Chicken pox in school!

[Moomin8]

I work in a primary school and it's been confirmed that a child I teach has chicken pox..what to do?

[Hidden]

have you had chicken pox before? What medication are you taking for RA?

[Moomin8 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, when I was a small child- not that I remember. I'm taking mtx, sulfasalazine and prednisolone at the moment.

[Hidden in reply to Moomin8]

It's only an issue if you haven't had it, as far as I know. I've been exposed to it many times and my rheum nurse has always said it's fine. Have you phoned your GP or rheum nurse?

[Moomin8 in reply to Hidden]

I went into my gp today and will hopefully hear soon. I really don't want shingles!

[Hidden in reply to Moomin8]

From the NHS website:

"It's not possible to catch shingles from someone with the condition or from someone with chickenpox.

However, you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you haven't had chickenpox before.

The blisters of shingles contain live virus. If a person who has never had chickenpox makes direct contact with an open blister or something with the fluid on it, they can contract the virus and develop chickenpox."

[Moomin8 in reply to Hidden]

So how does one get shingles?

[helixhelix in reply to Moomin8]

Once you've had chicken pox the virus can stay in your body forever. If something triggers it then it activates as shingles. You can't get shingles if you've never had chicken pox.

[Moomin8 in reply to helixhelix]

So....what can trigger it?

[AgedCrone in reply to Moomin8]

That is what I'd like to know! I woke up one morning with a head & forehead full of spots....first thought was shingles - so shot off to local minor injuries unit who confirmed it.

As far as I know I had not been near anyone with chickenpox or shingles.

Good end to the story...I got anti virals & antibiotics & only felt really bad for a couple of weeks, but it was 6 weeks before the spots disappeared.

There is a trial going on with the shingles vaccine, but you have to be EXACTLY the right age to get it. Otherwise you can get it privately ..........for about £200!

[helixhelix]

You can get chicken pox more than once if you didn't build up antibodies the first time you caught. So keep an eye out and if you have any symptoms at all head straight off to GP for an anti-viral shot. Chicken pox can be nasty in adults, and more so for us.

[Moomin8 in reply to helixhelix]

My gp receptionist said they don't give that in our surgery?

[Hidden in reply to Moomin8]

Do you have a rheum nurse? It'd probably come from the hospital pharmacy.

[Moomin8 in reply to Hidden]

I do - not sure whether to ask- spose they could only say no.

[Hidden in reply to Moomin8]

Unless you show signs, I don't think they'll give you anti-virals, so please try not to worry. I worked with children and got exposed to it multiple times a year. I was fine.

[AgedCrone in reply to helixhelix]

When I was on Mtx I was tested for the anti bodies ...had them & was told I didn't need the vaccine! Wrong! I had shingles earlier this year!

Still can't get the vaccine as I am the wrong age!

[Hidden in reply to AgedCrone]

Yea - That's silly isn't? you can get the disease, but not the vaccine...

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

Apparently there is some sort of trial going on....you have to be between 70 and 80 but you have to work out your exact age to know if you're eligible. And 99% of people don't know about it anyway-I wouldn't have known about it if I haven't read it on this site

[ruth_p]

I also work in a school, teaching reception. I had chicken pox as a child and I haven't caught it from the few times children have had it. Hopefully it should be ok. X

[AllyWelshDragon]

It should be okay but my rheum nurse told me to avoid contact with chickenpox when I started on mtx. But if you do start feeling ill see your GP right away. A course of Zovirax tablets would probably head it off at the pass!

Ally

[moomie]

I looked after a Lady who had shingles a few weeks ago. I take mtx sulpha hydrox and preds. Rang the G.p surgery to check . The G.p said not to worry unless I started to feel ill then to see him straight away.

Did start with a cold a week later but just coincidence .

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Run - I had it at 59 and the ER staff spent more time parading every medical person in the world through my room because none of them had ever seen an adult with CP before. Ha ha - It would have been funnier, but it was probably the most miserable I've been in my life.