Chickenpox ....... I am very confused !!!!!!

[mosschops30]

Ds has chickenpox, developed some spots yesterday but is covered in them today. Apart from a tickly cough he seems well, he's not itching and just seems normal, is this right??

Also been looking at NHS website but some od their things seem contradictory, like you cant catch shingles from chickenpox and then in the next sentence 'you can catch shingles as an adult from chickenpox '

Just want to know, if me and dh have had it can we get it again (or get shingles), what should we be doing given that he's not unwell do we just carry on as usual (obviously keeping him home though).

TIA

bump, who is the fountain of knowledge on chickenpox

Ah bless him.... it WAS chicken pox then! You can not catch shingles from your DS. If you have had chicken pox then the virus can lay dorment (sp?) and can resurface as shingles at any time. Usually at times of stress or illness, when your immune system may be slightly compromised, or often in older people. Most people also say you don't get chicken pox more than once but I have heard of some people who have had it twice. So your DS will only give chicken Pox (not anything else) to anyone who hasn't had chicken pox already.

Now if someone has shingles.... then they can give chicken pox to someone who hasn't had chicken pox. So when I had shingles, neither of my DC had chicken pox and they both went on to have it, went down with it same day as they got it from my shingles. Does all this make sense? Probably not .

Also my DD was hardly ill at all when she had it, she went to her Grandparents for the day to give me a break as I was ill and was pretty much OK.

thanks wags that makes perfect sense, unlike the NHS Direct website!! (and Im training to be a nurse so should have a good grasp

Don't know about you, but the more I read the more confused I can get . I was told you can only get shingles once but again have heard of people having it loads of times. My eye specialist said you can get it twice but its highly unlikely (I had it in my eye and face). Mmm, must stop googling!

As I understand it once you get chickenpox you have it for life, your immune system just handles it. As a result shingles can be caused by anything that compromises your immune system, if flares up the herpes virus you have in your system already.

Ergo, chicken pox cannot cause shingles. But it's best to keep those with a low immune system away from it

Munchchops,
Hope ds is spot free soon-just wanted to warn you tho that all 3 of mine were fine for first day or so covered in spots and then all had a good 24 hours of high temp and feeling groggy next day or day after.
Not saying yours will follow this pattern but do get the calpol and calamine in just in case. x