Help advice dd with shingles

[fidelma]

My dd 11 has shingles in her head.dh has had it not long ago (he has had it a few times) I am guessing they got it from our dc4 who is 2.I think he had chicken pox but with only 4 spots......

What should I be doing to help her?
What should she not be doing eg. she swims for a swimming team 5 x per week,plays lots of hockey and of course goes to school.She is off for the next 10 days as our half term is just starting.

Any advice/experience greatly recieved.

I think she has had it for a couple of weeks but she just said that she thought she had a midgie bite!she has been more lethargic and cold like.Luckily she hasn't been swimming much as it has been half term.

We haven't seen the Dr as we only worked it out tonight but it is shingles.

[KurriKurri]

Well if you have shingles, you can give someone chickenpox if they haven't had it (not the other way round, - she won't have caught it from your DS's chicken pox).

So if she still has blister then its possible she could pass it on. After two weeks she's probably getting past the really infectious stage, and if she has the next ten days off she'll probably be well over that stage when its time to go back to school.

I think its probably too late to get anti virals if she's had it for a while. The main thing if you have it on your head (and I had mine on the head) is to be alert to it round your eyes, in those circs I would consult a doctor, or if she complains of any visual disturbance. If spots go to the end of the nose, it means they have travelled through the optic nerve and could cause damage. (not trying to scare you, this probably won't happen, but better to be aware of it than not )

Other than than, give her pain killers, I found a cold damp flannel on the head eased it a bit, and a fan on at bedtime - it seems much worse if you get too hot. She might well have a temp. and feel off colour for a while, so rest and recuperation over half term Hope she's better soon.

[fidelma]

Thanks Kurri I have just googled it and scared myself!

She seems young to have it.

[timidviper]

I wonder if you might have misdiagnosed this as it is unusual in one so young and, as Kurri rightly said, you can catch chickenpox from shingles but not the other way around.

[Seona1973]

not too young to have it as ds had it at the age of 3. He had chicken pox at 5 1/2 months though which makes it more likely to get childhood shingles. You can get chicken pox from shingles but not the other way round - the CP is passed on through direct contact with the fluid from the shingles blisters so not as easy to pass on as chicken pox would be passed from one to the other.

[Elibean]

No, she's not too young to have it - unusual, but not all that rare. I know two children who have had it (they both had very, very, very mild chickenpox as babies and had incomplete immunity).

I would echo (not for the first time ) Kurri's shingles advice. I also had it on my head, and thought it was midge bites to start with - then shooting pains, and coldy/throaty symptoms, then utter exhaustion. With any luck, she should have it more mildly than an adult - but lots of rest, and it can take a few weeks to fully recover energy levels. Does she have a rash/spots? I would probably take her to the doc, tbh - they might give her antivirals (the kids I know who had shingles were given acyclovir as a precaution, though it was not on their faces).

[fidelma]

She has red sore blisters on her head with shooting pain,quite tierd,achey,sore throat and a bit snotty.Should I get her to the Dr this weekend? having said all this she seems a bit brighter today.

I was just thinking of keeping her quiet over the next few days.Certainly no swimming until she feels better.

[Rikalaily]

Ds had it last year aged 8, the first doc said it wasn't (too young) I knew it was as I'd had it a few years ago so she called the older GP in and he said shingles straight away. You can get it at any age if your immune system is low which allows the CP virus to reactivate in your nervous system, but is unusual in kids.

Antivirals can be prescribed for it but only if it's caught very early on, they will usually only give them within the first few days so it's probably too late. I'd just keep her dosed up with calpol and ibuprofen and if it gets too itchy you can get calamine cream from the chemist and give her an antihistamine to help.

You'll have to keep her confined the same as with CP, until the blisters scab over and stop weeping.

[Elibean]

Yes, sounds a bit late if blisters are already forming/formed. Lots of rest and pain meds as needed then! Hope she's better soon.

[fidelma]

If you have had shingles have you had it again and if so how many times?

[LittleFriendSusan]

How is your DD now fidelma?

Coming to this late so you may not see it, but my DD also had shingles about a month ago. She is 8 :(. Our GP (newly qualified, not that it should matter, but...) said "it was typical shingles distribution but couldn't be as it only occurs in much older people". I pointed out that that's not necessarily true as both I and my younger sister had shingles whilst still at school.

I have had shingles twice, the first time I was about 15 or so? I also had chicken pox twice as a child (v. mild dose the first time). My sister was about 10-11 when she had it. I do wonder if there is some sort of genetic pre-disposition to it?

[fidelma]

lfs My DH gets shingles alot so I do now think that certain people are predisposed to it. She is now well and back to swimming.

I took her to the Dr and he also didn't think it was shingles,too young,on head etc. However I don't believe him I got a second oppinion from a friend who is a GP, he thought it was deffinetly shingles.

I hope she doesn't get it again but based on my dh.I am concerned and not too hopeful.