Lesley-Jean Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I have had chicken pox twice my sister has had it 4 times and shingles once The exception to prove the rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Blue Sky Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Hi how you all feeling today? I can add a bit to this subject as 2 of my children have had shingles (after having chickenpox - it's all true about the herpes virus living on and flaring up again to travel down the nerve, hence the skin eruption) eldest had it at 7 and it made a ring around her chest - it was treated topically, and then poor old 3 year old had it quite recently, lower back and left buttock, and it was treated with Acyclovir in a syrup (Zovirax). As far as I can tell the beginning of an attack starts with extreme burning/itching which lasts for maybe four days and then the "rash" appears - it's like red and inflamed scaly patches which are intensely painful and murder to touch. So maybe just itching wouldn't indicate shingles - it is a burning sensation as well. For both of them Piriton (antihistamine) took the edge off things, but neither could bear clothes while they were suffering. It lasted 2 weeks more or less and I hope and pray they never get it again. The eldest was very stressed at the time about school, and the younger one had a very miserable winter, with virus after virus after virus and I guess his immune system was low. Take good care of yourselves - I hope you haven't got this lurgy! Best wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romany Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Hi Sue (it's been a long time but I think I'm back!) I don't think you can catch shingles, like everyone else said... but you can definitely catch chicken pox from someone with shingles (although it's less contagious than the actual chicken pox itself) Steve (DH) gave Teya (3yr old) chicken pox from his shingles last year and happily she barely noticed she was ill... so hopefully your boys will have it so mildly too?... By the way, everybody I know who's had shingles says it is very painful rather than itchy... so I expect you know by now if you have it or not. If you are still suspecting then you should go to your GP ASAP because the anti-virals only work in the very early stages. Good luck with it all, take care. And let's catch up again at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romany Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 My goodness Heather - I just read your post... that must have been HORRIBLE! I had no idea children could get shingles... your poor darlings, it's so painful! I am also hoping that neither your children, nor anyone else's ever get shingles again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Chicken Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 Hi Romany, good to hear from you again. Bet you've been in Mexico for the winter months??!! Funny, I only thought about you the other day when I had a request from my sister to make 'your' hotslaw for Easter, anyway, as I said, all my visiting has gone out the window - so no hotslaw. I don't think I've got shingles or anything else, just physocamatic I think. The boys (particularly Josh my 2yr old) had a terrible night. I topped him up with everything, Neurofen, Calpol and Piriton, and I resorted to bringing him into bed with me, but nothing worked. I think we had about two hours of broken sleep - yuk. Calamine doesn't seem to do much either. His eyes and bum area seem to be the areas that were disturbing him most last night. Continual tossing and turning, sitting up, lying down and so it went on. We're only on day three at the moment, and I can see LOADS of little red bumps, EVERYWHERE, so I know last night's performance is just the start of things to come - Oh Joy!! Have a good Easter Monday everyone. Beautiful day here. May take the boys out for some fresh air in the country later (no Legoland and parks for us for the next two weeks - boo, hoo, ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Oh Sue,you poor thing! Have they given Josh any sort of antihistemine to take - that is the only thing that helps when Cleo gets an attack (Citirizine I think its called) You do have my sympathy - nothing worse than sick kids & no sleep The Hotslaw sound wonderful - any chance of adding the recipe to the sticky,when you have time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Poor boy! The only thing that worked for me as a child with terrible Chicken Pox spots was calomine lotion and I remember I have never played so much in a luke warm bath in my life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 I've head that a little bicarbonate of soda added to the bathwater can be soothing too. It sounds miserable though, good luck with it Sue, poor children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romany Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Oh Sue, poor you and poor Josh. I have also heard that bicarb helps. Thinking of you as all those new bumps erupt... urgh! We didn't get much sleep last night either... Kira (1) is learning that if she cries enough I will pick her up and bring her into my bed. She never does it during the day for naps when I put her down in her cot. She just likes snuggles in the dark I guess but then none of us slep because she tosses and turns all night!!! Have you got annual Legoland passes? We're thinking of getting them this year (especially as I reckon tiny Teya can still pass for under 3 - as long as she doesn't open her mouth!) I wish I had some divine inspirational advice to give you, so as to take the discomfort away from your boys, but sadly I have none only hope it's fairly short-lived and they make a speedy and relatively scar-free recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymama Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Both my little darlings have come down with chicken pox today!!! Oh joy. So all our Easter plans of visiting relatives, delivering REAL easter eggs and home made cakes etc have been put on the back burner for now. Hey ho!!! HOWEVER, although I have had chicken pox (so has my husband), I am feeling incredible itchy. I know you can't get chicken pox twice, so could it be shingles????? Anyone medical out there? Maybe its just physcosamatic (forgive spelling, I've had a couple of goblets of wine!) I had chicken pox (with visits from all the local children) when I was 7, and then I had it very very badly when I was 31. Don't be kidded, you can get it twice, I am the living (and scarred) proof of it! Shingles is the latent chickenpox virus expressing itself - and usually it's when you're low with stress or been ill for a while. A rash develops around the waist/chest, unusually in worst cases it goes all the way round. My friend gets it in the eyes. Not nice. She's learned not to worry about things so much, and doesn't get it so much. She finds it very painful, rather than itchy. Antihistamines absolutely the best - you get inflammation and they reduce the histamine reaction to it, which is the itching. She takes a piriton almost every night now if she sees stress (delinquent step daughter) coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
