Chickenpox twice ??

[Sarah-Ambam]

Is it possible to get chicken pox twice if you haven't got a spleen. I had mine removed 25 years ago because of my ongoing ITP and my fourteen year old son has chicken pox.

[Monty55555]

Hello Sarah, not related to Chickenpox, but I hope you don't get them. More so did removing you're spleen have an effect on you're ITP. I'm currently on N plate, and I know the next step will be removing my spleen. have you had any problems since having you're spleen out? thanks Tom

[Itp1987 in reply to Monty55555]

Hi Monty, I'm not Sarah, but I've had no spleen for 31 years. If I had my time over I'd have kept it. Think carefully with your docs and be ruled by your symptoms not your numbers. My splenectomy didn't 'cure' my ITP. I bounced along with counts of about 80 just after it, for a couple of years, then dropped to 60, but at times of infection I did the usual single figures as I had done before. Now, I live with a count of 20-50 on no treatment. It rarely reaches 60 or 80. I'm not symptomatic at 20 (other than fatigue which I've learned to live with) so my haematologists leave me alone. The problems arise when I need my pneumococcal injection, my flu jab and all the other myriad of jabs I need with having no spleen. The count must be over 50 for all of those. If I notice bruising then I put myself on bed rest, count usually comes up from single figures within 24-48 hours. Usually relates to a virus. You don't say what your platelet count is on N-plate but if you're looking for counts of over 100 by having splenectomy, using me as an example, it won't happen! Hopefully there are others out there who've had a better response and will give you the other argument! Good luck.

[Monty55555 in reply to Itp1987]

Thank you, to be honest I don't care about my count so much, nothing touches my count apart from IVIG, no drug has worked for me, my count always drop down to 3-6. what do you do about booking holidays? drinking alcohol? I haven't had any alcohol since I got told I got ITP. just wondered if some people with ITP do drink the odd drink now and again?

[Itp1987 in reply to Monty55555]

Hi Monty, IVIG is the only thing that works for me too. I don't travel. I do a bit of Europe but that's it. I'm not bothered really. There are others who do travel. I've written here before that I just board last and disembark last to avoid the crush. For the first 20 years I didn't have any alcohol, I now have a little bit now and then. I was told to only drink 'clean' alcohol. Such as vodka or gin and champagne...so I'm not complaining! I have a little now and then but always when I'm not symptomatic. IE If I've been ill or under the weather or notice more bruises then I won't.

[JasonJ in reply to Monty55555]

Hi, also had mine removed last year, my count is around 60-80 so not a total cure. Was preferable to taking even more medicine for the rest of my life, nothing else worked apart from IVIG.

[Sarah-Ambam in reply to JasonJ]

Hi, tbh mine has never reached glorious heights either but it tends to keep me out of danger levels. It did drop very low once since splenectomy and I had ivig but that was because I had lots of jabs at once i.e. Pneumovax renewal, meningitis c and a couple o others because I am spleenless. This overloaded my immune system and riled up the antibodies. Word of advice here, have them one at a time. Good health and best wishes.

Sarah

[Itp1987 in reply to Sarah-Ambam]

Absolutely. Always one at a time and try for count of over 50 to allow for the drop. Easier said than done at times! I'm still waiting for my new meningitis double vaccine as count won't stay high enough. Been trying for six months!

[Sarah-Ambam in reply to Monty55555]

Hi Monty, yes it really helped. My platelets have never hit heady heights but the splenectomy worked. They have dipped over the years and I had to have ivig but the reason they dipped was because I was given lots of update jabs after a few years of being spleenless , in one go which overloaded my immune system and riled the antibodies into action. Best of luck and good health.

Sarah

[Monty55555 in reply to Sarah-Ambam]

Thank you Sarah its good to hear that it can work, before they go taking mine out. what was the recovery time? is it just a day thing in and out?

[Itp1987]

Hi Sarah, no spleen either (31 years), I was warned that we are at risk of shingles, not sure whether it's the same risk as general population or not. I don't think there's much we can do to avoid it. But it's not one of the worrying bacterial ones that us asplenic lot have to be concerned about! Just annoying and possibly painful if we did....just like anyone else. Hope you manage to avoid it!

[Sarah-Ambam in reply to Itp1987]

Thanks for that information it is really helpful. Every time I see a red mark I think it's the start but trouble is with us ITP sufferers we tend to get lots of red or purple marks.

[AnthonyHeard Administrator ITP Support Association]

YES you can get chicken pox more than once, you can get it many times....and this is why.....

Once you get chicken pox the first time the virus remains in your body forever more (it lays dormant in your spine) and can be reawakened at any time. It tends to be reawakened when you get run down or your immune system is suppressed (like when you are on Prednisolone, Azathioprine, Rituximab, Mycophenolate Mofetil for example as all are immune system suppressing drugs).

Obviously if you have no spleen you are also very vulnerable to infections, viruses etc and the chicken pox virus can therefore be one such thing that you are extra vulnerable to. When the chicken pox virus reawakens it comes back as SHINGLES which I got in 2009 having been on Prednisolone on and off for 4 years.

If you think you have got Shingles i.e. the chicken pox virus has reawakened in your system do go to your Doctor asap as the quicker you get it treated the better. It can be very dangerous in some cases so do go and get checked out. They can prescribe an anti viral drug (Aciclovir was the one I had) to clear up the Shingles but it can leave lasting damage.

Hope you are ok , take care....

Best wishes

Anthony

[Sarah-Ambam in reply to AnthonyHeard]

Thank you, I'll watch out for it .

Regards

Sarah

[AnthonyHeard Administrator ITP Support Association]

Sarah just a quick follow on....

If someone in the family has chicken pox, it is as well to discuss it with your ITP specialist or Doctor too ASAP. They can advise you on how to take the necessary precautions as if you have had your spleen removed you are absolutely very vulnerable to getting Shingles. Please do chat it through with your Doctor/Specialist and see what they advise.

Best wishes

Anthony

[Itp1987 in reply to AnthonyHeard]

Thanks for this extra info Anthony. Not what my haematologists told me at all. So always useful to get extra info. They told me no concerns if I got it! Glad you posted.

[scaryteacher]

Presumably, the chicken pox in someone else close can reawaken yours, and if the virus is no longer dormant, then it can lead to shingles.

My son had chicken pox 5 times, so it does happen, and the GP confirmed it was chicken pox each and every time.

[Sarah-Ambam in reply to scaryteacher]

Hi, thanks for reply . I feel rotten with aches, pains, fever and feel sick so wouldn't be surprised if I came out in spots. It's going round the school where I teach. I haven't taken any time off yet but will have to if it tourneys out to be chicken pox or shingles.