Can you get chicken pox twice?

[kathbuzzing]

My ds age 2 had chicken pox confirmed by a doctor a year ago. he has been exposed to a child with chicken pox recently and now seems to be coming up with what looks really like chicken pox. How can this be? I thought you could only have it once.

You can get it twice if the first dose was very mild.

Hi kathbuzzing, if I remember rightly I have had chickenpox 4 times, the first 3 were very mild, and the last one I had at 15 years old, and that was full blown, I had it in my ears, eyes, in my mouth, it was awfull. But I come from a family of 7 kids, maybe thats way I had it so many times, and the scars I have are even worse.

I had chickenpox five or six times between the ages of 4 and 11, three times it was full blown and everywhere (I too, bear all the scars!)
I don't know how I managed to get it so much, but it's definitely possible!

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my ds has had it twice...but do get the spots checked..I thought he was getting it a third time but it turned out to be the beginning of hand foot and mouth disease.

my gran reckons you can get anything twice, she reckons she had measles six times(!dont know if this is true or not)

I know someone who's had it 3 times. I worry about this as my dd had it when she was 4 but only very mildly (about 6 spots). My other dd caught it off her and was covered. Ds hasn't had it yet.

I had it twice as a child, but very mildly both time. Ds has it ATM - at least I'm sure he has - lots of fluid-filled blistery spots coming up on his back, tummy, bottom and nose. Poor lamb.

Yes, definitely.

Yes, if you had it very mildly the first time round.

I have just heard from a friend that her friends 18 month old little girl died last week from chickenpox, apparently she was taking steroids, which can cause complications. How sad.

Yes, you can have it twice. ds and I have just had it even though I had it as a teenager (only 1 spot then though). Apparently if you have it midly your immunity can wane over time and you can get it again . Hope your little man doesn't suffer too much kathbuzzing.

How awful about your friend's dd alibubbles .

I had it badly the first time and have recently suffered flu like symptons when DS got it. The GP said that it was nothing to worry about just chicken pox without the spots. He also said that there was no need to worry about my being pg as it could not affect the baby and that if you have had it you can not pass it on to anyone else. It seems that everyone gives you a different story!

Interested in that Helsbels because I too am pregnant and have been exposed to both chicken pox and shingles recently. I had chicken pox as a child and have confirmed with my Mum that it was a full-blown case.

I had a single "chickenpock" when I was little, I remember it popping & stinging - but never got them properly until I was at college and they were v v bad. i think I gave my dd1 chickenpox when mine were reactivated into shingles (I had - again - one shingle ) - so I suppose I could get them again too..

this is not a thread I should have read.
so sorry about your friend's child alibubbles - unimaginabley awful.

I've bought this up again for dinosaur, I found it on my history page, hope it helps......

my nearly 18 year old daughter is on her way home from boarding school feeling ill with spots which the school doctor thinks is chicken pox. But she had it so very badly when she was four, in her ears herlungs, she was so ill whereas my other 3 sailed through that she can't have it again surely? Its not shingles. She has A level exams in two weeks. Could it be something similar but not true chickenpox? Is there a definitive blood test?