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General health

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Original poster

Did you have chickenpox as an adult?

42 replies

citylife11 · 22/02/2022 21:13

And if so, how was it? Pretty rough?

George Ezra has just posted on his social media that he currently has it and I’ve heard it can be very unpleasant in an adult.

I’ve never had it (I am late 20s). I’ve actually had one dose of the chickenpox vaccine (didn’t even know there was a vaccine up until recently), but I found out a few days ago that I was in close contact with a child who came out in spots a few days after seeing them. Just hoping I don’t get it now.

OP posts:

Knittedfairies · 22/02/2022 21:20

I had it as a child, but my husband was in his late 30s before succumbing to chicken pox; it knocked him for six.

Griffo123 · 22/02/2022 21:23

I caught it in my 20s. Boy I was unwell. I itched continuously- had to take several showers a day to relieve the itching. Felt very unwell.

Chesneyhawkes1 · 22/02/2022 21:24

I had it in my 20's. It was awful. I felt so ill

DramaAlpaca · 22/02/2022 21:28

Not me personally, but I have two friends who caught it as adults and both were really quite unwell with it.

Hopefully you'll be OK. It's a long time since my children had it, but if I remember correctly you're infectious a couple of days before the spots appear. So if you saw the child a few days before chances are you'll be OK. Being part vaccinated should help too. Fingers crossed.

Horological · 22/02/2022 21:28

I had it in my 20s and I'm now 60. In the 40 intervening years I have never felt as ill as I did then.

Things that helped: oats in the bath were really soothing for my skin. Apart from that just lying down in a dark room, drinking lots and taking lots of painkillers.

It was awful, but on the positive side it didn't last that long.

ivykaty44 · 22/02/2022 21:31

24, it was nasty and I was pregnant. no one could tell me if it would affect baby, fortunately it didn't

Seeline · 22/02/2022 21:32

I had it at 15, so not actually an adult but much older than most who have it. I felt really ill with it, and had spots everywhere.

autumngold6 · 22/02/2022 21:33

I caught chicken pox as a 29 year old and I was only mildly ill. I felt very tired the day before the spots came out and that was the worst bit really so even if you do catch it you might be fine.

LaMagdalena · 22/02/2022 21:36

I got it last year. Although not pleasant (and I looked pretty gross), I actually didn't think it was that bad. It wasn't even as itchy as I expected, I had oatmeal baths in the morning and evening and put creams on the spots and that got rid of the itchiness for the rest of the time.

The most painful bit was actually the couple of days leading up to it, when I didn't realise I had it yet. My joints felt really achey and my skin was sensitive.

KohlaParasaurus · 22/02/2022 21:36

I had quite a bad dose of chickenpox at 22. After that experience I was very glad that all my children had it when they were very young.

Mykittensmittens · 22/02/2022 21:36

Yes at 30.

Felt like utter shit for 48 hours but couldn’t explain it. I was aching, hot, cold and very restless

Woke up on day 3 covered in spots. Day 3-6 I didn’t get out of bed.

And every year since then, give or take a week or two, I get shingles at the same time.

Grim.

toptomatoes · 22/02/2022 21:39

I had it at 24. I think it was a pretty standard dose but it was rotten - so uncomfortable. I. couldn’t stand to wear clothes and could only wear loose, smooth things for a while after. Going back to work covered in scabs was also very unpleasant!

SparkleSpangle · 22/02/2022 21:40

I had it badly as a child then again as an adult. I just felt a bit fluey and only had a few spots.

Probably wasn't as bad for me because I had already had it.

fizzypiggy · 22/02/2022 21:42

I had it in my 20s it wasn't too bad. I had spots on my stomach and went to the drs and they said go home and stay home it's chicken pox.

My mum actually never got it and had to have the CP jab when she was pregnant with me at 28.

My son has been in close contact with CP outbreaks about 4 times and has not caught it yet so considering just getting it jabbed incase he's like me and my mum.

MyGirlDaisy · 22/02/2022 21:48

I had it in my 30’s - caught it from a baby/toddler group. I felt really sick, headache and tired for a few days then the first spot appeared, and I realised what it was. I never caught it as a child. I found baths with bicarbonate of soda in really helped with the itching, and just tried to rest as much as possible as I did feel really tired. Just as I was getting over it DS went down with it - we spent hours on the sofa together watching Thomas videos. I think I probably got off lightly though on reflection.

FrenchyQ · 22/02/2022 21:49

I was 18 when I had it, probably one of the worst bouts of illness I've ever had.

Jmaho · 22/02/2022 22:13

My now husband caught it off my nephew when nephew was 3 and husband was 18.
Nephew had about 5 spots in total. Husband was covered from head to toe. I never thought he'd look normal again they were so bad. He ended up in hospital and was off work for over 2 weeks

Ilikeviognier · 22/02/2022 22:27

I had it at 17. I was in bed for a week or two but the most grim part was that it affected my periods to the point that it gave me a period that lasted 6 weeks afterwards. Nice.

MrsDeaconClaybourne · 22/02/2022 22:43

I was 20. Had it in the summer holidays from uni. Wasn't too bad - I worked most of the time as no one realised what I had. Spots were mainly on my scalp and back!

I was uncomfortable at the time and tired for quite a while after. Probably really needed to have taken more time off and rested.

campion · 22/02/2022 22:47

I caught it from my 4 year old when I was 33. He also gave it to his 22 month old brother at the same time, who luckily wasn't too bad. I was very ill, in bed and covered in spots from my scalp to my legs, including inside my nose and labia, and felt terrible.
The doctor gave me antibiotics which helped prevent infection but I learned afterwards that if you get it from someone you live with you should have antivirals and gamma globulin to help dampen it down.

I've still got some scars and still get twitchy when I hear about chickenpox, though my doctor assured me I wouldn't get it again. So far he's right.

The vaccine is definitely the way to go so I think it'd be unlikely that you'll get it, and if you do it'd probably be a milder case.

AutomaticMoon · 22/02/2022 22:50

I had chickenpox at the same time with mumps and then meningitis, but as a child. Adults who had chickenpox as children can get shingles which is pretty nasty too, IIRC adult chickenpox can affect fertility (in males?) but I think it’s temporary. I have Trigeminal Neuralgia which is extremely painful and apparently caused by the remnants of HSV infection, I wouldn’t wish that on my enemies, it’s horrific, nicknamed Suicide Disease

viques · 22/02/2022 22:51

Yes.Aged 24, caught it off my DD. I came down with it in Sadlers Wells Theatre, I could actually feel the spots emerging, went home at the interval! Sorry to any fellow theatre goers. It was agony, I didn’t sleep for three nights and felt like death, I have never been so ill in my life.

ISpyCobraKai · 22/02/2022 22:52

@citylife11

And if so, how was it? Pretty rough?

George Ezra has just posted on his social media that he currently has it and I’ve heard it can be very unpleasant in an adult.

I read the title and immediately thought of George Ezra, I was meant to be seeing him on Monday. Poor guy looks really uncomfortable though, hope he's better soon.

Watto1 · 22/02/2022 22:54

DH had it aged 20. He says he’s never felt so ill in all his life. He also had a nasty bout of shingles aged 50. No idea if there is a connection.

mmmmmchocolate · 22/02/2022 22:59

I had it when I was 17/18. I felt awful, itched like crazy and had quite bad viral fatigue for some time afterwards. I always said that if my children hadn’t had it by the time they were about 10 I’d pay for the vaccine for them. It was the worst illness I’d ever had but saying that now- it really wasn’t as bad as covid. Hopefully you’ll be fine and your vaccine has kicked in 😊

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