Think I've got shingles - advice needed about not giving people chickenpox...

[alittleteapot]

I'm fairly sure I've got shingles. Will go to doc tomorrow for confirmation. I've read I can spread chickenpox but probably ok if I have dressings on the rash. If I've got clothes on is that ok? (it's on my arm.) Can I go to toddler groups etc as normal? I have a two year old and a newborn - v happy for her to get cp but think he's a little young. What's best way to protect? (May be too late as dd kissed my rash better yesterday - I thought it was eczema at that point...)

How newborn? My GP said it was very serious for a newborn I'm afraid.

I doin't know what, if anything, you could do at this stage to prevent passing it on to a newborn.

Fwiw - and not wanting to alarm you - ds1 was VERY ill with chicken pox as a newborn (SCBU, several resuscitations, very touch-and-go for a few days). He was born with it even though I'd had it as a child.

empathy

It may have limited usefulness but my GP prescribed masks to try and prevent spreading illness to unborn baby due at the time, should she be born at the contagious time.

Otherwise he said quarantine.

Chicken pox can only be passed to someone suffering from shingles if they came into contact with the blisters themselves. It's not airbourne like it is if you catch chicken pox from someone with chicken pox.

If you keep them covered up till they crust over it should be fine.

see here for more information.

I would still check with the doctor but try not to worry too much.

Oh by the way, my advice was from a CP infected perspective.

I had a bath with dd last night...

i've phoned nhs direct. wonder if just clothes is fine or if i should get affected areas properly dressed...

nhs direct confirmed i should keep rash covered. i wonder how much my bfing is protecting ds.

Your DS will have received your chicken pox antibodies at birth and also through your breast milk. I would only worry about him getting it if you were having your initial chicken pox infection now, not shingles.

Having said that, at playgroups etc there will be (pregnant) mums and babies there who have no immunity (never had chicken pox) and although the risk of transmission from shingles is low, I think I would wait until they were all crusty before going back to playgroups, just to make sure.

Hope you're not feeling too rough with it.

thanks. I don't feel too bad. i thought i'd pulled some muscles but now realise it was the shingles! fingers crossed ds is protected, as you say.

I had shingles when DS1 was 9 months old and he didn't catch it even though I was breastfeeding him and rash was all over my chest so he came into physical contact with it every few hours. Think the antibodies in the milk protected him.

Just to say thanks to everyone. This update following visit to GP:

I should treat myself as contagious for five days from spots (i.e. that I could potentially give chickenpox to a pg woman from my rash so to stay away from toddler groups etc)

The baby is probably still protected by immunity he got from me at birth but anyway it's only dangerous before a month old.

It would actually be a good time for the toddler to get chicken pox.

He said I could take antivirals if I wanted to but we agreed it was better to wait it out.