Woke up with SHINGLES down the side of my face. No,no,no. Please help with experience, advice, consolation

[worriermum]

And now my friend has just phoned to say she doesn't want DS at playgroup tomorrow in case he infects her baby, even though DS has already had chicken pox and - surely - can in no way be infectious if his MUM has shingles??? Does my poor son have to go into quarantine for half-term because I have shingles???

I'm also worried because it's v close to my eye.

Please MN, share your experience or just cheer up a very glum and itchy Worriermum

[Spidermama]

Sorry to hear this. How awful for you. I don't really know what the chances are of your ds being infectious but it sounds very unlikely.

I don't know if shingles is contagious but I was under the impression that it's the chicken pox virus which is already in you and comes back to get you again.

Someone with more trustworth info will be along soon I hope.

I have to say though I think there's a lot of unecessary hysteria which means kids have to be quarantined for no good reason.

[DraculaNeedsArteries]

Shingles is far less congagious than chicken pox.

Whereas Chicken pox can be spread by coughing and sneezing (and he could be infectious if you had chicken pox), Shingles can only be spread by direct contact with the rash and only to people that have never had chicken pox. Because your DS has had chicken pox he won't be incubating it, therefore he dpes not ne to be in quarantine.

You could go to playgroup and as long as no0-one touched your rash there would be zero risk of infection.

[worriermum]

Thanks Spidermama. People do go bananas where their children are concerned, don't they? I s'pose we're all guilty of it but there should at least be SOME science .

[nickytwoooohtimes]

No need to quarantine your child afaik.
I had shingles twice. Get some Acyclovir (sp) from your GP..It reduces teh duration and the pain and is well worth taking. It's an anti viral. You will still be poorly for a few weeks, then maybe a bit tired. First time I had it it was sore and I was fluey, but then fine after about 10 days. The second time was worse, but I was under a lot of stress. I also know pweople who have (stupidly) carried on to work with shingles - not a good idea! Get some rest if yo ucan and demand tlc!

[DraculaNeedsArteries]

Oh and I am sorry I cannot help re eye...strange place to get shingles though; it normally affects the trunk because of teh nerve bands.

[Flossish]

Also how old is her baby? How rude of her TBH - you're feeling rubbish and could do with a break!

[nickytwoooohtimes]

Tis fairly common round the eye area too.

[worriermum]

Dracula I wouldn't even go - someone else would collect him. So there is no chance at all that he could be incubating anything? Just want to be sure because I would feel dreadful if anything was passed on to the baby.

[TheCheeseAlarm]

My dad has just had shingles in the same place, and in a rare complication it has attacked his retina. Do go to the doctors to get the anti-viral drugs - they really have helped him. If they had realised he had shingles earlier (it was spotless for a while and he is recovering from a stroke), he would have had the anti-viral drugs earlier and the damage to his eye would not have been so severe.

[worriermum]

Nickytwoooooo when your shingles recurred did it recur in the same place on your body? And do you have any scarring from the shingles? Thanks for the advice about resting: I feel wierd and tired have been wondering how much to give in to it.

And Flossish tis true...I was really hoping for the break tomorrow. But her baby is only 8 months so I do understand her concern about the pox.

[worriermum]

Cheese, thank you, I have seen the gp and am swallowing vast quantities of that anti-viral medicine. Can I ask, was your dad's eye saw when the infection got into his eye? I am worried about getting an eye infection with no symptoms

[worriermum]

sorry, that's SORE not saw

[TheCheeseAlarm]

Yes, his eye was very painful, red and swollen and his vision deteriorated dramatically. Glad you're getting the drugs.

[worriermum]

bumping in the hope of hearing from more people who have had or know about shingles

[clayrethechildslayre]

my dd had shingles last year, its a viral, run down thing, the only way someone can catch chicken pox form it is if they havent had chicken pox and touch the burst shingles, the risk is really tiny, my dd still has scarring on her back but fingers crossed no more shingles, and the nti virals made her halucinate.

[Jennster]

Do you really want to know what happened to my dh when he got it in his eye and ear? He didn't get the anti-virals soon enough though having seen the GP twice and an eye consultant who said it's a virus use lubricating eye drops. Rant over.

Sounds like you've got to it early. Hope you feel better soon and recover much much faster than my dh.....

[nickytwoooohtimes]

Sorry worrier, had to go off to RL - bummer.
No, I had shingles in 2 totally different palces, first on my back then a few years later I had it under my nork. I have no scaring I am happy to say. The scaring went after about a year.

[nickytwoooohtimes]

and when i say scaring, more like slight redness, tbh.

[worriermum]

I also had to dispense with some rl duties Nickyt...very irritating when rl intrudes on MN'ing, I agree. But I am relieved to hear that your scarring was minimal - as it's on my face, I'm a bit concerned about that.

Jennster, dont blame you for ranting over that treatment. And from an eye specialist! Hope he's ok

[nickytwoooohtimes]

The Acyclovir helps a lot, I believe.
My friend had shingles on her neck at the front and has no visible marks now at all, even when she is tanned in teh summer.

Btw am just running myself a bath and whist collecting my things I remembered that my Gp said that although shingles isn't very infectious, it is best to not share towels when you have it. Not that us proper ladies would ever share towels, lol!

[nickytwoooohtimes]

The Acyclovir helps a lot, I believe.
My friend had shingles on her neck at the front and has no visible marks now at all, even when she is tanned in teh summer.

Btw am just running myself a bath and whist collecting my things I remembered that my Gp said that although shingles isn't very infectious, it is best to not share towels when you have it. Not that us proper ladies would ever share towels, lol!

[Jennster]

Dh had it very badly and didn't scar on his face. He looked like he had been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and couldn't open his eye for nearly a month but no scarring. He didn't get the aciclovir early enough though and has slightly damaged eyesight but don't worry.