contact with chicken pox

[Mozart150]

Hi all

One of our grandchildren has chicken pox. It is not completely clear for how long as spots came gradually but he could have been infectious when we stayed there last Thursday/ Friday. I'm on a JAK Baricitinib and my husband on Imraldi. We have both had chicken pox. However, being immunosuppressed checked on google and nearly scared the life out of myself! Only just recently been better at managing anxiety. I tried to be logical and phoned rheumy helpline (voice message on there says anything urgent call GP- rheumy will get back within two days). Spoke to nurse practitioner at the GP surgery who said they sometimes give prophylactic antivirals but need to talk to rheumy and suggested leaving another message which I did. My husband's injection was due today and suggested he postpone it until we have spoken to rheumy. I have carried on taking Baricitinib as was told only to stop it if ill with temperature or had an operation etc at last consultant appointment. Has anyone had any experience/knowledge ? Thank you. Hopefully will hear back from rheumy Monday!

[KittyJ]

I had contact with children that later came out in chicken pox and was told to contact my GP if I started getting symptoms and they could then give me treatment. This was a couple of years ago. I didn’t catch anything but then I’ve already had chicken pox.

[Mozart150 in reply to KittyJ]

thank you xx

[helixhelix]

If you know you have antibodies from having had chicken pox then there should be no problem. Avoid contact with any pustules, and of course should it happen, at the first sign head straight to your doctor for an anti-viral shot.

[Mozart150 in reply to helixhelix]

Thank you. I don’t know if I have antibodies but did have chicken pox as an adult -I caught it from my own children when they were little -so would hope that I have antibodies. Will post on here when rheumy get back xx

[bpeal1]

When my children had chickenpox I was told by rheumatology team not to worry as I’d already had it. They said to just be vigilant and if in the extremely unlikely event I did develop it to contact my GP and request antivirals.

[Lupusrelative]

you may not get chicken pox but you could get shingles which is the same virus. Very painful, please take care of yourselves.

[bpeal1 in reply to Lupusrelative]

You can’t catch shingles from chickenpox. Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus lying dormant in your body (after you’ve had chickenpox yourself) and then being ‘woken up’ by something like stress or being run down etc. it’s not triggered by contact with chickenpox.

[bpeal1 in reply to bpeal1]

See the NHS website for more information (near the bottom of the page, just above the bit about vaccination). nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/

[Lupusrelative in reply to bpeal1]

My apologies

[bpeal1 in reply to Lupusrelative]

No need to apologise. It’s a widely held misconception.

[Jackie1947]

I've had chicken box 3 times from very young up to teens. I would have rung 111 for a clinicians advice as a starting point.

[Happychicken]

Hi Mozart

From experience, usually prior to starting on immunosuppressants, you would have been checked that you have immunity for chicken pox. They have to do this, I think it’s the guidance to check and then vaccinate if no immunity.

Please don’t worry too much for now. If you develop symptoms then seek advice ASAP. Otherwise would wait and speak with team or GP on Monday

Happy chicken 😊

[bpeal1 in reply to Happychicken]

I think it varies depending on where you are. My hospital doesn’t routinely screen for antibodies to chickenpox before starting biologics. When my daughter started biologics I specifically asked for it to be tested as I didn’t know if she’d ever had it, the rheumatologist said they didn’t usually bother but they would as I had asked. (She had not ever had any signs or symptoms of having it but she had been in contact with it so many times I thought she must have some immunity to it).

[ruth_p]

I really wouldn’t worry if you’ve already had it, I work with Reception children and usually get exposed to chickenpox yearly and I’ve never had it again. I had chickenpox as a child and have been teaching for nearly 20 years. If you get any signs that you have caught it then go straight to your GP. 🙂

[marie66]

hi my grandkids came down with the chickenpox. My GP contacted rheumatology who said start antivirals straight away and I was ok. M x

[Leics]

I was in contact with both of my grandchildren as they developed chickenpox last year. It also took a while for their pox to dry up so technically had double exposure. I was absolutely fine didn’t stop meds and didn’t get chickenpox again as I had it when I was a teenager. Obviously we have to go with the advice of our own medics but hopefully you’ll be fine too. I definitely wouldn’t worry about it too much if you’ve already had it yourself.

[Hodc]

I've been told if I'm in contact with anyone with chickenpox, I need to get a blood test at local hospital, to see if I've still got immunity to chickenpox( as immunosuppressants mean we're vulnerable, as we're suppressing our natural defences against the virus). If it had come back no immunity, I would need to have had antivirals. Having had chickenpox is no immunity, because we're suppressing our immune response system.