Tell me what I need to know about shingles

[Parrothead]

It seems one of the inlaws who was here last week had the shingles while here. I'm not sure about dh but I've had the chicken pox. Dd on the other hand has not. She did get the vax (long before I ever questioned them) when she was little. She has never had a booster. It has been over 10 years and she is well into puberty.

 

Of course I've never gone in there and disinfected her room. She has been hanging out in my room at night since they left. Which come to find out may be a good thing.

 

Will the vax still be effective? What do I look for? How long does incubation generally take? Does chicken pox in a teen require a doctor's visit? Do dh and I have to worry about at catching it?

[Spryte]

No expert here, but as an adult who's never had chicken pox - I've asked my doc about this several times (FIL and a friend have both had shingles).  Take what I say with a grain of salt though, since it's been a while and my memory could be slightly off.

 

If you've had chickenpox or the vax, you should be okay.  I have no idea if the vax needs a booster.  If you've had the vax, you could get a mild case, but not as bad as you might have otherwise.  If you have not had chicken pox, I'd probably go in and sanitize.  (I'd do that anyway!)

 

For me, I have a compromised immune system, so doc told me to stay away from anyone with Shingles. A vax is out of the question for me, so we just do our best.

 

Maybe call DD's doc to find out if a booster is necessary?

 

Crossing fingers that none of you get sick!

 

 

[Lara in Colo]

It is my belief that shingles are only contagious for a while.  Once medicine has been taken for a few days, everyone around the, is fine.

I had shingles when my children were younger-- no one even questioned if my children had been immunized (they had).

 

Last February my 9yo (who was immunized as a small child) got a really bad case of shingles--- really bad.  No one even asked about my other children.

I even asked about her going to school and if I should keep her home--- they seemed to think after 1 week on meds, everything was fine.

 

My other children were immunized as children, but my 13yo hasn't been to the Dr since Kindergarten shots, so I don't know if she had a booster, but everyone was fine.

 

BTW the 13yo and the 9yo share a room.

[Halftime Hope]

Three things I can contribute:

 

1) If she comes down with CP, she can get zovirax (?) or something antiviral from the doc, and if started early, it will help mitigate the severity of the case tremendously. 

 

2) Dd had wild CP (caught them) as a child and then had shingles when she was sixteen.  If your dd gets them for the first time, I'm betting it would be CP, not shingles.   What I didn't know was that shingles in teens and youngsters can be over in a week or 10 days; it's not the drawn out months-long thing that our grandmas tend to have.   That was just an FYI.

 

3) If she gets CP, the single most helpful thing when my three had them was baths with chamomile infused bathwater--it helped exponentially better than anything else.  My kids would get six to eight hours of itch relief from the chamomile baths, unlike the oatmeal or Aveeno which would pretty much stop working as soon as the moisture content of their skin began to dry out.  (Apparently the chamomile works differently, it's not about moisturizing the skins the way oatmeal is.)   Chamomile is the only thing that saved my eldest, a 10 year old, from going around the bend--his were the worst of all three kids, even though he wasn't the one with the most exposure from a sibling.

 

hth

[Parrothead]

It is my belief that shingles are only contagious for a while. Once medicine has been taken for a few days, everyone around the, is fine.

I had shingles when my children were younger-- no one even questioned if my children had been immunized (they had).

 

Last February my 9yo (who was immunized as a small child) got a really bad case of shingles--- really bad. No one even asked about my other children.

I even asked about her going to school and if I should keep her home--- they seemed to think after 1 week on meds, everything was fine.

 

My other children were immunized as children, but my 13yo hasn't been to the Dr since Kindergarten shots, so I don't know if she had a booster, but everyone was fine.

The meds were not started until yesterday. They arrived here sick and left sick 6 days alter.

[Lara in Colo]

This is just our experience so I cannot say what will happen there----

 

DD3 had a rash and I let it "hang" for over a week before I called the Dr, then there was a 5 day wait before we saw the Dr, then she started meds.

 

This website states the shot is good for 13-20 years---http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/chicken-pox-vaccine

[mamaraby]

If you've had chickenpox or the vax, you should be okay. I have no idea if the vax needs a booster. If you've had the vax, you could get a mild case, but not as bad as you might have otherwise. If you have not had chicken pox, I'd probably go in and sanitize. (I'd do that anyway!)

That's not quite right. If you've had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles (http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features/shingles-chickenpox). The shingles vaccine for older adults who have had chicken pox (zostavax) does not prevent shingles, just makes it less painful. The varicella vaccine covers both chickenpox and shingles, but does require a booster. If your dc has had one varicella vax they would at least have some protection and their chances of getting shingles should be smaller. If it were me, I would get the child who has already had one dose of varicella the booster. I'd also get the varicella vaccine for any adults who did not have chicken pox already.

[Lara in Colo]

That's not quite right. If you've had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles (http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features/shingles-chickenpox). The shingles vaccine for older adults who have had chicken pox (zostavax) does not prevent shingles, just makes it less painful. The varicella vaccine covers both chickenpox and shingles, but does require a booster. If your dc has had one varicella vax they would at least have some protection and their chances of getting shingles should be smaller. If it were me, I would get the child who has already had one dose of varicella the booster. I'd also get the varicella vaccine for any adults who did not have chicken pox already.

 

You can get shingles from the vaccine.

 

Shingles is when the chicken pox virus that hangs out on your spinal column comes "alive" and makes the nerve irritated.

 

The vaccine puts the virus into your body (thus immunity) but in later years (or when the immune system is lowered) you can get shingles.

 

I've always wondered about the shingles shot--- if you get "immunized" against shingles-- can you now get chicken pox? 

[Tap]

Anyone who has not had chicken pox is susceptible.  Shingles is the reactivation of chickenpox, so if it is spread it would present as chickenpox, not shingles in the newly affected person.  Your husband can request a titer test from his doctor if he wants to verify that he has or has not had chickenpox.  Your vaxed child could be at risk, but honestly it would be best for her to get them now than risking getting chickenpox as an adult.  So, that could be a mixed blessing.

 

Due to cleanliness, it is less likely to spread chickenpox from shingles in an adult, that is is to get chicken pox from another child.   Also shingles blisters Hurt, so people are less likely to touch them and spread the virus.  It can be spread by respiratory excretions, but I don't think the virus survives outside the body for long, maybe 24 hours. (ETA: the CDC website now only lists the blisters as a source of contanination-we were told previously that it was also spread by respitory but that information may no longer be accurate) If they have been gone a couple of days, I would guess any surface contamination would already be inactive.  I would probably clean all surfaces just in case, especially door knobs, light switches, tables (horizontal surfaces would catch airborn particles), remote controls, etc

 

Chickenpox has a 3-4 week incubation period, so you will know in a month if anyone has contracted the virus. Try to avoid immunocompromised people, unvaxed people, the elderly or infants for the next month.  Chickenpox is contagious from the first cough or blister and sometimes it takes people a day or two to figure out that they have chickenpox, and have been spreading it behind them throughout the week.

 

Sorry, you are going through this! It can be very stressful to not know if your family has an illness or not. 

 

 

[Tap]

You can get shingles from the vaccine.

 

Shingles is when the chicken pox virus that hangs out on your spinal column comes "alive" and makes the nerve irritated.

 

The vaccine puts the virus into your body (thus immunity) but in later years (or when the immune system is lowered) you can get shingles.

 

I've always wondered about the shingles shot--- if you get "immunized" against shingles-- can you now get chicken pox? 

We only vaccinate people with the shingles vaccine, who have had chickenpox.  If an adult tells us they have not had chicken pox, we first recommend they get the chickenpox vaccine and then return at another time to get the shingles vaccine. 

 

 

You can not get shingles from the vaccine.  You can get chickenpox, but not shingles.   That information is verifiable at this CDC website.

[Spryte]

This is from the CDC page on Shingles. I tried to say it up thread but bungled, maybe due to lack of caffeine:

 

"Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, the varicella zoster virus, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox. In such cases, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox, but they would not develop shingles. The virus is spread through direct contact with fluid from the rash blisters, not through sneezing, coughing or casual contact."

 

So if you've had CP, you're always at risk for shingles to some degree, but coming into contact with someone with shingles isn't going to up your risk.

 

Unless, of course, the caffeine still hasn't kicked in and I'm totally misunderstanding. Always possible. :)

 

I sure hope no one gets sick! Sending you all healthy vibes.

[Spryte]

Oops. iPhone typing. Tried to edit typos and quoted myself!

 

Going to find an IV of espresso now and hook myself up!

[DianeW88]

Yes, she can now develop chickenpox from being exposed to an active Shingles infection.  Incubation is about two weeks.  It can be a more difficult disease in teens, but each case is individual.

[mamaraby]

You can get shingles from the vaccine.

 

Shingles is when the chicken pox virus that hangs out on your spinal column comes "alive" and makes the nerve irritated.

 

The vaccine puts the virus into your body (thus immunity) but in later years (or when the immune system is lowered) you can get shingles.

 

I've always wondered about the shingles shot--- if you get "immunized" against shingles-- can you now get chicken pox?

From the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/varicella/):

 

"Chickenpox vaccines contain weakened live VZV, which may cause latent (dormant) infection. The vaccine-strain VZV can reactivate later in life and cause shingles. However, the risk of getting shingles from vaccine-strain VZV after chickenpox vaccination is much lower than getting shingles after natural infection with wild-type VZV. For more information about how natural infection with wild-type VZV causes shingles, see Shingles Overview. Lab testing is needed to determine if a person got shingles from vaccine-strain VZV or from wild-type VZV."

 

So I stand partially corrected. And, yes I would still get the vaccine for adults who have not had chicken pox (easily verifiable with titers as another poster mentioned) and we have had all three of our children vaccinated with it. It reduces risk both of the disease and of complications. I also say this as a former non-vaxer now delayed as we catch up.

 

Another verifiable website - http://www.mayoclinic.org/shingles/prevention.html

 

OP - Sorry about your visitors. One would have hoped they would stay home if they were sick.

[Lara in Colo]

From the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/varicella/):

 

"Chickenpox vaccines contain weakened live VZV, which may cause latent (dormant) infection. The vaccine-strain VZV can reactivate later in life and cause shingles. However, the risk of getting shingles from vaccine-strain VZV after chickenpox vaccination is much lower than getting shingles after natural infection with wild-type VZV. For more information about how natural infection with wild-type VZV causes shingles, see Shingles Overview. Lab testing is needed to determine if a person got shingles from vaccine-strain VZV or from wild-type VZV."

 

So I stand partially corrected. And, yes I would still get the vaccine for adults who have not had chicken pox (easily verifiable with titers as another poster mentioned) and we have had all three of our children vaccinated with it. It reduces risk both of the disease and of complications. I also say this as a former non-vaxer now delayed as we catch up.

 

Another verifiable website - http://www.mayoclinic.org/shingles/prevention.html

 

OP - Sorry about your visitors. One would have hoped they would stay home if they were sick.

 

My 9yo daughter got shingles from the vaccine--they tested it (to make sure she was given the correct medicine).

 

And honestly, I don't see how one version or the other can be more or less likely to cause shingles--- shingles is supposedly caused by a weakened immune system, allowing for the dormant virus to activate---- which is why it was so surprising in my daughter, she wasn't immuno-compromised, not even a cold.  Which why they ran even more tests to check her white blood count and so forth.