Chicken pox and prednisone

Hi, you say you caught it early, does that mean there is medication for ?

 

My doc, recommended it, so after I had the shingles I did get the shot, but I did wait for over 12 months as recommended.

Addendum: When the virus in your nerves reactivates, you get shingles.

thats how I believe it to work too, I was told by a pharmacist many moons ago when our children had chicken pox and my mother in law was on chemo.

i wondered if the pred could lower the immunity that I had built up from already having chicken pox?

i will ring the doctors as soon as there open but I don't think they are always that clued up on these matters.

There seems to be some confusing advice here. The bottom line is that you should ring your GP ASAP for official advice. If your GP does not know the answer then they can contact the local microbiologist or the Health Protection Agency for advice. 

You would not be eligible for the Zoster (Zostervax) vaccine which is given to old people in the UK to help prevent shingles , but you might be needing ZIG.

ZIG is zoster immunoglobulin which is actually antibodies against chicken pox which is available in the UK via your GP/HPA. Even if you should normally have immunity from having chicken pox as a child , the use of high dose steroids can knock that immunity down. See the excerpt below:

Immunocompromised patients, who have had exposure to the varicella-zoster virus, including:

Varicella-zoster immunoglobulin is used to prevent chickenpox in those patients who have no immunity to the virus and who are at risk for severe complications of chickenpox. It should be administered as soon as possible, but not more than 96 hours after exposure.

Patients currently being treated with chemotherapy or generalised radiotherapy or within 6 months of terminating such therapy.

Patients who have received high dose steroids in the preceding 3 months

Symptomatic HIV-positive patients who have no history of chickenpox

Patients who have received an organ transplant and are currently on immunosuppressive treatment.

let us know how you get on with contacting your GP.

Thanks so much, looking at your information I'm over the 96 hous exposure so wouldn't get the ZIG.

my daughter seemed to think her daughter would have been contagious at the time I saw her which was a week ago Sunday, but I reckon that she's mixed up the incubation period with that.

I've just looked on the NHS site and it says a couple of days before the rash and until all the spots have scabbed over, if that's correct I think I'm safe.

i also believe I've have had chicken pox twice.

I think she has too - they are most infectious for the 24 hours BEFORE the first pock appears and then until the last pock is crusted over. She wouldn't have been infectious 10 days ago. 

The bit about pred compromising immunity applies for high dose pred - that means over 20mg/day. Since you are at 7mg it shouldn't be a problem anyway. 

The advice is aimed at "the world" - our generation almost all had chickenpox but in recent years it is less and less common for children to catch chickenpox and the vaccine isn't used everywhere so it is in case you haven't had it and don't know whether you had it or not. 

It has been mentioned already - but even at low pred doses do not accept any offer from the GP to have the shingles vaccine! It is a no-no!

Thank you I have taken heed of your advice

Hi Eileen, have very bad tooth absess and have felt really ill, hope to have tooth removed tomorrow if anti biotics have worked well enough, but my problem was went to doctor today as still felt so unwell and have not wanted to eat, this has been a big problem to me for the past 2 years !! Dr said he was quite baffled regarding food, when I got home my husband said he watched a program about a girl with Limes Disease and anerexia was a big problem together with joints etc, my husband remembered about 2 years ago removing a tick from my tummy, do you think they could have misdiagnosed me?

In some countries I think Lymes would be something that should be ruled out and apparently it is now widespread in the UK too. You didn't notice if you developed a rash around where the tick was do you? It would have appeared anything from a few days to a month after the tick bite.

https://patient.info/health/lyme-disease-leaflet

If your GP is baffled by your anorexia, then with the history of a tick bite it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask if he would test you for Lymes Disease. It is a 2-part test - and since you possibly have an autoimmune disorder they would need to do both parts. I think you should discuss it with him, tell him to look at labtestsonline lyme lab test for more info.