Chickenpox!

[Griggser]

On my way to visit my grandchildren and have just been told they possibly have chickenpox! Now I had chickenpox as a child but wondered is it safe to be in contact with them whilst I’m on steroids. I have googled it but still unclear. Due to arrive with them tomorrow afternoon.

[Mitziecat]

Hi Griggser

My granddaughter had chickenpox earlier in the year and I have also had chickenpox in the past. To be on the safe side I chose not to have close contact as I was worried about the implications if I was unlucky enough to get it again or shingles. Told it was unlikely but chose to play it safe until she had gone past the infectious stage.

[HeronNS]

I don't think you would get shingles, that comes from your own system when you already harbour the virus. But it's not unheard of for people to have chicken pox more than once, although very rare.

[Rimmy]

Hi Griggser

It seems so 'undignified' to have to get chickenpox as a mature adult - especially when I recall our child faces smothered in calamine - we all looked like 'ghosts' !! I'm not sure it's a great idea to see your grandies unless they have already had the bug or WANT it !! ?? It's bad luck for you so hope it isn't too unpleasant on top of the other stuff.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

Rimmy

[Dream21]

My daughter was immunized for the chicken pox, but still got them. It was a less severe case, but the immunity did not protect her. Remember your immune system is weakened. I hope you can make a decision you are at peace with.

[piglette in reply to Dream21]

I believe around 2% still get chicken pox after being vaccinated but it is supposed to be a milder form with fewer spots.

[Hidden]

Oh that’s a bit of a blow! I’ve sent you an NHS link

nhs.uk/conditions/chickenpox/

I’ve had Chicken Pox as an adult & it was particularly bad 😱

The Coffee Club Girls & l were in M&S when a child with Chicken Pox arrived at the next table, you’ve never seen such a quick reaction from ladies who have assorted bad knees, hips, PMR etc; we repositioned ourselves in a different area of the Cafe!.......

It’s a big decision especially where Grandchildren are involved, Good Luck🍀your decision.

Mrs N 💅🏼

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

What was the adult with the child thinking!?

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

Who knows? But can you just imagine us all getting up Coffee cups in hand, coats, bags etc it must have looked so funny! 😂

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I can. Could have been a scene from a sitcom!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

The mind boggles! Especially these days when it is now known how dangerous it is for the foetus if a pregnant woman catches CP. I deliberately exposed my daughter to CP one summer some 35 years ago - and we went out with the CP-child. Then we were innocents. But it was only then I discovered neither my brother nor my MIL had had CP and we were also visiting them by the time she got spotty. My brother didn't catch it from her - but from a colleague several years later! I wouldn't do it now - you have no idea who you will meet.

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

Oddly enough my older son had chicken pox at a time he and his younger brother were still bathing together. Younger boy didn't catch it then, nor did older sister, nor I. Older sister came down with it years later when she was in her mid-teens. She was fairly uncomfortable until we discovered a potion made by a local person, contained st johns wort among other ingredients if I remember correctly and my daughter always said afterwards that this worked much better than anything we'd got from the drugstore. She recovered quite quickly.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

While visiting MIL the other lot of cousins were across the road at their family. One of the almost teenage girls had had CP, the other hadn't despite having been exposed to it repeatedly so her mother, a nurse, assumed she was immune. Our daughter was over it in time to go back to KG when we got home - but the big cousin came out in spots just in time for school! I felt so guilty - but they were fine about it!

I used homeopathic rhus tox - worked like a dream, no itches at all. Despite my MIL repeatedly asking if it itched...

[Telian in reply to HeronNS]

Exactly, I once was sent home from work because I shared that my son had chicken Pox, they promptly sent me home as a pregnant worker complained!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Telian]

Er - why didn't they send HER home?

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly, it didn't happen, I was young and didn't speak up for myself then, made up since though!

[Rimmy]

Ha ha !! - misty eyed this morning I thought I read YOU had the chickenpox - better them actually as it wouldn't have been a 'good look' !!

[Neverending63]

My grand daughter had chicken pox recently and I decided it would be best not to see her until the spots had scabbed over. However I also take meds for RD so my immune system is even more compromised than if I was just on the steroids. It was not a risk I wanted to take even more so as I was booked to have an op a couple of weeks later.

It’s a case of does the the risk outweigh the benefits or visa versa. Hard decision.

[Hindags]

What dose of Pred are you on? When I got down to 7 or so my rheumy was much less worried about compromised immunity.

[Griggser in reply to Hindags]

Currently on 15mg

[Hidden]

I would sadly give it amiss. No point taking risk and regretting it. Hopefully there will be other chances

[Constance13]

A very difficult decision! But, a friend of mine got really bad shingles when she visited her grandchildren a couple of years ago. She was in dreadful pain.

Don’t mean to frighten you, but I would at least have a talk with your doctor before you make any decision at all.

[Primarose in reply to Constance13]

They tell you that you can not get Shingles from someone who has Chickenpox but someone who have never had Chicken Pox can get it from someone who has Shingles.

I caught Shingles within a week after visiting a neighbour who was looking after her grand children, both had Chicken Pox. I had it over the forehead near the eyes, the head pain I got was similar to the GCA head pain.

Maybe a coincidence but I'm not convinced.

I agree with your advice about avoiding contact.

[HeronNS in reply to Primarose]

Thank you for this info. It makes me feel more justified in my aversion to being around people with any manifestation of the varicella zoster virus!

[Griggser]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I’ve now spoken to my GP and his advice is to carry on with the visit 😃. As I have had chickenpox as a child and been exposed numerous times, my own children having had it etc, it is extremely unlikely I would catch it. I think cuddles might have to take a back seat, really hard with a 2 year old and a 10 month old cuties.

[Constance13 in reply to Griggser]

Enjoy!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The warnings are for people who have never had CP. If you have had CP it is unlikely you will get it again and while you might develop shingles, that can happen without any contact at all, you can't CATCH shingles, it is a reactivation of dormant virus in the nerve endings in the body. No-one knows why it happens and for some people it never does. Theoretically someone can catch CP from someone with shingles - but they would have to get up close and personal and be in contact with the fluid in the rash since the patient doesn't shed the virus by sneezing/coughing as happens in CP. There are no records of such cases.

When did the children's rash appear? The most infectious period is the 24 hours BEFORE the first blister shows up. Once all the blisters are scabbed over then they are no longer infectious.

[Griggser in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro that all makes perfect sense. Not sure when the rash first appeared, probably in the last couple of days.

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

While we're talking about shingles, what advice would you give for getting the shingles jab? I'm understanding 'we' shouldn't have it! Oh has been invited for one but he doesn't have an AI, everything else though....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Telian]

I wouldn't get the first one - there is a thread about it:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

As for the new one - I would want to wait until there is considerably more info about it. There is a post, on the LupusUK forum, that suggests that it is so effective that it may have an adverse effect on the immune systems of patients with some autoimmune diseases.

healthunlocked.com/lupusuk/...

As I said there - what about other illnesses with deranged immune systems?

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks, I'll have a read when I get back after docs appt.

[arthur463]

My understanding is that whilst you are on steroids you should avoid all infectious people if possible, since they knock your immune system down. Especially though, According to "Them that know" you MUST avoid chickenpox and shingles. I don't know why it applies to shingles, since this is a re-visitation of the chickenpox that you once had - as I understand it.

Stay away and send your grandchildren a nice note.