Shingles and chickenpox

[Alexandra1979]

When I was a child I never had chicken pox but had shingles instead (which is rare), can I now get chicken pox (was wondering since I've been near a child with chickenpox, but shingles is from the same virus so can I get it?)

I had shingles when I was a child, but not chickenpox (which is very rare, I know), can I get chickenpox now after being around a child with chickenpox? Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus btw

No you won’t get chicken pox again. (Well you can but it’s very rare) Shingles however you may as it’s a virus that comes up when you are run down if you are already prone to it (like a cold sore). I’m guessing you did have chicken pox as a child though as you can’t get shingles unless you’ve had chicken pox.

(afaik) Maybe the symptoms were so mild that no one noticed, but you had CP. A person must have CP before they can get Shingles.

Being exposed to CP is thought to prevent some cases of Shingles; the exposure reminds your body to make antibodies against that virus. You can't get CP again but you could get Shingles if your immune system gets run down.

You must have had chicken pox as you can't get shingles without having chicken pox first. It is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus.

Thanks for replying, So technically should I not get CP now?

It is possible to get chicken pox more than once. I don’t know how having shingles will impact on that.

Also it's really weird because I've read that u can't get shingles before chickenpox, but my GP told me that I had shingles

Also thank you for replying :)

I've had chicken pox, shingles and chicken pox again. I'm a medical marvel.

I'll keep you updated if you're not the only one 😂

I agree with other posters that perhaps you had chicken pox beforehand without knowing. DS1 and I had it a few years ago and we only got about 4 or 5 spots each. DS2 got it a week or 2 later and he was like a map of the night sky!

My youngest had shingles without having ever displayed any symptoms chicken pox. His 2 older brothers both had CP the same month when he was 4 months old. I was watching him like a hawk but he was fine, although obviously heavily exposed. Which is why he was able to develop shingles a year later I suppose. Luckily it was very mild.

Maybe I had it before hand without anyone realising? When I had 'shingles' I had a few blistered spots on my side and that was it, but my doctor put me on like 4 different medications a day for 2 weeks

Update: I've got chicken pox and they're quite bad 😂😩 felt absolutely awful for the first 4 days and had a constant temperature