Pred and Chickenpox

Hello!

Hope this finds everyone in good health!!

I have heard that if you are on pred then you should avoid chickenpox and shingles cos your immune system gets repressed.

I am not on pred at the moment but my last dose was only a couple of weeks ago and I have had one/two courses a month since September. Anyways, my housemistress' son has chickenpox (he's at the spotty stage) and yesterday in the shower I noticed a load of spots on my chest, arms and hands. At first I shook it off as just ordinary spots (I'm a teenager so that's pretty normal) but there are more today and they look suspiciously poxy! I have only been around the little boy with it for two days and I was told that you caught it ages before the spots appeared. I was just wondering if the lots of pred usage meant that it could be chickenpox as I was more susceptible.

Anyone have any ideas??

Thank you!

Rachel xx.

PS - All the other meds I'm on are Singulair 10mg, Cetrizine 10mg, Symbicort 100/6 two puffs twice daily, Ventolin and Atrovent. I've also already had chickenpox if that helps!

[Hidden]

Hi,

You can catch chicken pox between around 2 days before spots and till spots have dried up/scabbed over. So if his spots were fresh you could have caught it. People on high dosed of pred/long term are at risk of complications. If I were you I would give you gp or nhs direct a ring just to check if you are at risk. My 3 boys all recently had it and one was on pred when the spots came out. GP's reassured me he was not at risk as he is not on them long term, and he was in fact fine. Always bet to check with your gp as he can look into your history. I believe there is something they can give you if you are at risk. Hope this helps and you get better soon!

[yaf_user681_27259]

Hi rachel

I accidentally sent a message to the wrong person- so apologies everybody!

Hope you're feeling better and the rash is settled. If it hasn't you're probably better getting it checked with a Dr as you can get shingles if you have had chickenpox previously and you are then in contact with somebody with chickenpox. If somebody has a really mild case of chickenpox approx. 6 spots or less you could get chickenpox again- but the safest thing is to get it checked if you're unsure.

Take care

F

[Hidden]

Hi Rachel,

Chicken pox is a strange one. Older daughter at age 13 spent a day with a friend;s family. Throughout that day, all the children went down like nine pins to chicken pox - except C. To this day I do not know how she missed catching it.

Meanwhile a year or two back, my other daughter and her aunt, travelled up from London by train. Found on boarding, they were sharing the same carriage as a school trip. Extremely hot and sticky journey as air conditioning not working.

Can only presume one or more of the children had chicken pox as, within a day of arriving home, K had it big style.

Auntie didn't have it - for which we were happy as she had a whole host of health problems of her own at the time. But my poor K. 27 years of age and covered in spots.

PS I'd had chicken pox twice as a child but did not know the link between chicken pox and shingles until about a fortnight after nursing K, I got shingles. Oh happy day.

[Hidden]

Thanks everyone!

Went to the GP again today and am now on pred but forgot to query it..will check it with the school nurse tomorrow!

Rachel xx.