Chickenpox

[Patsy33]

There seems to be a lot of cases of chickenpox at the moment.
My little Grandson came out in a few spots yesterday and feels quite poorly on and off. We just bought some calomine lotion for him. The play grouo he goes to have had several children off with it. I always get confused as to whether you can get shingles from chickenpox or the other way round. Ive had shingles twice. My husband cant remember having chickenpox. We look after him 3/4 days a week. So just wondering..

[goodgoalie]

I well remember calamine lotion. After my mum died, I found a little notebook I'd never seen in which she'd written down the diseases I and my brother and sister had had as children. As well as my siblings' scarlet fever (rarely seen now) I was surprised to see that when I was six I had chicken pox, measles and German measles all in the same year - my poor mother must have been beside herself!

[Patsy33]

It all came at once for you! Yes poor Mother. :-)
Apparently, a lot of places have run out of Calamine lotion. Lots got Chickenpox ...

[bednobs]

you cant get shingles from chicken pox. You husband probably HAS has CP, but just doesnt remember

[Peter Pedant]

chickenpox is the things you get from people

Shingles is in you after Chickenpox

Highly infectious - we had student go down with it from the professor who had visited that week end his niece who had chickpox....

[aelmpvw]

i thought children were vaccinated against chickenpox?

[bednobs]

not routinely

[Prudie]

It's not been around that long and is not that popular so not a standard vaccine.

[anneasquith]

Lovely story GG .

[Patsy33]

Thanks for replies. I remember the first time I got shingles, I was 30. My doctor asked if I'd been around anyone with chickenpox. He got that wrong..

[dannyk13]

Chickenpox and shingles:-
Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in their body. The virus can reactivate later, causing shingles. Most people who develop shingles have only one episode during their lifetime

[davebro]

Off topic - if you had smallpox vaccine (say) 30 years ago will you now have immunity from monkey pox?

[dannyk13]

Dave:-
//Because monkeypox virus is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can protect people from getting monkeypox.//

[davebro]

lifelong?

[dannyk13]

Dave, apparently not:-
//Smallpox vaccination provides full immunity for 3 to 5 years and decreasing immunity thereafter.//

[david small]

I have had shingles twice. The last one is disappearing as I write.
First time quite painful, chest and face. This time not very inconvenient, shoulder, and back. Not bothered.

[dannyk13]

Had it only once and that was enough for me. I had around my waist and it was painful.

[Patsy33]

Thanks for link Danny.
The first time I had shingles, I didn't suffer any nerve pain. (Had them on top inner thigh) Second time, about 6 years ago, I had it around side of chest & back. Very painful for at least 2 months.

[andres]

Had shingles about 70 years ago when the only relief was obtained from calamine lotion. Across chest , under my arm and across my shoulder blades. The nerve pain was horrendous. Every little noise made me scream in agony. Large blisters often burst and being under my arm stuck together. Nerve pains in that area happened occasionally for months afterwards.

[melv16]

I got chicken pox at 28. Spots were everywhere and I was bed ridden for over a week..spotted dick anyone?:-)

[Patsy33]

Oh Andres, you poor soul. Awful, awful pain.. have you had the Shingles vaccine?