Shingles

[clova]

My partner has been diagnosed with shingles today. Is there any risk to myself , I have lupus Hughes and raynauds. I had a steroid injection 3 weeks ago and I have had chicken pox as a child

[PMRpro]

If you had CP as a child you should be OK - and are probably OK anyway.

You can't catch shingles - you must have had CP earlier and then the virus remains dormant in the nerve endings somewhere in the body. Something triggers it to wake up and that causes shingles. Theoretically it is possible to catch CP from someone with shingles - but it isn't known to have happened in practice. You would have to come in contact with the fluid in the blisters - they don't usually shed the virus with coughing and sneezing as children with CP do. So if the blisters are covered up until the scabs form you should be OK. Once the blisters are scabbed over - no longer infectious, the same as with CP. If you get any symptoms in 14-21 days - off to the doctor immediately to get antiviral drugs to make it shorter and less bad hopefully.

[clova in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro for your reply very informative good of you to take the time to answer

[Wenwen]

Shingles are the reactive of the CP virus. It could happen when people are older or had health condition such immunospuressed.

I had CP when I was child, had shingles vaccine a few years ago, and had shingles recently. It is believed that my immuno system is suppressed with steroids and immunospresives drugs that trigged the reactive the virus.

Shingles are painful. I was treated with antivirus drug right the way so it was only last about a week

You don't get shingles by contacting another person with shingles. However, the virus could infect a child or someone who never had CP to have CP. It is always good idea to take precaution to prevent contact with the discharge and infected area ...

[Evaj3]

No shingles can cause you to get chicken pox if you have never had chicken pox. Shingles does not cause shingles. Shingles comes from having chicken pox as a kid the virus lays dormant for years and some people will never get shingles others will. If you have had chicken pox and want to decrease your chance of getting shingles there is a vaccine.

[clova]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question about shingles sorry it's taken so long to reply been busy looking after my partner who is laid up with the shingles and is quite unwell