Question. Have you had the chicken pox as a child?

[lynn]

Did you get shingles?  Did you get the chicken pox vaccination? and if so when?   If you had not had chicken pox did you get the shingle shots?  What has your doctor recommended?  

If you did not have chicken pox as a child and you got tested for the antibodies?? of chicken pox and it's found that you never did have chickenpox, now the doctor wants you to get the vaccination would you be concerned that you are now at risk for shingles after exposing yourself to chicken pox vaccination?

[umsami]

I had chicken pox as a kid. (Calamine lotion!) I've never had shingles, the vaccine, or been tested...but I'm getting closer to the shingles vax age, so now I need to rethink this. :)

[lynn]

My doctor sent me a RX for chicken pox vaccination (I'm 52)  He was suprised that I never had chicken pox as a child that's why he ordered the blood test. 

Now my husband had chicken pox as a child and did have shingles that lasted for weeks when he was only 46.    

[Chris in VA]

I had chicken pox as a child. There was no vaccine then. I actually did get it twice (rare). 

I am over 50 and will probably get the shingles vax. 

If I hadn't had had the chicken pox, I am not sure I'd get the shingles vax. I would probably get the chicken pox vax. It's pretty awful to get it as an adult. If you had the pox, you can get shingles anyway. If you haven't had the pox, you can't. Geez that is unclear. 

I mean, if you never had chicken pox, you don't need the shingles vax because you don't have the virus floating around in your system. You need the POX vax (well, if you need a vax at all). Editing again...sheesh--IMO, it is better to guard against the chicken pox as an older person, esp if you are around kids (exposed). If you are of childbearing age still, then yeah, for sure. If you, as a person without antibodies to chicken pox and who has never had them, are exposed to SHINGLES, you will get chicken pox. 

I would not be worried about being suseptible to shingles thru the vax for chicken pox. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Chris in VA

[Kassia]

I did not have chickenpox as a child.  I was tested and then got the vaccine.  I also recently got my first Shingrix dose for shingles.

 

[Annie G]

I had chicken pox but never had shingles. all four of our kids had chicken pox and a couple of weeks ago Dd 27 had shingles.  Her shingles were a mild case but she had viral meningitis at the same time and she was miserable for a week. 
I’m not sure if Dh or I will get a shingles vac. Heck I don’t even get a flu shot. 

[Carrie12345]

I tested immune, but never had noticeable chicken pox. 

My doctor doesn’t feel I should worry about shingles until I’m older. 

[Just Kate]

I had the chicken pox when I was 9 months and then shingles when I was 3 years old! My poor mother...of course I don’t remember either. 

[May]

I had chicken pox as a child and also have had shingles, a mild case. My doctor has encouraged me to get the shingles shot but I hate needles😢 DH recently got the shingles shot, the two series, and felt off for a couple of days. Guess I need to work up my courage🙄

[TechWife]

I had chicken pox when I was six weeks old (youngest of five kids). I was tested for antibodies just a few years ago and am immune. I should get the shingles fax, but haven’t yet.  My ds had the first chicken pox vaccine, then was exposed to someone who had a sibling with active chicken pox (don’t even get me started) that same week. Within a couple of days of the exposure, he had the chicken pox, but we don’t know if it was from the vax, the exposure or a combination. He got his vax not long after they started offering them. 
 

We do know a family where their 23 yo son just recently had shingles. He had chicken pox as a kid, but I don’t know what age. He missed a couple of weeks of work and still has some painful flares. 

[mlktwins]

I had a severe case of chicken pox in 5th or 6th grade.  I am 52.  Never had the chicken pox vaccine.  I just had my first shingles shot.  My 2nd is in a couple of months.

DH had chicken pox as a child also.  He is 57 and has recently finished his 2nd shingles shot.

From people I've talked to that have had shingles, I do not want it!

[historically accurate]

I had a very severe case of chicken pox when I was 7. I was hospitalized for a time (I think for dehydration as I had lots of internal cp, so I wasn't drinking/eating), and I still have some cp scars on my stomach and around my eyes. I've never had shingles or either vaccine. I am 45.

DH had 1(!!!!) chicken pock mark when he was 10, and because of that, a doctor tested his immunity a couple of years ago. He has had neither shingles nor the shingles vaccine. He is also 45.

All 3 of my kids (ages 17, 14, and 12) got the cp vaccine. 

[RootAnn]

I had chicken pox as a child. I believe my d's did, too. He had what the doc thinks was shingles a few years ago. I've never seen him so miserable.

My FIL gets shingles fairly often. My kids all had the chicken pox disease.

[Loowit]

I had chicken pox when I was 3 or 4 years old.  I have never had shingles or the vaccine.  My doctor has never brought it up.  DH had chicken pox as a teenager and was miserable.  He also has not had the shingles or the vaccine.

None of my children had the chicken pox vaccine until they were teens.  It was still fairly new when DD was a baby, and I wanted to hold off after my niece had a bad reaction to it and then got shingles several times as a child.  I didn't want my children to get chicken pox when they were teens or older since it would be more likely to have a harder time with it, so they were vaccinated once they hit 13 with the exception of youngest who has had a number of severe vaccine reactions so we are cautious about vaccinating him.

[Guest]

I had a severe case of chicken pox as a child; I have never had shingles (so far). I haven’t been tested for antibodies AFAIK. If I had never remembered having it, I would probably get the vax. I don’t know if one needs the shingles vax if they just got the cp vax. 

[Ethel Mertz]

I had chicken pox when I was 5 (1963, before there was a vaccine). Same with measles, mumps, and pertussis. I received the first shingles vaccine about 5 years ago and recently received the new and improved 2 dose shingles vaccine (which is supposed to be 90% effective). You do not want to get shingles. 

[Anne]

I had chicken pox as a child.  I am generally vax-reluctant, but will definitely get the shingles vaccine.

Anne

 

[Laura Corin]

I had chicken pox as a child. I'll get the shingles vaccine when I reach the recommended age.

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

I had chicken pox as a child. I'll get the shingles vaccine when I reach the recommended age.

Is the recommended age later in Britain than the US?  Here it's age 50.  I'm a few years late already! 

I did have chicken pox as a child, and I am planning on getting it - there's a shortage here, though, and I can't get it at the doctor's office; I have to get on a wait list at CVS (pharmacy w/ mini-health clinic).

[Mommyof1]

Had CP at 6yrs old. A mild case. Never tested for immunity. No shingles vax. In my 50's.

I've have known older people who have had the shingles vax and still got shingles. Some more then once.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Mommyof1

[Miss Tick]

An older acquaintance that I knew from carpooling kids (his grandkids) to the same place all the time got shingles. It dramatically and negatively changed his life. He was hospitalized for a while, got Bell's palsy, struggled to walk, obviously no longer drives carpooling, and dealing with residual pain. Last time I saw him he was recommending the vaccine to everybody he spoke with.

[Violet Crown]

I contracted mild chicken pox in elementary school. Hardly any spots. I came down with shingles at age 20 (!!!); the doctor at the university health clinic was very excited as he didn't usually get to see cases on campus. It was mild, too, though even mild shingles is pretty painful. Never gotten the vaccine or been tested. I suppose I ought.

 

[Laura Corin]

43 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Is the recommended age later in Britain than the US?  Here it's age 50.  I'm a few years late already! 

I did have chicken pox as a child, and I am planning on getting it - there's a shortage here, though, and I can't get it at the doctor's office; I have to get on a wait list at CVS (pharmacy w/ mini-health clinic).

Yes, it's 70 here.  It looks as if the CDC recommended 60. So opinions seem to vary.

[Matryoshka]

5 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Yes, it's 70 here.  It looks as if the CDC recommended 60. So opinions seem to vary.

That recommendation was for the older vaccine.  Apparently the newer vaccine is recommended at 50.  My doctor has nagged me about it already the last two visits.

From the article when I googled:

Feb. 12, 2018 -- In October 2017, the FDA approved a new shingles vaccine, called Shingrix. This January, the CDC officially recommended that adults 50 and over get the new vaccine to prevent this painful, blistering disease instead of the previous one, Zostavax. 

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Apparently the newer vaccine is recommended at 50.  My doctor has nagged me about it already the last two visits.

 

 

I was on a waiting list for a full year before I got my first dose of Shingrix.  If there is a shortage in your area, you might want to get on a waiting list.  The pharmacist said there were around 200 people on the waiting list and they were only shipped around 5 doses a month.

[sassenach]

3 hours ago, lynn said:

Did you get shingles?  Did you get the chicken pox vaccination? and if so when?   If you had not had chicken pox did you get the shingle shots?  What has your doctor recommended?  

If you did not have chicken pox as a child and you got tested for the antibodies?? of chicken pox and it's found that you never did have chickenpox, now the doctor wants you to get the vaccination would you be concerned that you are now at risk for shingles after exposing yourself to chicken pox vaccination?

I did have CP as a child. 
I have never been vaccinated for it but I will definitely do the shingles booster when I get a little older. 

 

If I knew for sure that I had no CP antibodies, I would really have to think about it. On one hand CP is now pretty rare in the wild. However, catching it as an older adult can be pretty dangerous. Risk of shingles without CP is zero. Risk of shingles from the vax is rare but more than zero. 
 

It comes down to risk of catching CP vs risk of developing shingles from the vax. I would have to research to decide which seems more likely/scares me more. (But my knee jerk is that I would get the vax because my body sails right through vaccinations)

Edited October 19, 2019 by sassenach

[Matryoshka]

Just now, Kassia said:

 

I was on a waiting list for a full year before I got my first dose of Shingrix.  If there is a shortage in your area, you might want to get on a waiting list.  The pharmacist said there were around 200 people on the waiting list and they were only shipped around 5 doses a month.

This thread is reminding me I have to get on that!!  I should add dh while I'm at it - he's already 60 and hasn't gotten to it yet...

[mom2scouts]

I did not have chickenpox as a kid, but I did have it in my late 20's. It was horrible and I was seriously ill. When my mom saw me she started screaming and then she took pictures because she didn't think anybody would believe her when she told them about how bad it was.  I don't know if having chickenpox or the vaccine as an adult affects the chances of getting shingles or  not. If I were an adult who hadn't had chickenpox, I would definitely get the chickenpox vaccine and risk shingles later! 

[Ali in OR]

My chicken pox case when I was in junior high was so mild that I thought maybe I hadn't really had it. But I got shingles when 35 and very sleep-deprived from nursing my 9-month old dd, so that confirmed I had indeed had chicken pox. I happened to be on the phone with my dad who is a doctor and I commented on this weird rash I was noticing just on one side of my abdomen. He told me it sounded like shingles and had me go to my doctor, so I got on an antiviral very quickly, healed quickly, never had any pain.

Because the vaccine has been in short supply and because of a friend's report of being knocked off her feet from the vaccine, I haven't been eager to get it immediately, but I'm sure I will eventually. 

[mom@shiloh]

I had chicken pox as a child, long, long, long before the vaccine came out. 🙂  I did end up getting shingles in my 50's. I had planned to get the vaccine when I was 60. I did get the antiviral as soon as I realized that it was shingles.  It was a stressful time in my life and I do think that contributed to my getting it. I've heard of teens and 20' somethings getting shingles actually more often than older adults getting it.  

[sassenach]

As an aside, I took a microbiology class last semester and it was absolutely fascinating how the virus hijacks neurons. The whole time it’s in there, it’s suppressing the neuron’s ability to show your immune system its presence. Then when your body is under stress, changes in the neuron force the virus out of its suppressive position within the cell, so it escapes to nearby epithelial cells. 

[kbutton]

4 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, what about just getting the shingles vax?  Or both?  I am wondering if there's a reason you can't do C-pox, then singles? 

I would think maybe the same.

I had chicken pox as a kid and shingles in high school. Both were mild cases, but I will be getting my shingles shot on my 50th birthday, lol! ASAP. I don't want to do shingles again. 

[gardenmom5]

6 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, what about just getting the shingles vax?  Or both?  I am wondering if there's a reason you can't do C-pox, then singles?  Or maybe even singles, then c-pox?

you will only get shingles if the chicken-pox virus is floating in your system.  if it isn't - it's a moot point.   if you have the c-vax, you won't have the virus floating in your system.

[gardenmom5]

I had c-pox as a very young child, fairly mild.  don't remember.

three kids had it - at different times (before the vax was available.)   2dd had shingles at 7.  fortunately, it was mild.   1ds was covered.  oatmeal baths, hydrocortisone, etc.  poor guy.  he couldn't have been three.

the other two have had the vaccine.

[Matryoshka]

11 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

you will only get shingles if the chicken-pox virus is floating in your system.  if it isn't - it's a moot point.   if you have the c-vax, you won't have the virus floating in your system.

Uh, yes you will.  The chicken pox vaccine is a live vaccine, and you can get shingles from it.  They claim it's less likely you'll get shingles if you're vaccinated, but considering that most people get shingles at 50+, and zero vaccinated kids have reached that age, that claim is just guesswork.  Some kids have already gotten shingles after the vaccination, but like most people with shingles, they are almost always immunocompromised in some way.  Being exposed to someone with cpox or shingles also gives a natural booster, which will no longer be around - everyone will likely have to get lifelong vax boosters, probably starting younger as the natural boosters won't be around.  Unless they create an effective killed cpox vaccine, and then people don't have the live virus floating in their systems anymore.

The newest shingles vaccine is killed.  But not sure if it's strong enough to prevent chicken pox, or why is the cpox vax live in the first place?  Shingles vax is basically a booster.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Matryoshka

[Selkie]

I caught it during the Great Chicken Pox Epidemic of 6th grade, along with most of my classmates. 🙂 Dh says he had it when he was about nine years old. Both of us are planning to get the shingles vaccine, but it's been in short supply in our area for quite awhile.

[Frances]

9 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Is the recommended age later in Britain than the US?  Here it's age 50.  I'm a few years late already! 

I did have chicken pox as a child, and I am planning on getting it - there's a shortage here, though, and I can't get it at the doctor's office; I have to get on a wait list at CVS (pharmacy w/ mini-health clinic).

My husband and I couldn’t get it last year when there was a shortage. This year we had no trouble getting it when we wanted to. I did have my first ever vaccine reaction to the second shingles shot, but I would still do it again. Shingles sound horrendous.

Edited to add we both had chicken pox as children. My husband is a healthcare professional and generally we both rarely go to the doctor and lean towards as little medical intervention as possible. But as soon as the new shingles vaccine was available here, we both got the two doses. We didn’t even discuss it with our doctors.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Frances

[Farrar]

I had chicken pox as a kid. I haven’t had shingles and am too young for the vaccine recommendation as yet. I’d get it. Or the regular vaccine if I’d never had it.

My mother did get the vaccine for shingles. She has a mystery ailment that last I heard might be a mild shingles case. If so, that will be rotten for her, obviously. 

[Bambam]

I had chicken pox as a child. I've had shingles too - but they developed first on my hand, so diagnosis took a while (semi painful). My doctor recommended that I get the Shingrix vaccine, but I'm not sure yet. I have an elderly friend (mid 80s) who has had shingles multiple times now. 

[Lady Florida.]

I had chicken pox, measles, and mumps all before there were vaccinations for those diseases. I was finally able to get the shingles vaccination earlier this year. The shortage seems to be over now. 

[Tree Frog]

I had the chicken pox as a child, am over 50, have not had the shingles vac, and haven't had shingles. My 3 kids had them when they were 5, 3, and 9 months old in Canada. When we lived there, students didn't need to be out of school unless they had open sores, so many students shared the pox. 

[KrissiK]

Yes, I had chicken pox as a child.

No shingles yet.

No vaccines.

[Tap]

I had chicken pox as a child. Shingles right about age 40. It was stress induced. My shingles were on the right side of my face (multiple blisters) and were also under the eye lashes near my eye. I have permanent nerve damage on my temple  and in my hair line. I knew what it was immediately and got on antivirals the day it started. I can't imagine how horrible it would have been without them!  

Unless you are immunocompromised, I would likely get the chicken  pox vaccination and the shingles vaccination.  I have seen some nasty things with shingles in my patients. It is a horrible thing to go through.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Tap

[mominco]

I had chicken pox as a child and well I'm in my 40's and guess what happened to me a month ago?Yes had shingles!

OMG that hurt like H***.I had pain went to the urgent care and got a pain killer and a muscle relaxer thinking it was a spasm.As the Dr was leaving he mentioned the rash and said come back ASAP if you get a rash because it could be shingles he said and of course 2 days later there it was the ugliest looking rash I had ever seen on my back!It took me 2 weeks of anti viral to feel better and I then got sick with a bad cold/cough and am finally recovering from it!  

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

  Some kids have already gotten shingles after the vaccination, but like most people with shingles, they are almost always immunocompromised in some way.  Being exposed to someone with cpox or shingles also gives a natural booster, which will no longer be around - everyone will likely have to get lifelong vax boosters, probably starting younger as the natural boosters won't be around.  Unless they create an effective killed cpox vaccine, and then people don't have the live virus floating in their systems anymore.

The newest shingles vaccine is killed.  But not sure if it's strong enough to prevent chicken pox, or why is the cpox vax live in the first place?  Shingles vax is basically a booster.

my dd who had shingles at 7 (after having the virus) - was not remotely immune compromised.  (unlike elderly who develop shingles from having the virus as children.)

 

[J-rap]

I had the chicken pox as a baby, but only on my feet!  So, my doctor was a little worried when I was 8 months pregnant with #5 and my 4 other children all came down with it.  (No, the vaccine hadn't been offered to kids yet when my kids were very young, at least in our area!)   I didn't get it, thank goodness.  I do plan to get the shingles vaccine, although our insurance won't cover it until I'm 60.   One of my dd's who had the CP got the shingles when she was around 23.  

The CP vaccine was offered to child #5, so she had the vaccine, but three years later she came down with the chicken pox anyway.  (A fairly light case.)

I'd probably get the CP vaccine if I were you.  I would think that the risks and problems associated with getting the chicken pox with no vaccine outweigh the risks of getting shingles with the CP vaccine.  (Although I really have no scientific knowledge regarding that!)

[lispy]

I had chicken pox as a child (no vax). I haven't had shingles. I'll turn 50 in a little less than two years and plan to get the shingles vax then.   Dh also had cp but no shingles. He'll get shingles vax in a couple of months 

All of my kids had the chicken pox vax. None have gotten chicken pox. But my son got shingles when he was 9. It was awful. I just remember  I was so mad at the pediatrician because he just acted like it was great because he got to see this case as he had been hearing of chicken pox vaxed kids getting shingles but had not seen it yet. Here was my son in terrible pain and he was acting all giddy. But anyway,  this was about 8 years ago.  Ds was always healthy before shingles and has been healthy ever since, but that was an awful 3 weeks.  

[rebcoola]

I had CP as a kid no shingles yet.  I am nowhere near the age they suggest the vax. I will probably get it when it’s offered.  My mother had less pain with her knee replacement than her mild shingles.

[Hen]

I had chicken pox twice, the first time as a toddler- it was mild, I'm told and then again when I was 9.  I do not plan on getting the vaccine, and I have been around 2 people who had shingles, but I haven't caught it.  My oldest dd had the vaccine as a baby, the others did not.  

[TrixieB]

I didn't have noticeable chicken pox when I was a child, so I got a blood draw in my twenties and was told that I am immune.  No shingles shot yet.