Chicken pox and Shingles

[Healthy]

Last spring my BF got the shingles virus and we live together so I caught chicken pox from him.

It was a very mild case that I caught. I only had it for two days and it wasn't itchy at all, just some pinching and my muscles ached for a few days. I went to the hospital and to a specialist. I wasn't given medication and returned to work two days later.

The fact that I only had it two days, I attribute to a good immune system. I was a high raw foodist for quite a few years and also practice yoga.

But since the virus is in my system, I am now a candidate for shingles. This is on my mind a lot, especially since there's a lot of negativity in my workplace (screaming, gossip, put-downs, people banging phones when they're mad) -- but I am giving notice to leave on Monday.

I'd love to hear if any vegans/raw foodists ever had shingles and if their case wasn't so severe due to their healthy lifestyle.

Or if any older vegans/raw foodists (I guess those in their 50s and 60s) have the chicken pox virus but avoided getting shingles.

Thanks in advance

[sponge]

I can't help out with your particular questions, healthy but I do have a few of my own.

I had chickenpox as a child so I know that I can get shingles in the future. Like you healthy, I had an extremely mild case, so someone said I could possibly get chickenpox again. Has anyone told you that? Another question I have is if a person has had the chickenpox vaccination, (my kids received this) are you also immune to shingles? I've read that that may be a side benefit from receiving the chickenpox vaccine. A kind of "prevent chickenpox and you prevent the much more serious and painful shingles".

[Healthy]

Thanks so much for responding Sponge.

Yes, I've been told I can get chickenpox again. So I am strong for that. Now that you confirmed it, I can be strong in my mindset because I can handle chickenpox. Then if I do get it again, I'll start worrying about shingles again. (Although I try to keep it out of my mind as much as possible because I believe if you dwell on things they can manifest).

I'm afraid to get a vaccination ... in some cases it does more harm than good. I've heard horror stories in regards to vaccinations, so I'm not chancing it.

As for your kids, I think they are probably immune to shingles with the chickenpox vaccination because I think you have to get chickenpox first before you get shingles. So they are very lucky if they had the vaccination with no adversity. That's super!!

[xrodolfox]

I've actually read that the new prevalence of adult shingles is directly due to recommending the chicken pox vaccine. I'm looking for my kids to actually GET chicken pox, because that way they're more likely to have lifetime immunity than with the vaccine. The vaccine needs regular boosters and doesn't result in an immune system that can fight off the disease for a lifetime, like the real thing.

Of course, with a severely comprimised immune system, shingles can come back on anyone.

[Tigerlily]

You're very lucky that your chicken pox was so mild! I had it when I was a kid and mine lasted longer and was worse than yours! I sick for a week.

[sponge]

Plus Healthy, if you worry, you compromise your immune system which could result in shingles or a host of other illnesses. Bottom line, worry is usually bad for your health. I'm sure because you have actually seen someone suffer with shingles, it makes it that much scarier for you. I feel for your bf and hope he's doing well now.

Xrod, my sister-in-law tried to expose her children to chickenpox numerous times with no luck. Whenever there would be an outbreak amongst friends, she would take her kids to there house for a "play-date." her children never got chickenpox until last year. By then they were teenagers and got severe cases that totally disrupted their lives. To make matters worse, their dad never had chickenpox so the doctor had him to an "anti-viral" as prevention because it can be dangerous in some adults.

It's a personal decision. I never regretted having my kids vaccinated, but I am leery of many vaccines. Parents have so many decisions to make and some are difficult.

[pat sommer]

Good to be leery of anything offered by orthodox medicine, Sponge.
Wish my little one had had the jab, though; at 19 mo it hit her hard. 1 mo to be back to semi-normal (very clingy/afraid ). I had it twice as a child! Too mild the first time and a year later the worst itchy oozing pox where you can't scratch in public. I guess that makes me immune now!

[MicheleNZ]

I don't know if you would be into this but, for the negative workplace, can you put a Snowflake Obsidian on your desk or even in your pocket to counteract your workmate's 'issues.'

If you are into homeopathy, you could get the chicken pox nosode (I don't know what that is) to help not get shingles.

Both me and my hubby have had shingles. Mine was a mild case with flu symptoms and high fever. It is not pleasant and it went to my husbands brain which was just awful. Had we known about homeopathy then, it would never have happened or been so severe.

[Roxy]

Hi Healthy,

My boyfriend had chicken pox as a child, and shingles as an adult in his 50's.

The shingles were very painful for him and the rash (blisters) wrapped all the way around his lower back, around his hip and top of his thigh into his groin

The doctor told him that a back injury he had had before the outbreak, could have triggered the outbreak. I think this is because the virus is stored in the nerves and his injury involved some damage to his nerves.

As shingles is a form of herpes, I'm wondering if following the health advice (what to do's and what not to do's) for avoiding a herpes outbreak, would be beneficial to you. I understand that there are some foods that people should avoid in order to help suppress outbreaks, and there are also some foods that they should eat to help suppression.

I'm sure avoiding stress will help boost your immune system. Good on you for getting out of your toxic work environment!

[VanillaBean]

Sadly this is something I know about!

I had shingles ON MY FACE (horrible) 3 1/2 years ago. I was VERY stressed and overworking myself so it made sense. I was working full time, studying part time and caring for my ill mother and I had a wall and got shingels.

Anyone who has had chickenpox can get it. If you haven't had chickenpox then you can't. If the vaccine actually stops you getting the pox then you can't get the shingles so it does, by default, cover you for both. When you have chickenpox the virus doesn't actually leave your body. It goes and sits, dormant, on your spine. Depending on where on your spine it sits is where you will get it on your body. Most common is on the torso.

I didn't take care of myself at the time and I didn't wind back on all the stress (I couldn't change the situation with my Mum which was VERY worrying for me) and I only took 10 days off work. I went back with these HUGE scabs on my face and could barely stay awake. It was lovely. Anyway, I ended up with chronic fatigue syndrome as a result. So, never underestimate a virus - they can absolutely floor you. I am going alright at the moment and hope that I keep getting better and stronger from here.

Long story short - shingles suck but not looking after yourself sucks more!

[Roxy]

OMG Vanillabean. I'm glad to hear that you're now on the road to recovery.

[sponge]

VanillaBean, that makes sense to me. I'm glad you're on the road to recovery.

patsommer sorry about your little one. viruses can cause serious illnesses for some people.

[harpy]

I had chicken pox as a child (which I remember as being quite unpleasant) and my other half had a not-too-bad dose of it a few years ago. We're both in our 50s and neither of us has had shingles.

TBH the people I can think of who have had it were mostly 70+ or 80+ but I know if we're unlucky (or stressed, or ill with something else) we youngsters can get it too, like poor VanillaBean.

[emzy1985]

I don't think they had a vaccine for Chicken Pox when I was a kid. Is it a relatively new animal tested invention? Either way my mum used to tell me to be friends with all the kids that got chicken pox in the hope I would get it. I did eventually get it and it covered most of my body and left me with a tiny little scar on my face that you can barely see anymore. I applaud my mothers decision even though it gave chicken pox to my dad, who hadn't yet had it. Hopefully this will result in life-long immunity for both of us, although the risk of getting shingles is now ever present, it is not something I worry about ever really. As for Shingles, once you get it will your body produce a strong enough immune response to stop you getting it again?

[harpy]

I think the vaccine may be US-only at the moment. Yes, it will have been tested on animals because all medicines are at the moment, by law.

I believe you can get shingles more than once, but plenty of people never get it at all.

[xrodolfox]

Wow, that's a horrible story, Vanilla.

Everything you said was right on... except the thing about vaccine preventing you from getting shingles for your entire life. The wild virus is still out there, and the vaccine confers only a few years of immunity.

The chicken pox vaccine was invented much less for the health of the person who gets the vaccine, but for the health of "mothers to be".

There aren't many vaccines that are made for people other than those who are affected by the disease.

The reason is that the herpes virus (ie. shingles or chicken pox) can attack a fetus or baby and cause some serious health problems in the infant to be, if not miscarriage. Thus, the vaccine was created to protect mothers to be, not children or adults, since childhood chicken pox is most often benign on most people, and childhood chicken pox most often (but not always), confers lifetime immunity.

The Vaccine is not a live virus, but it does allow for "wild" herpes (chicken pox/shingles) to attack the body anew after it wears away (unlike the actual live virus gotten as a child), and thus, according to my kid's pediatrician (Dr. Beth Barclay of Liberty Pediatriacs in Ann Arbor Michigan), this vaccine is most likely the cause of the recent rise in shingles cases in adults. The vaccine has not eradicated wild herpes of the chicken pox kind. Shingles can be terribly dehabilitating in adults, while chicken pox very rarely is.

Thus, even my own pediatrician, who regularly administers the chicken pox vaccine to other children, and advises a "middle ground" with vaccines, chose NOT to vaccinate her own children with this particular chicken pox vaccine. She plans on having her kids get the wild virus. If they don't get it by age 6 or 7, then they'll get the vaccine, because after that, the chicken pox can start to get really horrible.

We are planning on doing the same as my pediatrician. Ideally our kids will get the chicken pox before they're 6, but if not, then we'll do the vaccine, and have to get a booster every few years and hope that our kids never get the wild virus as adults.

[Gorilla]

that's interesting, rodolfo.

both my brother and i had really bad chicken pox as children and my dad caught shingles from us at the same time. he was really ill. chicken pox sucks.

[Holly78]

I had chicken pox when I was about 5 and shingles when I was about 14. I remember shingles being really uncomfortable and itchy.

[sponge]

That sounds like a good approach, xrod. My own children were vaccinated (2 shots, 1 a booster) before I became a vegan. I'm glad I no longer have to make vaccination decisions because some are downright scary.

[Cherry]

Yep, chicken pox definitely sucks. I had it badly when I was 19 and have never been so ill. I was COVERED in blisters, and had 144 on my face alone!!! *Shudder* thinking of how many there must have been altogether.
The little boy I caught it from had one (yes, ONE!!!) blister, so your plan seems like a good one to me Rodolfo!

What I'd like to know is: Are you more or less likely to get shingles later if it was a really bad case of chicken pox? If shingles is WORSE, I really hope I never have the misfortune to experience it.

[Healthy]

Oh, one thing I remembered from when my boyfriend had shingles ... immediately I was told to take olive leaf.

I feel that may have helped my immune system a lot, which caused my chicken pox to be mild and only last for two days.

You can't take olive leaf all the time, but if you think you've been exposed to chicken pox, you can take it immediately.

[puffin]

I have had shingles and it was awful, i had it on the left side on my ribs. My little one has just got over chicken pox's, now my eldest is at home with them, he is covered in them. I was so worried this morning i took him to the doctors because he was burning up and in pain. He was given antihistamine which is helping a bit . Its strange that the little boy at playgroup had then pretty mild then gave them to his baby brother who is 70% covered now.
Anyway im not that healthy, had shingles when i was about 21, ex boyfriend then got chicken pox but i was told shingles doesnt cause chicken pox's, coincidence then , was vegan for a year maybe, i didn't get a lot but it was bloody painful.

[snivelingchild]

Take L-lysine along with immune boosters for shingles, because it'll help fight the actual virus. There's a supplement called Super Lysine that has lysine, garlic, vit. c, etc.

During an outbreak of shingles, cayenne (cool cayenne or heatless cayenne would be more comfortable), chamomile, aloe, burdock, and peppermint help sooth and heal the skin.

Olife leaf and grape seed extract strengthen your body's defences against any type of infection. However, if it's a virus, it's best to use either oil of oregano, garlic, l-lysine, or colloidal silver. I can't remember if pau d'arco helps fight viruses as well as fungi, but even if it's not, it help with general healing too.

[Healthy]

Snivelingchild -- thanks soooo much for this info. I'm saving this on my home computer because my BF still gets pain from his shingles that he had almost a year ago.

My mom too -- and she had shingles over 10 years ago!

[puffin]

Sniv do you know what i can give my 10 year old to help him heal from chicken pox quicker? He is covered in them so would love to be able to help him get rid as soon as possible.

[Barley]

I had chicken pox as a child, if I remember it was a fairly bad case, but I don't think as bad as some people have expressed. About 4 years ago I got shingles after a few weeks of being generally 'down' having had a cold etc. It started off with a few itchy spots around my lower back which persisted. I went to my GP in the end just to find out what it was - that's all I usually use my GP for! She wanted me to have these horrendous sounding anti viral jabs which I refused, she then tried to scare me into them by saying I could end up with pain for the rest of my life! Eek! Anyway, I still resisted and it soon started clearing up. I think it was about ten days start to finish. It's quite uncomfortable round the lower back, the pain comes and goes and you can't do anything to ease it - painkillers I guess might but I never touch them so just suffered. It did wake me up at night. I just kept working - someone I worked with at the time took 3 weeks off work when she had shingles! Yes, I definitely thought being a vegan minimised the effects.

[AnneCE]

When I was nearly 7, I caught chicken pox when in hospital after having my appendix removed. I first noticed the blisters the day I left hospital and hid them from my mother, worried I would have go to back into hospital. I got away with it for two days before she noticed a blister on my neck, having exposed my siblings and most of the children in the neighbourhood - but what I remember helping with the itching was putting bicarbonate of soda in a warm bath. Bicarb is good for any kind of itch, hives, insect bites...

[snivelingchild]

Sniv do you know what i can give my 10 year old to help him heal from chicken pox quicker? He is covered in them so would love to be able to help him get rid as soon as possible.

First thing, trim his nails down so he can't scratch sherply to spread infection. The things I mentioned earlier to sooth the skin can be applied also.

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot you can do, but wait for the virus to pass. A liquid children's supplement of echinacea and chamomile might also be helpful, but not much. While chicken pox and shingles are caused by the same virus, there's no evidence of Lysine helping with chicken pox once infected, I might be wrong, though. Just making sure they stay hydrated and eat more raw fruits/vegetables will help as with any illness.

[Cherry]

Anyway im not that healthy, had shingles when i was about 21, ex boyfriend then got chicken pox but i was told shingles doesnt cause chicken pox's, coincidence then , .

I hope your eldest is feeling better soon.

Chicken pox can be caught through coughs and sneezes as well as direct contact, but I believe that with shingles it's just through direct contact, so you'd still have been contagious to your boyfriend, just not someone on a bus... or whatever.

[puffin]

Oh i see cherry, makes sense that. Thank you he is not to well at the moment and i just feel so sorry for the little man. He has them in his mouth to so eating is a problem. He also has them on his fingers and feet so he isnt moving unless he has to.

Thank you sniv, i shall try and get some when i can get out. He isnt itching them thank goodness and the blisters are slowly going. Hopefully they will start to heal in the next couple of days.