1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

shingles, chickenpox and PMR

Posted , 8 users are following.

Anhaga
Anhaga

I know this has been discussed a number of times before, but never sure what conclusions are reached.  My son, whom I see frequently, most recently on Sunday, tells me that he may have had chickenpox as a child after all, as his doctor has tentatively diagnosed him with shingles.  Although it might be a really bad case of contact dermatitis. rolleyes   Test results won't be available for a few days so he's being treated as though he has shingles just in case.  What should I be aware of?  I don't think I've ever had chickenpox, although if son had it, maybe I too have had a subclinical case.  Both other kids had chickenpox, years apart, so we were apparently not a very vulnerable clan.   

0 likes, 41 replies

41 Replies

Prev Next
  • nick67069
    nick67069 Anhaga

    Posted

    Chickenpox are very contagious, so I would be surprised that your kids had it and you did not get infected, unless you had it as a child. So my best guess would be that you had chickenpox as a child yourself. 

    As far as chickenpox vaccine, it is made from live but weakened virus and is not recommended for person with PMR and on pred.

  • denisep911
    denisep911 Anhaga

    Posted

    I've had shingles 3 times and luckily it must have been mild cases.  I know the vaccine only works for 60 percent of those who receive it. So I figured the way my odds have been I decided not to get it. 😏

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee denisep911

      Posted

      I too have had shingles and when I asked my pharmacist about the shot she said it doesn't work on people that have already the shingles. It will help with the pain if you get it again but it won't keep you from getting it.

  • EileenH
    EileenH Anhaga

    Posted

    The line is:

    Keep a close eye out for any symptoms and at the first suggestion of trouble go straight to the doctor and ask for antiviral medication. There is no point in taking it in advance (i.e. prophylactically). It doesn't work until the virus is active but then should shorten the course of the illness and make the symptoms less troublesome. Maybe your doctor would give you a prescription to get the drug if you need it - these things tend to happen at the weekend!

    When did your son's symptoms appear? Is it a blister type rash? In shingles it is the fluid in the blisters which carries the virus - and apparently, I'm told, it is VERY unusual/difficult to catch CP from someone with shingles although theoretically it is possible. And, of course, you can't catch shingles from shingles. If the rash was not present on Sunday or was well covered with his sleeve for example, I doubt you have much to worry about. CP is a bit different as they are most infectious in the 24 hours BEFORE the rash starts to appear and the virus is also spread by sneezing. You are now on a pretty low dose of pred - you sholdn't have to worry too much about suppressed immune system I'd have thought.

    There is a test to see if you have CP antibodies but I don't know how long it takes. It is often sent off to a specialist lab - so that adds to the time. 

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga EileenH

      Posted

      Thank you.  As you say, often on the weekend!  And we have the Labour Day weekend coming up which is really why I thought maybe I should do something now.  But have decided to wait and see.  It seems so unlikely that it is shingles, although the symptoms certainly match.
  • Elijo
    Elijo Anhaga

    Posted

    I've been told not to get the shingles vaccination when you have PMR, mainly I suppose due to your depressed immune system.  I hop;e all goes well!    Elinor

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Elijo

      Posted

      I was thinking more about whether I was a candidate for the chickenpox vaccine!

       

    • Elijo
      Elijo Anhaga

      Posted

      I do not think it would be recommended when you have PMR.?.?
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Elijo

      Posted

      Have decided to stop freaking out about this and let things unfold.  It's more than likely a false alarm.  Son is rather young for shingles, given our family resistance to the virus it seems unlikely he'd succumb to it in this way and the doctor wasn't sure anyway.  Pictures on the internet show shingles in early stages looking nearly identical to rashes caused by poisonous plants!  That being said, I think I'd rather have a CP shot if I'm not immune, than fullblown CP at my age, which could be lethal.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Elijo

      Posted

      Live vaccines are not recommended when you are on pred - don't think PMR would make any difference. However, a study about the shingles vaccine says that there isn't a problem for lower doses of pred - and by that I think they meant under 10mg and it may have been higher. Needless to say - I can't find the study...

    • donna60512
      donna60512 EileenH

      Posted

      It is now flu vaccine time, since they do not use a live vaccine for this, I think it should be safe.  Since our immune systems are not quite what they should be due to the prednisone, seems a good idea to be vaccinated.  I have always gotten the flu vaccine, so will talk to the pharmacist.  Any thoughts on this?
    • EileenH
      EileenH donna60512

      Posted

      I've had the flu vaccine every year since I've lived here in Italy - I wasn't considered to qualify in the UK! No problems at all. My husband had bronchitis one year when it was due and forgot to go to get it later. He caught flu, spent the best part of 2 weeks in bed and totally miserable and ended up developing pneumonia which took about 6 months to clear. Needless to say - he hasn't forgotten since!

    • donna60512
      donna60512 EileenH

      Posted

      Thank you so much.  Yes, I have gotten the flu vaccine for more years than I can even remember.  When I was teaching, the school district for which I worked highly recommended and paid for all of us to get the vaccine.  When I called my pharmacy yesterday to see if my methotrexate was ready for pickup, I got the reminder that it was flu vaccine time.  When I pick up my prescription, I will get the vaccine.  Thanks, Eileen.  I did not know you lived in Italy, I thought you were in the UK.  Are you anywhere near the earthquake site?  Such a tragedy.  I love Italy, the landscape, the people, and of course, the food.  
    • EileenH
      EileenH donna60512

      Posted

      We're about 400+ miles from the epicentre - apparently 5 people called the police as the tremors were just felt a bit south of us. I was in hospital 4 and a half years ago when there were a few tremors here in the north - my bed on the 4th floor vibrated immpressively! Our local fire services have travelled down to give assistance - they always do. Here is a rich region with far fewer old houses so it is likely there would be far less damage here. Assisi, L'Aquila and now this one are up in the mountains and relatively poor areas - they have all been very desructive quakes. I've been to Assisi since it was rebuilt - it is a very strange feeling walking around a brand new medieval village. But Assisi was rich because of the pilgramage business (for want of a better word). We had colleagues involved in the L'Aquila quake who lost a lot of their students as university buildlings were involved - they were in Rome at the time. It is now 7 years ago and the quake last week was almost identical and only about 30 miles away. L'Aquila is still in much the same state it was then - Amatrice will be the same no doubt but the numbers are very different: 70,000 in L'Aquila, 2,500 in Amatrice. But it will happen to other villages, no doubt of that.

    • karenjaninaz
      karenjaninaz donna60512

      Posted

      Donna, I asked my rheum about the flu vaccine yesterday. He recommends getting it in the beginning of Nov because it lasts around 6 mos. He said my immune response would be lowered because of pred but it still would help protect me. I also have Tamiflu in house if I come down with it. It has a 5 year shelf life.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga karenjaninaz

      Posted

      Last year's flu shot was considered only 20% effective.  Do you think they'll roll the dice a bit more accurately this year?

       

    • donna60512
      donna60512 karenjaninaz

      Posted

      Thank you so much, that makes sense to hold off on the vaccine until November.  Thank you so much!!!
    • donna60512
      donna60512 Anhaga

      Posted

      I was thinking the same thing.  I haven't heard yet of the effectiveness.  Hope it is a better match.  

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga donna60512

      Posted

      They won't know for sure until flu season is underway.  I only ever had one flu shot, the year we were all told to get it so that we would protect the young people.  A couple of young people in our general neck of the woods, college or high school age I think, did die.  Vaccination program must have been effective because the epidemic fizzled.  I'm not entirely sure that my life is worth preserving, so don't bother for myself.  

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee Anhaga

      Posted

      Shingles has no age group. I had my case of shingles in 5th grade.
    • donna60512
      donna60512 EileenH

      Posted

      I am so glad that you are in an area that is safe.  Seeing the small village on TV is just so heartbreaking.  I cannot even begin to imagine how the towns people feel losing so many of their own.  Since I live in California, I have been through a lot of earthquakes in my lifetime, a couple really super big ones, but our building code is so very strict and our buildings so much newer that I have not seen this kind of devastation.  The last time I was in Assisi was in November 2005, almost 11 years ago.  I can imagine that "new" would seems strange.  I love Italy, well, I also love France, and all of the Briish Isles.  Don't know when I will be back.  My last trip was to France last summer to visit friends.  Have a good day, late evening, night for you now.  

    • donna60512
      donna60512 Anhaga

      Posted

      I am sure your family feels a bit different about preserving your life.  I will be getting mine this year, I'm not a gambler.  :-)

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH amkoffee

      Posted

      Thought so - but didn't want to say without being sure. If you've had CP you can develop shingles...

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.