shingles

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I've searched the archives and read what's been posted in the past re. shingles,

but have other questions.....Here's the background:

My dd was 6 mos. old when she got chicken pox from me (I had shingles [my one

and only time]. When she was 5, her younger sister got CP naturally (from

someone else this time!) and she had a mild case of about 5 pox. Dr. said that

getting CP under one year does not confer full immunity, but from then on she

should be fine.

About 1.5 weeks ago, I took youngest dd to a pox party. Youngest is still

asymptomatic (Weds. is about the earliest anything would show up), but 12 y/o

had a painful, swollen red bump on the side of her face that dr. dx'ed at

shingles.

dd has Crohn's disease, but is not on immunosuppressants, just doing the

Specific Carbohydrate Diet and has been off meds for 1.5 years. She has lately

had a mini flare of some kind, and her blood work, which has been fine for a

while, is not so good, but GI doc said it was okay, even though not in the

normal range.

Anyone have any idea what's going on here? 12 is a bit young to be getting

shingles!!!!!!! Any ideas to help my dd get and stay healthy? I really do not

want this to become a chronic thing for her....I saw the post re. B12 comples

and will try to start that tomorrow. She went for acupuncture today and may go

again tomorrow.

Does having IBD make one immunosuppressed even w/o meds?!

And, of course, the question all parents ask when their kids are sick, " WHY

HER? "

Thanks so much for any advice and for reading this long post!

[Guest guest]

Hi, I will add some thoughts to this, but not definite answers.

The meds for IBD can cause immunopupression, but healthy people not taking these

meds can also get shingles. CP is actually quite dangerous in people on

immunosupressant meds as it becomes a very serious case. This sounds like a

regular case of shingles.

Some people who are not on immunosupressants are susceptible to shingles such as

the elderly, or people with decreased immunity, not necessarily immunosupressed.

Lots of things can mess with the immune system- a recent cold, stress,

fatigue... If your DD had a recent mini flare, it is possible her immune system

is a little off. Why her, and why now is probably a question that has no answer.

It is interesting about your younger daughter, but the timing is off for younger

one to have exposed her sister, so lots of questions...Her age, 12, and the

hormone changes at this age are a possible influence too. Maybe this is related

to the recent flare and shingles.

I think the best way to support her is with plenty of rest, and good nutrition

which you are already doing, and this will heal up in time. It's so hard to see

your baby sick. I hope she feels better soon.

PJ

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I've searched the archives and read what's been posted in the past re.

shingles, but have other questions.....Here's the background:

>

> My dd was 6 mos. old when she got chicken pox from me (I had shingles [my one

and only time]. When she was 5, her younger sister got CP naturally (from

someone else this time!) and she had a mild case of about 5 pox. Dr. said that

getting CP under one year does not confer full immunity, but from then on she

should be fine.

>

> About 1.5 weeks ago, I took youngest dd to a pox party. Youngest is still

asymptomatic (Weds. is about the earliest anything would show up), but 12 y/o

had a painful, swollen red bump on the side of her face that dr. dx'ed at

shingles.

>

> dd has Crohn's disease, but is not on immunosuppressants, just doing the

Specific Carbohydrate Diet and has been off meds for 1.5 years. She has lately

had a mini flare of some kind, and her blood work, which has been fine for a

while, is not so good, but GI doc said it was okay, even though not in the

normal range.

>

> Anyone have any idea what's going on here? 12 is a bit young to be getting

shingles!!!!!!! Any ideas to help my dd get and stay healthy? I really do not

want this to become a chronic thing for her....I saw the post re. B12 comples

and will try to start that tomorrow. She went for acupuncture today and may go

again tomorrow.

>

> Does having IBD make one immunosuppressed even w/o meds?!

>

> And, of course, the question all parents ask when their kids are sick, " WHY

HER? "

>

>

> Thanks so much for any advice and for reading this long post!

>

[Guest guest]

This is really interesting, because Diane's daughter at pecanbread, who I think

is 13, just got over a painful case of shingles. I believe her diagnosis is also

crohn's, and she's not on meds. She would be a really good person to speak with,

since she has " been there, done that. "

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I've searched the archives and read what's been posted in the past re.

shingles, but have other questions.....Here's the background:

>

> My dd was 6 mos. old when she got chicken pox from me (I had shingles [my one

and only time]. When she was 5, her younger sister got CP naturally (from

someone else this time!) and she had a mild case of about 5 pox. Dr. said that

getting CP under one year does not confer full immunity, but from then on she

should be fine.

>

> About 1.5 weeks ago, I took youngest dd to a pox party. Youngest is still

asymptomatic (Weds. is about the earliest anything would show up), but 12 y/o

had a painful, swollen red bump on the side of her face that dr. dx'ed at

shingles.

>

> dd has Crohn's disease, but is not on immunosuppressants, just doing the

Specific Carbohydrate Diet and has been off meds for 1.5 years. She has lately

had a mini flare of some kind, and her blood work, which has been fine for a

while, is not so good, but GI doc said it was okay, even though not in the

normal range.

>

> Anyone have any idea what's going on here? 12 is a bit young to be getting

shingles!!!!!!! Any ideas to help my dd get and stay healthy? I really do not

want this to become a chronic thing for her....I saw the post re. B12 comples

and will try to start that tomorrow. She went for acupuncture today and may go

again tomorrow.

>

> Does having IBD make one immunosuppressed even w/o meds?!

>

> And, of course, the question all parents ask when their kids are sick, " WHY

HER? "

>

>

> Thanks so much for any advice and for reading this long post!

>

[Guest guest]

I've been offline for a while and happened to see your post when I was going

back through some of the messages. I just wanted to chime in. I developed some

red bumps on my arm and back a few years ago and when I started feeling pain

every couple of minutes I went to an Urgent Care place and told them I thought I

had shingles. The nurse said, " that's an old person's disease " but the doctor

came in and said that that's what I had. ANYONE can get it as long as they've

had chicken pox (and they're contagious to other people for chicken pox for a

week or so after getting shingles). I had been off immuno-suppressants for

several years, I was pretty healthy. People with compromised immune systems are

more susceptible obviously but, again, anyone can get it if they've had chicken

pox. What helped me was cold, not having anything touching the bad area (for me

that meant I couldn't wear a shirt or bra for a week!) and vicodine. I don't

know what kind of symptoms your daughter is experiencing but for me it was

excruciating. It honestly felt as though I was being electrocuted, through my

spine (that's where the pain radiated from), every few minutes so the pain

reliever was the single best thing for me.

A couple people recommended I get the shingles vaccine so that it

(theoretically) won't come back. Some people are very unfortunate and the pain

never really goes away. For some it goes away quickly, others take weeks. For

me, it took months and I still feel it every so often....which, admittedly, is a

little disturbing. I hope that your daughter is feeling better already.

Definitely keep her relaxed and consider getting the vaccine after it's over.

Stacey

> Anyone have any idea what's going on here? 12 is a bit young to be getting

shingles!!!!!!! Any ideas to help my dd get and stay healthy? I really do not

want this to become a chronic thing for her....I saw the post re. B12 comples

and will try to start that tomorrow. She went for acupuncture today and may go

again tomorrow.

>

> Does having IBD make one immunosuppressed even w/o meds?!

>

> And, of course, the question all parents ask when their kids are sick, " WHY

HER? "

>

>

> Thanks so much for any advice and for reading this long post!

>