URGENT!! SEEIN MY SON WHO'S GOT CHICKEN POX

[markyt]

Should I ? Im 3 weeks into my hep C interferon ribavirin treatment , feelin rough and dont want to make it worse , Ive had the pox as a kid and aslo I saw him last tuesday so may have been contagiose , Ive got to have the lad tomoorrow so need some quick advice

[alagirl]

the other thing is that I think your immunity is more reduced as treatment goes on than right at the beginning of treatment.  At least for myself that is how it transpired and I'm someone who was hit hard by tx from the very getgo.  Even so, all of my problems with infections, catching things, etc were during the second half of tx (granted, I only did six months of tx, so during the second three months was when my immunity really tanked).

[merryBe]

moaners corner, heck there's a whole forum for that...it's the hepatistis social community forum.

some threads are for fun, some for moaning, or general support, my wife just left me...etc etc etc.

the medical questions go on this side...but all else belongs on the other...especially the b.itchin and moanin....we all need a  place to do some of that!!

[spectda]

it's pretty rough going through this. I thinking moaning is an important part of treatment.
There are many of us "moaning" from this currently!

[markyt]

yrah ive had my hep vacinations before starting treatment ......is there a moaners corner on site? I need to have a good moan i feel terrible today , headach jioints and just cant even lift myself hardly ....my bowl of nuts a dried fruit have kept me sustained and im ok for food ...just beat today ....

[merryBe]

for those who haven't had this as a child, or who fear getting it again, or treating with young children in tow, who may get it,

one could consider the shingles vaccine now available.

It's also a really good idea to get vaccinated against hep A and hep B before beginning tx, or even if not treating the 2 are good ideas.

Either of these forms of hep will really complicate your life if you already have hcv, and so every doc I've talked to said it's the best way to protect your liver from much more serious problems.

[GSDgirl]

Do you mean it was that easy to google chicken pox and get a precise answer?  Humph

[nygirl7]

I don't know much about the pox since I had them 100 years ago and so did my kids but isn't there some sort of incubation period where they are are contagious before you know they have them and just a few days after they appear?

Honestly I wouldn't worry about it since you already had them but that's just me - also you are either going to get shingles or not I don't think that is an issue right now. We can't get overexcited about every thing that might happen or no one would ever leave the house.

Here I googled - you should worry before hand (unfortunately who could know?) but not after 5 days later:

How long is a person with chickenpox contagious?
Patients with chickenpox are contagious for 1-2 days before the rash appears and continue to be contagious through the first 4-5 days or until all the blisters are crusted over.

[kickboxingmom]

My oldest daughter is 30 now but when 6 got chicken pox .With her teachers advice I kept her in the house with the shades pulled and she got it again when she was 8 .Full case . Dr. said , because the first time she had it it couldn't come all the way out without the sun and exposure to light .I didn't keep her sheltered at the latter time and she got it all out . I know it's late on the date here but she did get twice .

[markyt]

hot hot hot , tx is a blast lol ...all the fans and stuff have sold out everywhere in the city seriosly ...its hot , I am loosing water at an embaressing rate , I played drum in church lol witha towel round my neck and fan in my face ....bad day to be a drummer

just had my 4th injection and I feel like #### on a #### ###### LOL

[spectda]

I didn't know it gets that hot in the UK. The heat can make it tough for sure. We usually get a week or two of over 110 F (43 C), but for the most part the summer is 90-100 F (32-38 F)
TX is a blast isn't it! LOL

Take care and try to stay cool! - Dave

[markyt]

yeah its hard but im feelil not so great so I've declined , its a shame but I can make it up , I'm really strugglin but its the heat more than anything , spent yesterday asleep nearly all day and up a six am  ....its red hot here , sweating lots 0-)

[spectda]

I know how you feel, my son got mono while I have been on this tx and I wouldn't let him near the house.

[markyt]

My regular doctor told me to steer clear as my imune sytem in low , Ive decided to stay clear rto be safe, its a shame but he'll see me next week when the scabs are dry ....thanks for the info

[sunshines76]

I just want to share my own experience here. I know it's not about chicken pox, but close enough, if you are concerned about our immune systems being suppressed due to tx... Two month ago my kids got fifth disease from preschool. As we learnt later, 4 kids at that preschool had it before my twins caught the virus, then 3 more kids got sick. I was a little bit upset with the teacher that she didn't warn me about this outbreak. I explained her that I needed to know when things like that happened, not only for safety of my kids, but for my own safety. I never caught this virus as a child, so my concern was now being on tx and catching it... Well, luckily I avoided it this time too. Although, I was 100% sure that I would not be able to avoid it.

[maxygirl]

I have definitely had chicken pox twice.  It is a myth about having it once and then you are immune.  

[JennyPenny2009]

Thanks for the easy to understand explanation.

[Diane12855]

OK... it is possible... but rare... probably about as rare as a mother passing hep c to her baby during birth.

As far as the immunocompromised part goes... My RBCs and Neutrophils have dropped, but my lymphocytes are fine, and they are the main WBCs that fights viruses. I don't know if other people's lymphocytes drop... if so, that would be a good time to really be careful with all viruses.

[spectda]

Chickenpox Twice
Chickenpox Information
Chickenpox
What Causes Chickenpox?
Chickenpox Transmission
Chickenpox Incubation Period
Early Symptoms of Chickenpox
Symptoms of Chickenpox
Chickenpox Blood Test
Treatment for Chickenpox
Chickenpox Medication
Chickenpox Twice
Chickenpox Prevention
Chickenpox Vaccine
Chickenpox Cure
Shingles and Chickenpox
Chickenpox and Pregnancy
History of Chickenpox
Adult Chickenpox
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People often wonder whether it is possible to get chickenpox twice. The answer is yes, although this is rare. For most people, one infection is thought to develop lifelong immunity. Getting chickenpox twice is more common in people who are immunocompromised.

For most people, following chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus moves into nerves located in the spinal cord. Here, the virus rests and, in some cases, causes no symptoms again. In other cases, the varicella virus can reactivate, causing herpes zoster (shingles).

[Diane12855]

I must have been typing while you were posting...

[Diane12855]

Shingles comes from a previous case of chicken pox in the same body. Markyt can get shingles any time in the future if his immune system allows it since he was previously infected with chicken pox (herpes zoster virus) Once you have been infected the virus lies dormant on one of your spinal nerves, and if you should one day break out with shingles it will only be on the place on your skin that is innervated by that nerve.

[stg088]

As someone else already posted, if you've already had chicken pox, you are immune to it.  You do not get shingles from being exposed to chicken pox.  
Once you've had chicken pox, the virus that causes it lies dormant in your body.  Sometimes, for reasons not well understood, the dormant virus gets "triggered", resulting in a shingles outbreak.  Shingles is not spread from one person to another, but if someone who has never had chicken pox (or been vaccinated for it) is exposed to someone with active shingles, they can get chicken pox.
Shingles most commonly occurs in people over 60 (which is why the shingles vaccine is offered to that age group.)

[spectda]

I would stay away from sick people. Your family should understand. The last thing you need is shingles.

[frijole]

Yea, I agree with Jenny Penny.  Shingles may be a problem and you had best check with your doctor.  That would be wicked on treatment.
frijole

[JennyPenny2009]

I don't have any idea how this works but I think I would ask my doctor. My question would be, can I get shingles if I come in contact with someone who has an active case of chickenpox? With your bone marrow possibly suppressed from treatment, that may make your immune system weakened which would leave you open to shingles.