Hi everyone

I haven't put anything on the site for while but I do always read everyone's comments.

I need some advice - my Husband has been diagnosed today with Shingles - I have left a message with my RA nurse - but have been told there could be a 24 to 48 hour delay in a reply because of staff shortages etc !!!

Has anyone been in this position - do I need to do anything? I am having my bloods done at the end of the week at my GP's and will speak to the surgery nurse then - I am just feeling a bit vulnerable at the moment. We also went to visit our daughter up North 2 weeks ago she is 5 weeks away from having her first baby but the signs of the shingles hadnt appeared - I will ring her this evening for her to ask her midwife if she is OK - she has had chickenpox as a child but I am concerned about her and the baby too!

Just needed to ask for any advice - thanks

Jane

Tell your daughter not to worry - when I was pregnant 2 years ago Chicken pox went round the class I was teaching in. I was concerned and spoke to my midwife and GP and they both assured me that as long as I had had chickenpox as a child there was no risk as I would be immune and the baby would be protected by my immunity. As for you I believe from the information i had about methotrexate (and assume it applies to other medication too) that as long as you have had chickenpox you are immune to it so don't need to worry but its probably best to check.

Hope your husband feels better soon.
Becky

hello

So sorry to hear that your Husband has shingles. It is a horrid thing and VERY painful. Hope his medication
works for him quickly.

With regards to you , I beleive you should ring your Doctor today, it will be important for you to
take his advice urgently especially if you on TNF or DMARDS.

Good luck let us know how you get on

Rose

You can't catch shingles however you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had it. when you have chickenpox the virus remains dormant in your nerve cells for the rest of your life. At any time (and especially if you are run down) it can become active again causing shingles.

I dug out the leaflet I had on methotrexate from Arthritis UK and it say you should stop Methotrexate if "you have not had chickenpox and you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox or shingles"

Becky

Ps look at this website I've just found for more info about shingles
http://www.nhs.uk/Condit.../Pages/Introduction.aspx

I had shingles
You can,t catch shingles think i am right .
the virus lives in you from Chichen pox ?
When i got it i stayed on MTX as the nurse at the time was doing a shingles study about doing shingles injections
so she said stay on it .Infact a part from geting the anti vuriel thats all that happened .

It feels numb then like a pulled muscle the pain that won,t go .

christine