Am I at risk of shingles

[Fjdjdjdjd]

Hello - i'm about to go and spend a weekend with my in laws and they have just announced they have shingles. Am I at risk of this having ET?

[Spanelmad]

Have you had chicken pox? If you have had it then you are at risk of shingles.Et will complicate on top depending if your on meds or not

[mhos61]

You cannot ‘catch’ shingles; however, if you have never had chickenpox you are at risk of developing chickenpox by being in contact with someone with shingles.

So, the question would be. Are you sure you’ve had chickenpox? If so, you’ll be fine!

[Ebot]

Hi. Just to reiterate, if you’ve already had chickenpox you can’t ‘catch’ shingles either from someone who has shingles or from someone who has chickenpox.

If you’ve never had chickenpox you can catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles or someone who has chickenpox.

Bottom line. You can’t catch shingles. (The virus that caused you to have chickenpox lays dormant in your system but can get triggered and cause shingles. Usually this is because your immune system is less efficient - older age and the kind of drugs we take for MPNs are often the culprit. )

[Wyebird in reply to Ebot]

Why if I’ve had chickenpox am I elibike for the shingles vaccine?

[Ebot in reply to Wyebird]

Because your immune system might be compromised due to the drugs you take for your MPN and / or age. Having had chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in your system but might be triggered resulting in you getting shingles (same virus).

Shingles, I gather, can be incredibly painful and debilitating and take a while to go away. Thankfully, I’ve not had it. I have however had the jab recently. That was a bit sore as jabs go but I got over it pretty quickly. Next one due just before Christmas.

[Wyebird]

I’ve heard it’s extremely painful. I think I’d stay away. Do you qualify for a shingles vaccine? I’m having mine next week. I had to get a letter from my blood nurse to qualify even though I’m over 65.

[Wyebird]

I’ve just googled after reading other replies. I think I’d consult my nurse. I find it answer a little confusing and would want to be on the safe side of caution so would postpone my visit.

[mhos61 in reply to Wyebird]

It can be complex to understand.

The shingles vaccine is given to prevent the ‘reactivation’ of the chickenpox virus which lays dormant in the body after a chickenpox infection. This ‘reactivation’ presents as shingles and is more likely to develop in the immunocompromised and elderly, hence why this group is targeted for vaccine.

For people who have never had chickenpox they are vulnerable to getting chickenpox from someone with shingles as they have never been exposed.

Preventing the spread of shingles

“You can’t give shingles to other people. But, other people can catch chickenpox from you if they haven’t had it before

If you have shingles, you’re contagious until the last blister has dried and scabbed over”

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j...

[CraftySpider]

when my sister-in-law had shingles and I was on HU, my haematologist very strongly advised me to cancel her visit.

[katiewalsh]

I have two friends who had shingles & now have permanent & extremely painful neuropathy as a result. I wouldn’t risk it. Katie