Shingles - the disease.

[Gogar]

If I had the Chicken Pox (very very lightly) when I was little:

What is my risk of transmission of either Shingles or Chicken Pox from someone who has Shingles right now?

Damn hookers with shingles, I swear.

[Joeaksa]

Shingles is a offshoot of Herpes zoster. If you have had more than 10 sexual partners in your life (lets see, you are in a rock and roll band... not a real tough question) then you have probably been exposed to HSV or Herpes Zoster, aka Chicken Pox at sometime along in life.

Whether its dormant or full blown depends on the person. Your having it as a kid may have given you some immunity or it could still be lying dormant in your body. Treatment is much the same as HSV using the same meds.

No, I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night but did used to do councling of this matter years ago.

[Tobra]

Zoster is chickenpox(I think it is varicella zoster, related to Herpes), Herpes Simplex 1 used to be simple cold sore, HS 2 used to be associated with venerial disease, lot of over lap on HS1 and HS 2 due to oral/genital contact.

Shingles is sort of a flare up of chickenpox; when you have it as a child(hopefully as a child, not an adult, tougher as adult) your immune system kicks the virus' ass, and it goes dormant in your spinal nerve roots.

Later, as an adult, when you are under physiological stress, or have a compromised immune system for whatever reason, you see shingles as a very painful rash in the distribution(dermatome) of the nerve root. Sometimes you get pain before skin changes are visible, sometimes not. If you are exposed to someone with active shingles that can set it off too.

Viruses are sort of wierd. They are not really alive unless they are infecting something. Tough to kill something that is not alive.

[stomachmonkey]

So is that what she gave you in thanks for critiquing her paper?

You should have given her an A+.

[gprsh924]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So is that what she gave you in thanks for critiquing her paper?

You should have given her an A+.

Damnit, beat me to it

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by gprsh924

Damnit, beat me to it

d'oh, same guy, here I am giving answers when I should be crackin' wise

[rouxroux]

"Would you like to touch my monkey"?

..."Now is zee time on Sprockets in which we dance"!

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So is that what she gave you in thanks for critiquing her paper?

You should have given her an A+.

MWAHAHAHAAHAA I saw that coming before I even finished titling the thread!

Nah I'm just trying to be proactive and (quote) responsible (unquote). I don't want the shingles. She says I won't get it. And, if she knows as much about the globalization of Middle-Eastern countries as she does about ME GETTING THE SHINGLES, well . . . .

[slodave]

Make sure not to get wood shingles.

[johndglynn]

Have had shingles, unpleasant and leaves its mark on the nerve it infects but it is big time stress related. Stay your level-headed self and no problem

[tcar]

There is a vaccine now. Have to get it before you have it.

Also some new meds that help a lot w/ the pain.

[9dreizig]

My understanding is they come from having chicken pox as a kid,, You can get chickenpox from someone having the shingles.. YOu're too young to get them most people don't get them until they are in thier 50s-60s..
Having said that,, I suggest using a condom just to be on the save side LOL

[Noah930]

I think it's pretty low. As in, it would be unusual for you to come down with Chicken Pox/Shingles, if you were truly exposed to it as a kid. People who have Shingles usually have it because of some sort of weakness in their immune system. Not necessarily in the HIV/AIDS or cancer chemotherapy immune system weakness, but even things like excessive stress/anxiety/fatigue/etc. Then, the Varicella virus that has been hiding, dormant in your neurological system, then seizes the opportunity to flare up in the characteristic dermatomal distribution.

You can check a titer level (via bloodtest) to see if you've been adequately exposed to Varicella in the past. If you find that your titer level is too low, there's a vaccine (think it's a series of 3 injections) available. Then you check your titer level again, to make sure you've developed adequate resistance. If not, go through the vaccinations again.

[bell]

just double bag it

[chapo]

Fiancee has it, 7 years i don't. Painful for her when it flares up , no probs for me.

[Gogar]

Thanks dudes! Maybe we could hold off on the sexy jokes for one of my other hilarious threads, though.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

... You're too young to get them most people don't get them until they are in thier 50s-60s...

Ha. I had a flare-up of the shingles when I was in my 20s.
Doc said it was stress related and prescribed Zovirax / acyclovir.
Gone in a few days.

(And I did have chicken pox as a child.)

[Scott R]

My wife had a flare up of Shingles when she was finishing her latest masters. she was in a lot of pain as it was on her scalp and behind her left eye. She thought she was having migraines and decided to not go into the doctor for a few days, the result is she now has a few permanent scars and some damage to her eye. We are watching closely these days for any signs of it returning.

[cstreit]

I don't think you "catch it" per se, rather it is from the Chicken Pox (Herpese Zoster?) virus that is latent in your system. You never really get rid of the chicken pox, it just goes dormant in your nerve fibers. Then in periods of reduced immunity (other disease, stress, etc..) it can come back. Usually happens in elderly folks but can come at a younger age occaisionally. Happened to me and it was THE MOST painful think I have ever experienced. Drugs didn't help, just lay on the couch for days trying not to move or think.

[Nathans_Dad]

If you have had chickenpox as a child then there is zero risk of catching anything from someone with shingles. If someone has not had chickenpox, or the vaccine for chickenpox, then it is possible to get chickenpox from someone with shingles, but usually only if you come into direct contact with an open, weeping lesion. Once the rash is crusted there is little to no transmission.