Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I had a mild case of shingles about 4 years ago. The doctors all said it is not contagious, but I thought it was very strange - within a 3 month period, 2 of my friends also had shingles. Odd, no?? I mean what are the chances?? I am starting to wonder now if all this is connected somehow. First, shingles, then I was diagnosed with Morton's neuroma - a nerve inflammation in my foot, then the RA turned up -- and now the worst, the lumbar plexitis causing the terrible neuropathy in my right leg. Makes me cringe to think what could lie around the corner for me......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I know what the textbooks says about not being able to " catch " shingles from someone; however, I know of a family of four where all four got the shingles within months of each other. Hmmmmm.......Is it time to revise those textbooks? --- dkj <outpost@...> wrote: > My mom was diagnosed with shingles last week, what > seems to be a mild case (on her forehead), though I > took her to the emergency room because the nurse > couldn't make a diagnosis over the phone and told > her to go to the hospital. They prescribed an oral > anti-viral and eye drops, and vicodin. (She has not > been in very much pain, thank goodness.) In addition > to my taking her to the ER, she had been to my house > several times in the previous week (she picks up my > youngest from school). I called the rheumatologist's > office, and was told to stop taking my RA meds (MTX > and Humira) and to minimize contact until her > lesions had crusted over. My question is about what > kind of risk there is in my exposure to shingles? > According to what I've read, one cannot get shingles > from someone who has shingles, only chickenpox if > you haven't had it (which I have). When I asked, I > only got a vague answer about the unknown mysteries > of viruses and being conservative. > Does anyone here have a more definitive answer? > Deborah > (My intro is: from Wisconsin, 52, part-time > elementary art teacher, mother of 3 daughters (2 > almost adult and youngest just turned 11). Diagnosed > with RA in May 2003. > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Wow! That's so interesting, . Do you know if any of the four were affected in the same location (on their body)? Not an MD I'll tell you where to go! Mayo Clinic in Rochester http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester s Hopkins Medicine http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org Re: [ ] RA and Shingles >I know what the textbooks says about not being able to > " catch " shingles from someone; however, I know of a > family of four where all four got the shingles within > months of each other. > Hmmmmm.......Is it time to revise those textbooks? > > > --- dkj <outpost@...> wrote: > >> My mom was diagnosed with shingles last week, what >> seems to be a mild case (on her forehead), though I >> took her to the emergency room because the nurse >> couldn't make a diagnosis over the phone and told >> her to go to the hospital. They prescribed an oral >> anti-viral and eye drops, and vicodin. (She has not >> been in very much pain, thank goodness.) In addition >> to my taking her to the ER, she had been to my house >> several times in the previous week (she picks up my >> youngest from school). I called the rheumatologist's >> office, and was told to stop taking my RA meds (MTX >> and Humira) and to minimize contact until her >> lesions had crusted over. My question is about what >> kind of risk there is in my exposure to shingles? >> According to what I've read, one cannot get shingles >> from someone who has shingles, only chickenpox if >> you haven't had it (which I have). When I asked, I >> only got a vague answer about the unknown mysteries >> of viruses and being conservative. >> Does anyone here have a more definitive answer? >> Deborah >> (My intro is: from Wisconsin, 52, part-time >> elementary art teacher, mother of 3 daughters (2 >> almost adult and youngest just turned 11). Diagnosed >> with RA in May 2003. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Yes, that is odd, Dorothy. When you had the shingles, where did your rash appear? Which foot was affected by the neuroma? Not an MD I'll tell you where to go! Mayo Clinic in Rochester http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester s Hopkins Medicine http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org RE: [ ] RA and Shingles >I had a mild case of shingles about 4 years ago. The doctors all said it >is > not contagious, but I thought it was very strange - within a 3 month > period, > 2 of my friends also had shingles. Odd, no?? I mean what are the > chances?? > > I am starting to wonder now if all this is connected somehow. First, > shingles, then I was diagnosed with Morton's neuroma - a nerve > inflammation > in my foot, then the RA turned up -- and now the worst, the lumbar > plexitis > causing the terrible neuropathy in my right leg. > > Makes me cringe to think what could lie around the corner for me......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 My shingles rash (very small, not even 2 " ) was on my left arm - upper arm near the arm pit. The Morton's neuroma was in the left foot. My current neuropathy problem is right leg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I also had shingles two or three months after my RA symptoms started. I think that it was connected to the RA messing with my immune system. Sue On Sunday, April 2, 2006, at 07:39 AM, Dorothy wrote: > I had a mild case of shingles about 4 years ago. The doctors all said > it is > not contagious, but I thought it was very strange - within a 3 month > period, > 2 of my friends also had shingles. Odd, no?? I mean what are the > chances?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 I had shingles several months before my first symptoms of RA. I've often wondered if it was connected in some way. Now it's interesting to read that some others have also had similar experiences. If anyone runs across some information that connects the two, I'd love to know about it. Prakasha On Apr 2, 2006, at 3:12 PM, Sue wrote: > I also had shingles two or three months after my RA symptoms started. I > think that it was connected to the RA messing with my immune system. > > Sue > > On Sunday, April 2, 2006, at 07:39 AM, Dorothy wrote: > > > I had a mild case of shingles about 4 years ago. The doctors all > said > > it is > > not contagious, but I thought it was very strange - within a 3 month > > period, > > 2 of my friends also had shingles. Odd, no?? I mean what are the > > chances?? > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 My wife struggled with shingles a couple of years ago and it was no picnic for her. She hasn't had any RA and the shingles were before her 60th birthday. I went to my doc Tuesday and he kept saying something about I can't have a shingles shot for some reason. I didn't ask him about it since I have no symptoms or susceptibility to shingles. I don't want them, either. Dennis in Eastexas " It's not Rocket Surgery " [ ] RA and shingles > Hi, > > I noticed Debra's email that she had shingles before RA. Well, I was > diagnosed with RA in December, and just this week developed shingles! I > understand that shingles are not common in people under 60; I am 40 years > old. I am taking hydroxychloriquine (Plaquenil) for the RA, which I did > not think was an immunosuppressing drug. Has anyone else wondered about a > connection between shingles and RA? > > Meg in Pennsylvania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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