Linda asks…
What are shingles coupled with Lupus, and is shingles contagious?
I have been diagnose with Lupus and just found out today that I have shingle (with the red spots on my leg inside and out, and very, very, painful) Is there any chance these two are compatible with each other?
admin answers:
Shingles is the reactivation of the chicken pox you had probably as a child. It lies dormant in your system and then one day,BAM, reactivates. Shingles is incredibly uncomfortable from what I understand and you have my sympathies!
Since it is a reactivation of the Herpes Zoster virus, then yes, you are contagious to people (just like a child with chicken pox) until after the scabs have formed on your last blisters. The people who are most at risk around you are infants and the elderly or the immunocomprimised(weakened immune systems) and anyone who has not had chicken pox or the vaccine. Go here for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_zoster
Just like a celiac (which I am), your immune system is going to be a little bit different and you are going to be slightly more susceptible to certain infections. I am assuming you have not been on any prednisone treatment (due to just being diagnosed), so I will leave that bit out.
Here is a really good link to a forum that I think you will find very helpful, and includes a discussion about lupus and shingles.
Http://www.wehavelupus.com/message-board-forum/about3714.html
If you have not had the rash for too long, it is not too late to get on some anti-virals that could shorten the length of the course of the shingles. I wish you a speedy recovery and the best!
Donald asks…
Is shingles contagious to someone who has had the chicken pox vaccine?
If so, would direct contact with some one’s outbreak be necessary for the virus to spread?
admin answers:
Read this for a full but simple explanation:
http://hubpages.com/hub/ShinglesContagious
I would like to add…Shingles itself is not a contagious disease (meaning you cannot get shingles from someone who has shingles.) However, direct contact with a person who has the rash (before it has crusted over) can cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chicken pox or the vaccine. So in this respect, the virus IS still contagious.
Steven asks…
How long before someone is diagnosed with Shingles are they contagious?
Ok I’ve looked here and on the net but no one seems to know what the incubation stage is on Shingles. Someone I know was diagnosed today with Shingles and the doctor didn’t say how long she was contagious….I worry about my mother in law because she was with this person last week and the MIL is not in a healthy state as it is. Thank you in advance!
admin answers:
Shingles is not contagious. A person with Shingles can pass the virus to individuals who have never had Chicken Pox,but these individuals will develope chicken pox, not Shingles. Shingles occurs, only when the virus that caused Chicken Pox,which has stayed in the body for many years becomes active again. If your MIL had Chicken Pox when she was young, then you need not to worry.
Ken asks…
how long is shingles contagious?
a lady at my new job had shingles last week. She is supposed to train me on Tues. Is she still contagious? I need to know for sure, because we share phones and stuff behind a desk. I’ve had chicken pox when i was a kid, but still. Also my 5 year old hasn’t had chicken pox and i don’t want to bring something home to her. So after a week of her getting shingles, is she contagious?
admin answers:
Herpes zoster (or simply zoster), commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease characterised by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. The initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the acute (short-lived) illness chickenpox, and generally occurs in children and young people. Once an episode of chickenpox has resolved, the virus is not eliminated from the body but can go on to cause shingles—an illness with very different symptoms—often many years after the initial infection.
The rash and pain usually subside within 3 to 5 weeks. Many patients develop a painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is often difficult to manage. In some patients, herpes zoster can reactivate subclinically, with pain in a dermatomal distribution without rash.
Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, VZV, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has no immunity to the virus by direct contact with the rash, while in the blister phase. The person exposed would then develop chicken pox, not shingles. The virus is not spread through airborne transmission, such as sneezing or coughing. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or with post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone).-
Nancy asks…
Is shingles contagious to others that have already had chicken pox?
Since the virus is laying dormant in your body, if someone comes in contact with you, can that awaken it in their body?
admin answers:
No.
Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, VZV, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox through direct contact with the rash. The person exposed would then develop chickenpox, not shingles. The virus is not spread through sneezing, coughing or casual contact. A person with shingles can spread the disease when the rash is in the blister-phase. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or with post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone).
That said, you can’t actually spread “shingles” per se… Only chickenpox. And if you’ve had chicken pox, you are already immune to it. So the answer is no.
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