I developed Shingles on Thursday. On left side of tummy and left back. It is very painful and I feel very poorly. Internet advice was to get medical attention asap to get antivirals. This has to be done within 72 hours. So I did just that yesterday morning. Some sites say it is contagious, others say it’s not.
The Nurse Prescriber said I was to avoid pregnant women and those who have NOT had Chicken Pox. When I rang for the appt I told them I suspected Shingles and was told not to touch screen when I arrived, just tell receptionist and she would send me to an isolation room.
I looked on here this morning and it seems many others are confused about whether or not it’s contagious.
I don’t have much appetite but am drinking loads. I am spending the morning in bed. I seem to have quite a lot of pain/discomfort inside my left tummy as well as the blisters themselves.
I had shingles just before Christmas I was generally ok but had a pain in my back, which I thought was a pulled muscle, I never visited a doctor, instead I had a consultation over the phone, I did send pictures of the rash, and I asked if I needed to stay off work as I thought it was contagious, the doctor said just to keep it covered, ( with clothes) and I should be ok, had the anti viral drugs and it cleared in a couple of weeks, hope you feel better soon…
Annie that’s what I used to think, but apparently it’s people who have had chicken pox who are more than likely to get it. I only know that because my son gets it quite frequently and he had chicken pox as a kid. He also gets cold sores, chickenpox, cold sores and shingles are all of the same family.
Our central institute says it is contagious if the blisters are not covered:
“The skin blisters that appear in a herpes zoster infection contain the varicella zoster virus and are therefore infectious. The viruses are transmitted as a smear infection through contact with the fluid from the skin blisters. People who have not yet had varicella and have not been vaccinated against varicella can contract chickenpox through contact with the fluid.
To prevent transmission to non-immune people, the zoster blisters should be carefully covered until they crust over and close physical contact should be avoided. People suffering from herpes zoster should also maintain strict hand hygiene. Strict adherence to this basic hygiene can minimize the risk of transmission.”
I had the shingles about 20 years ago and took antiviral pills early. Compared with this, the swine flu was worse.
Yes if you can only develop shingles if you have had chicken pox. But you are only infectious to those who have never had chickenpox. Those who have never had chicken pox (varicella zoster) can catch chicken pox from someone suffering from shingles (herpes zoster). (as herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of the same virus -varicella zoster). Regular cold sores are caused by a slightly different virus from the same family (Herpes simplex).
Both herpes simplex and varicella zoster remain dormant after the primary infection. They are then triggered when the immune system is low, during stress etc. They are part of the same family and both very contagious to anyone who doesn’t already carry them. But most people do carry varicella in their spine as most people have had chicken pox as children.
So the only risk of contagion of shingles (zoster) is to people who have never had chicken pox. The risk of Herpes simplex is to anyone who has never been exposed (I believe it has a lower incidence than chicken pox). But anyone who already has these viruses lying dormant in their body can have a flare up at any point in their lives.
Yes it’s only the blisters that are contagious, I think in the UK we cannot trust people to wash their hands after touching a sore. These viruses don’t live long on surfaces but it is maybe possible to pass by hand contact or possibly sharing a bathroom etc.
I had Shingles for my 60th birthday, just over six years ago.
I was given an anti-viral and some antidepressants.The latter a normal part of treatment according to the doctor.Didn’t take the latter.And I was advised to keep the infected area moisturised.
It was on my chest and back.
And extremely irritating.
I did have chicken pox as a kid.
I was probably completely irresponsible in going to see The Proclaimers with it and a couple of rugby matches.
But I didn’t ,as far as I know, cause a major outbreak of shingles.
But I know I didn’t suffer as badly as many do.
And I don’t want it again.
I hope the antiviral medication helps and I hope you feel better soon @RoseRed
I have never had Shingles but I have witnessed 3 of my older siblings go through the pain and discomfort of it - each of them contracted it after a period of illness or stress when their immune system must have been weaker than usual.
Reading this thread, I can see there is some confusion about the virus that causes shingles.
My understanding of this virus is the same as @AnnieS and @Dachs have already explained.
Although it’s not so highly contagious in the way a respiratory virus is, the virus can be passed on via the fluid from the blisters, so I think your Nurse Prescriber was sensible in advising you to avoid contact with anyone who had never had chicken pox, especially pregnant women who have never had chicken pox. Better safe than sorry.
there are some (inconclusive) theories that Arginine-rich foods may trigger or worsen symptoms or to increase lysine-rich foods in the diet. More to do with the balance between the two amino acids. Arginine is linked to more severe symptoms during a shingles outbreak.
The only friend I know to have suffered shingles has had a very restricted diet as an adult. She refuses to eat any fruit or veg. Her diet is very focused on simple carbs. She also had bowel cancer in her early 40s. I think she had shingles in her 20s or 30s which is very unusual. So a healthy diet might help.
Annie S 's post is correct.
Would just add to it that chicken pox virus can cause miscarriages and birth defects - hence the advice to avoid pregnant women.
But it is only contagious by touch - i think good general advice would be continue going about life and to work ( unless you are working directly with pregnant women or immunosupprssed people ) but avoid direct touch such as hand shaking or hugging unless you are certain the other person has had chicken pox themselves.
And of course keep the affected area covered.
PS Ive not heard of anti depressants being prescribed alongside anti virals here. Not sure what the rationale for that would be.
My friend is suffering with shingles in her ear of all places . Poor woman now has bells palsey , shes been taken into hospital . She was healthy and well and ate a very healthy diet . How on earth she caught the virus we dont know . Is it air born or caught from someone ?
She must have had chicken pox as a child. For whatever reason the virus has reactivated. I hope your friend feels better soon. It’s dangerously close to the brain so I hope her GP is monitoring the situation.
I had the shingles jab a few years ago. People between 70/80 are eligible, it’s on the NHS & free. I have never had shingles but I had chickenpox as a child.
Which shingles vaccine do you have in UK?
Here in Australia it used to be Zostavax which is a live vaccine, so that is possible. Rare but possible and because of that couldn’t be given to immunocompromised people.
As of Nov1st last year zostavax was superseded by Shingrix which is not a live vaccine and so cannot do that and can be given to everyone
We are moving over to the non-live Shingrix vaccine in U.K., starting last Autumn here too. Before that I think it was generally reserved for people with weakened immune systems.
I sensed there was some reluctance to offer it to everyone but I’m not sure why - is it a more expensive vaccine?
However, like all the changes in age eligibility for the Shingles vaccine, the changes seem to be complicated because now, which vaccine you receive not only depends on whether you are immuno-compromised or not but also seems to be age-dependent too.
I don’t know why they have added in this extra complication of saying people already aged 70-79 may be offered either of the two vaccines but people who reach the eligible age of 65 or 70 in future will be offered only Shingrix - maybe it is worded this way to allow them use up any old stocks of Zostovax vaccines and will switch over completely when all old Stocks have been used up?
Unless in your experience with vaccines, you can see another reason?
From the Gov announcement made last year:
The vaccine that is used in the programme is also changing. All newly eligible individuals will be offered two doses of the non-live vaccine Shingrix instead of the live vaccine Zostavax.
From 1 September 2023:
• Those aged 70-79 will still be able to get the shingles vaccine from their GP practice.
They will either be offered one dose of Zostavax or two doses of Shingrix (6 to 12
months apart)
• All those aged 50 and over with a weakened immune system will be offered two doses
of the Shingrix vaccine by their GP practice (8 weeks to 6 months apart).
• Those turning 65 and 70 will be offered two doses of the Shingrix vaccine (6 to 12
months apart) by their GP practice as they become eligible (eligibility will go down to 60 years old from 2028)
