Visiting Relative with Shingles

I looked up info on shingles on the internet at mayoclinic.com. Shingles is contagious and could cause chicken pox in your kids...even if vaccinated. If grandma has a bad case, she is unlikely to want to visit, although, she may have recovered adequately for that visit.

I would look up info on the chicken pox vaccine at www.nvic.org. This vaccine really is totally unnecessary. CP is a very mild disease when contracted as a child, but can be deadly as a young adult. The manufacturer has suggested that boosters will be necessary as they do not provide adequate or long-lasting coverage as a child ages. It still does not convey 100% immunity in any case. The best vaccine in the world is our own body making antibodies after we contract cp.

So you'll have to decide how much risk you are willing to take. Grandma is no longer contageous if there are no open sores. Good luck and I hope Grandma can see the kids.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. I work with many docs and health care professionals in the area of prevention. I'd be happy to help. In health, D.

My mom had shingles and both my boys were exposed to her almost daily and did not get the chicken pox. They had the vaccine also. Hope this helps!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Your g-ma will almost be over them by the time you visit! If I remember right, they last about a month.

I personally had shingles (in Jan/Feb) AND both hubby & daughter (almost 4) have not had the chicken pox. Neither got the chicken pox but my shingles were located on the right side of my belly. It is VERY painful so I would be more worried in how grandma is doing in healing, and if she would be up for a visit.

Where are the shingles located, how long has she already have them and how much pain is she in?

You can only get chicken pox from shingles when they are blistering and the puss/liquid from the blister comes in contact with someone who has not had chicken pox (and then it has to enter in a open wound/nose/mouth what have you). You can not pass shingles to someone else, shingles is something that ANYONE who has had the chicken pox can get (it is a dorment cell and becomes undorment for who knows why).

In 3 weeks morethenlikely the shingles will have scabbed over and are no longer a threat to anyone who has not had chicken pox. Is grandma a clean person, if she is, I am sure everything is clean and safe. We are not the cleaniest household but I was always washing my hands after putting on lotion, changing the bandaids and so on so no risk of passing it along.

Seeing her is fine, would not cancel. If you have any other questions about shingles just private message me and ask away... I never even knew about shingles till I got them and now I know more then I care about them.

Is she on an antibiotic for them? My mom just had them not to long agao and i have 2 little kids. She took an atibiotic and just didnt touch the baby. They are contagious if they are not scabbed over, but only if you come in contact with them. I would still visit but maybe dont hug her if she is not taking something for them and they are still not scabbed over. Also make sure any blankets used or things you touch or sit on have not come in direct contact with them. I still brought my kids around my mom when she had them she just didnt touch them. Plus your kids are a bit older and have had the chicken pox vaccine so i think your pretty safe to still visit.

I'd not cancel the trip after reading what MayoClinic says about it:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles/DS00098/DSECTIO...

Basically, the only way to receive it is by direct contact with an open sore. Keep the kids far enough away from Grandma, and it shouldn't be an issue.

As long as she's responsible and keeps the affected areas covered, it should be a non-issue completely.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles/DS00098/DSECTIO...

Calling your pediatrician isn't a bad idea, but there doesn't seem to be any reason why you shouldn't visit.

Thanks for asking the question, though, I learned I can't receive the vaccine because I've had lymphatic cancer.

My oldest daughter has had shingles many times. As long as the blisters are covered by clothing or a dressing, other people are not going to get chicken pox from them. Neither of my other children have every gotten a case of chicken pox from my daughter when she has shingles. Our school will allow her to attend when she is up to it, and the lessions are covered.

You probably have nothing to fear, but find out where the shingles are located just to be sure. Your grandmother should be on anti viral medications for her shingles, and the outbreak will probably be gone within three weeks. If she is expereinceing long term neurlogical pain from shingles (residual pain will sometimes remain once the virus has gone dormant again) then there is no danger of passing on chicken pox to anyone.

M.

My shingles scabbed over in less than 2 weeks and I was almost completely clear in about 4 weeks, but after 2 weeks of being on medication, I wasn't contagious anymore. I got them about 2 weeks before I gave birth and I was very concerned about breast-feeding since they were on my breast, but my doctor and the pediatrician both look at them and since they were scabbed over and I had been on meds since the outbreak that I could breast-feed with no danger to my daughter. I figured if I could breast feed, you should be able to have your kids around your husbands grandmother. But a quick call to your pediatrician can calm all your anxieties.

yes it can cause chicken pox even in vaccinated children. would i visit? not this time around, and would explain to grandma that you don't want kids exposed. period.

I'd give your pediatrician a call.

Sorry I don't have any more advice, but I think in this case, I'd go with a doctors advice.

Good luck!

There was an almost identical post just the other day..my grandma had shingles, and my kids who are not vaccinated against chicken pox visited her. Her doctor told her you can't catch cp from shingles, just to make sure they don't directly touch any open sores.