus. As I sat with the ER doctor, we both literally watched new blisters form before our eyes. My rash continues to spread and get bigger and blotchier. I only have a few bumps on the undersides of my fingers and they are irritating to the touvh but they dont itch. the bumps are finally now spreading to the soles of my feet. They are so awful I have had to take a fork to them to itch them. I cant imagine how much worse this would be with a fever and sore throat because the rash just on its own, and the general feeling of non well being is one of the worst things I have ever experienced. Every day presents some new area of pain, itching or discomfort, but some of it seems to be clearing. I will say that Benadryl at night is one of the only things that did offer any relief. It enabled me to sleep without itching. I have heard Neem is good too.
Hey everyone, I’m on day 6 of this horrible illness. Here’s my story:
Day 1: mild sore throat, by afternoon it felt like the worst flu I have ever had. Fever, rapid heart rate, and inability to sit up unaided.
Day2: some blistering and itchiness on hands and feet. Basically bedridden. Still feverish.
Day 3: two areas inside my nostrils get enflamed and my scalp begins to itch produce those yellowish crystals. More horribleness on hands and feet, can barely gobble around.
Day 4: so itchy, fever subsides. This was the itchiest day. My toenails on my baby toes were in so much pain. I fear I will lose them.
Day 5: still super itchy. Feeling a lot better though. Sore throat subsiding but still living on cough drops.
Day 6 (today): itchiness gone. Blisters have flattened out for the most part. Walking is much easier. Thick skin developing on fingers. I suspect they will begin to peel soon. No more toenail pain but I’m dreading losing them.
And there you have it. I think I caught this from a coworker’s home (they have three kids). Other than that, I have no clue where I could have gotten this, as I don’t come into much contact with kids on a regular basis.
You can get it any public place not just from people who have kids.
I am recovering from HFMD. I found that soaking my hands and feet in a warm Epsom salt bath 2-3 times a day helped. I also took elderberry syrup 3 times a day.
I’m on day 4 and I feel like I will never escape this hell. Discovered ulcers today in my labia. Has anyone else experienced this?
I thought I was lucky and avoided my daughters and my girlfriends hfmd. But I was so wrong I showed no symptoms. No sore throat no fever nothing but now I have the rash all over my hands and feet and it’s extremely itchy and a few blisters are starting. This is torture I don’t wish this on anyone.
Day 1 Wednesday
Sore throat started so I took some ginger tea which helped ease the throat paint. I haven’t had any ‘flu’ for almost 3 years so thought that would nip it in the butt! Hah.
Day 2 Thursday
The fever began at 100 leveling out at 101 on Friday. Spent the day in pain with a severely sore throat and night sweating and cold and hot.
Day 3 Friday
Was in bed all day. Felt like a truck had hit me with the body aches but my sore throat was beginning to abate a bit. I notice some bumps and schedule an appt with a NP the next morning.
Day 4 Saturday
My throat is feeling better hooray! I thought I had beat that flu! (Morning) by the afternoon I notice bumps/blisters forming along the sides of all fingers on both hands with some random spots along with burning/tingling sensations on the tips. The spots are turning red (some of them) my skin became highly sensitive and hot on my heels. Then the blisters hit my feet. I spent the entire night awake and in pain from the intense non-stop itching. (At my appt. With the NP I was diagnosed with a type of feet and hand eczema so I kept putting on lotion and a mild prescribed steroid cream.
This cream did nothing for the itch. I put frozen towels on my feet and hands and scheduled an appt with my Primary for the next morning but the earliest they had is for Monday.
Day 5 Sunday
Suffered all night burning/itching and hobbled walking. Also was applying CeraVe cream which helped for about two seconds after I put it on. (Nice soft feet though) Again went to bed after taking 24hr Allegra NP said it would help. Did nothing.
Monday! Today.
Saw my Dr this morning she immediately says I have HFMD. She looked in my throat and said she saw two little leftover sores. So my dance had started with Fever/Aches and a sore throat! (I am greatly relieved to discover that this won’t be a life long ailment like eczema is. (Kudos to those who suffer from that awful condition. Strength to you.)
Dr prescribes stronger steroid cream (didn’t really help with itching to be honest) and an anti itch pill before bed as well as 600 ibuprofen. The Ibuprofen helped a bit with pain but I am still itchy on my hands and mainly heels. It is beginning to feel more manageable and i hope i can actually sleep tonight after 2 sleepless nights previous.
I wish I had known sooner it was HFMD because it is contagious and my husband has a comp. immune system. Go to a Doctor!
I hope the end is in sight for this itch. It’s the worst and I’ve had kidney stones.
Best of luck to all suffering from this. Thank you for these stories. I am now worried I might re-catch it now and think I got it at the airport. Sigh.
How much longer?
Shall see!
I am currently dealing with this horrible disease! I got it from my girlfriend’s grandson a week ago. (I was backup babysitter because she had something else she had to do that day). I am on day 3. I started early Wednesday morning with chills, fever and the worst sore throat I have ever had. The blisters on my feet and hands showed up Thursday. I still had fever and feeling like I had the worst flu ever. Today, I still have fever, but not as high and now I have the lesions in my mouth and hands. My feet are so blistered, that it hurts to stand or walk. I hope this passes quickly, I have never been more miserable in my life!
Coconut oil and episum salt or baking soda bath with a few drops of lavender worked wonders with my little one. She would only eat pouches and noodles for a few days but at least the pouches have veggies and fruit in them. We slathered ourselves with coconut oil as well and I believe it helped keep us from getting it.
I am currently on the healing side of this virus… I found this site when I googled “skin care post HFMD”. I grew tired of reading everyone’s symptoms, how they got it, blah blah blah…when actually, all the symptoms and contact are essentially the same. Can anyone distill the BEST way to care for your skin post HFMD? Thanks….
So I got it from my son who is 4 and barely had any symptoms. On Thursday I had the worst fever then Friday I developed painful spots on my hands and Saturday it spread to my face, arms legs and feet. This is the most pain Ive ever felt. I’ve been proscribed tylonol 3 and it’s doing nothing to help. Please tell me I am close to being done. I can’t sleep at all
I’m so sorry you are experiencing this Danielle. Reach out to your Doctor and let them know that the prescription is not working for you.
Does anyone know how long your contagious for once you no longer show symptoms?
Day 4 of hfmd here with hands and feet burning with itch, keeping me awake at night. Out of desperation I started dipping a wash cloth in hot water and applying that (concentrated heat) to the itchy spots. If you can bear with the scalding pain for a couple of seconds, this helps dissipate the itch temporarily. At least it helped me get some relief and sleep.
Very much appreciate this article and all the comments. Everyone seems to be in disbelief that I got this as an adult and how bad it is. “Adults don’t get it, and if they do – it’s mild.” FFS, are you kidding me? It’s like I slept on an ant hill, whole having my hands in a beehive. Every step I take, it feels like I’m walking on glass. Don’t let people minimize what you’re going through – because it looks like a lot of other people had it with the same severity.
I have HFMD and I think I’m on day 3 with painful & itchy blisters all over hands & feet. I am getting married next Saturday (in 6 days)! Keep reading that people got bumps on their face & scalp. That would be plain evil as if I’m not miserable enough right now.
Hi Ella – I am so sorry to learn of your current situation. Continue to read on this topic, seek medical attention and stay strong. Your husband is marrying you because he loves all of you.
Hi everyone, glad I found this thread as couldn’t understand why I was having such a bad time with this virus when every other website described mild discomfort and non itchy spots!!
I got this virus, from my daughter, on the second last day of our family holiday in Menorca. The fever had died down and the spots had started by the time we were flying home and out of nowhere my feet and hands became incredibly itchy. I had to drive home with my shoes off and could find no relief for the terrible burning sensations on my hands and feet. I managed to get around 4 hours sleep over the next 2 nights. I got 5nr sores on my nostrils and several both ears and my chin which was very uncomfortable.
No cream or pain relief worked until I figured out that ice and extremely cold water would fully remove the pain and give me pins and needles in its place which didn’t bother me at all! The next night I placed a bag of frozen peas on my feet, wrapped in a towel and slept the whole night!
I am now on day 6 of this virus. No need for ice or pain relief thankfully as most spots are either dry and hard or progressing towards this stage. The tips of my fingers do still feel like paper cuts but this is tolerable in comparison to the burning.
The only advice I have is bathing hands and feet in ice water as often as possible, it will prevent all pain for 20 minutes or so each time. This isn’t really an option for the sores on the face so i found these more tolerable when moist as once the puss hardens it is painful to pick off so I would suggest regularly leaving thick spots of cream on these to prevent the hardening taking place and they eventually disappear without scabbing.
This is the second time I’ve had it in 5 years and I’m guessing my body built up sone immunity because it’s not nearly as bad as the first time – I’m not crying this time! 😂
HDMD in adults is crazy painful and I still can’t believe there isn’t more written about it. I’m on day 3 and my fever and malaise is gone but my hands feet and mouth are so sore. Like I’m being pricked by tiny needles when touched. Hopefully my nails don’t fall off this time! 🤞🏻🤞🏻
First day I noticed intense burning red ithcy feet-soles first – I used an ointment with lidocaine that is numbing
Second day the bruning and itching spread to my hands and I noticed I had a sore throat and could not eat or drink anything hot or warm
Third day it felt like my lips and tongue were on fire and I noticed hundreds of red spots on my hands and feet. That lidocaine ointment numbed my lips for about 15 mins and I kept applying it to my feet soles and it helped to numb some of the burning icthing pain. I could barely walk it felt like walking on hot broken glass. Tylenol helped very little for the pain – so I took a few morphine pills I use for something else
Day 4-6 fingertips are very sensitive and I can barely do anything with my fingers or hands – pain is subsiding a bit on my feet soles. I have lost the skin on my lips and they are bleeding. I chew on ice chips and apply some of the lidocaine numbing ointment to them. The tips of my fingers and nails are bright red and I see hundreds of small itching blisters on my hands, fingers and feet soles. They are not as itchy as the first days and don’t feel as burning
Have a question, can you take allergy medication,
For the itching? Has anyone tried 🤔
Hi. I’m sure you wrote this a long time ago. I’m very glad I found it. I am going crazy, the pain on my toes is like a mixture of a blister and broken glass idk. I hate it. My kid is luckily much better, but he expects me to keep up with him. walking hurts so much.