Shingles ?

Quazel

A woman I work closely with came in yesterday with what she thought was a skin allergy.  She saw the school nurse today who told her she actually has shingles.  I just looked it up on webmd since we sit at opposing desks.  I had chicken pox as a kid but obviously the baby hasn't.  Should I call the doc?

This is what webmd says:  Be extra careful to avoid people with weak immune systems and pregnant women and babies who have never had chickenpox.

JARbaby

Yes but don't worry.

August112007

YES!  Call the doctor.  The whole reason why you get shingles is becuase you have had the chicken pox as a child.   Otherwise you would just have chicken pox.  I have had both and shingles drove me crazy!   I wouldnt worry about catching them though but for sure let the dr know you have been exposed to them.  And stay away from her until her red marks have cleared up.

Quazel

I called the doctor.  He said avoid her like the plague but not to worry, at this point there is nothing we can do other than stay away from her for the rest of the day.  She doesn't work in this building for the rest of the week so 1.5 hours of avoidance.

eris1995

A friend of mine had shingles when I was in 1st or 2nd tri.  She didn't tell me until I was already over her house.  I called the office and the nurse said if I had chicken pox as a kid there was nothing to worry about. 

mrs.sheller

I would avoid her just because they are contagious, and painful. I wouldn't want them ever, especially while pregnant! I've got enough going on.

I had a talk with my doc about shingles because it was going around school, he said not to worry if I got it, that they could treat it.

But, if you think you have it go to the doc right away!!! It won't get bad if you start treatments asap, but it can get really bad if you let it go for awhile!

?

LittleEgypt

eris1995:

A friend of mine had shingles when I was in 1st or 2nd tri.  She didn't tell me until I was already over her house.  I called the office and the nurse said if I had chicken pox as a kid there was nothing to worry about. 

That's mostly true. Some people can get chicken pox more than once. You wouldn't actually get shingles from the infected person, but you cold get chicken pox (again). Shingles is the reactivation of the same virus in your nerve cells years after you get chicken pox.

LuLu38

this happened to me last week.  I called the doc and was told that, if you have had chickenpox, no worries.  You are not at risk.  If you have NOT had chickenpox, you are at risk for chickepox if exposed to a person with shingles.  Since you have had chickenpox, you are fine!

Croco

Definitely do call your doc, but as long as you didn't make direct contact with the rash, you should be okay. I had shingles 2 years ago at Thanksgiving, and right afterward we found out my sister was pregnant, so I was very worried. My doctor said the main concern was if there was direct physical contact with the rash.

Sunny1inTucson

If you already had chicken pox, you have the virus (varicella zoster). Shingles is a reactivation of your own virus - not triggered by exposure again to someone else. Because your immune system is often overloaded during pregnancy, pregnant women are more prone to reactivation of their own virus.

https://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2001/301_pox.html 

jll1881

DH has shingles this summer when I was a few months pregnant.  I also had chicken pox as a child.  My doctor wasn't concerned and told me just to take normal precautions (don't touch the open wounds, etc.).