Years after you have Shingles, can the area become itchy?

[QuootieSpookypie]

I had shingles about 4 or 5 years ago up the back of my head, and recently it has become painful and itchy. I have used T-gel shampoo and DH sees nothing nasty living there, but I have had it maybe a month now. I do have some raised bumps in places that are painful - is it shingles again? Or pain after shingles? Or something else? I did get it after I used freezing cold water to rinse my hair through - would that aggrevate it? Thanks x

Also, after washing my hair and it is wet and abit cold my head is really painful.

I had shingles on my back yonks ago & I can still tell where it was sometimes. I think its because it affects nerve endings in the area (I may be wrong tho !)

I had shingles on my face years ago and if I go out in cold weather my face hurts where they were. I think it's like neuralgia(sp), because they affect your nerves. Freezing water wouldn't help imo

If there are bumps again does it mean it's back? I have a DS now - can he catch chicken pox? What can I do?

You can't catch chicken pox from the shingles. It's when you have had chicken pox and the virus lies dormont(sp) and then you can get the shingles, usually when you're run down or after a shock.

Shingles can cause permanent nerve damage so it is possible that it is not the virus itself that is bothering you now. There is a specific medical term ?? neuralgia but I can't rememebr what the ?? bit is (sorry).

Normally the varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles is reactivated (from previous hibernation having had a chicken pox infection) by shock or extreme stress, or when you are very run down. It mutates into herpes-zoster and you then have shingles. You can have more than one attack, if in doubt go to your GP.

You can catch chicken pox from an active shingles case so it is possible for your ds to contract it. You cannot catch shingles from someone with chicken pox though.

boolepew - sorry but you are incorrect.

You CAN catch chicken pox from shingles.

Oopp, sorry. I read that on The Times health page. Can't believe anything you read these days.

I am positive it is shingles again - do I need to keep DS away from me? He is only 18 months old

Thanks St.George, all seems to tally.

i had herpes/shingles 7 years ago and yes de temps en temps i can feel it again
just 3 weeks ago it recurred in the exac same place

YEP!!!

I tend to itch up when i'm feeling stressed.

Load up on B Vitamins, and chill out!

IMO it is better for a sturdy toddler to catch chicken pox than it is for teeny baby or an adult. Risk of complications is incredibly low at his age unless he has any other risk factors such as immuno-suppression.

Disclaimer - I am NOT medically trained but I have a good knowledge of CP because of multiple infections myself (I am a medical rarity) and also working for a virologist/microbiologist.

oh, ok. So he doesn't need a vaccine or anything? I know I have to stay away from pregnant people, I hope it goes by the time on of meet-up , I am sure there will be loads of pregnant MNers there.

Ask your GP about vaccine if you want. I know it is a big thing in the US but it isn't pushed as much in the UK. Personally I would go down the annoying but natural infection route

Only really a problem in very early (so early, unlikely to even know) or very late pregnancy (ready to drop). Certainly not as much as a problem as measles or rubella for example.