peachfront

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you had a very mild case of chickenpox, with maybe only one "bump." I only had a few bumps, in fact I only remember one on my face and one on my leg from this distant point in time. They were itchy as could be, but I can see where it might be possible to think it was a bug bite and thus never get your original diagnosis of chickenpox. I'm especially suspicious since you know other kids around you had it. If shingles was caused by stress, everyone would have it. I think it is undeniable that the cause is this virus. But I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

MissJoeyDFW

Oh I completely agree, I got the virus somehow. I have no recollection of having chickenpox and my parents always claimed I never had it. When my two sons got chickenpox and I was in my early 20s my Doctor and I were actually concerned I would get them as an adult which I hear is hard on you. I didn't get them even though my 4 year old got them then 2 weeks later my 1 year old got them. Then when I was 27, hello to my first case of shingles. It's something we could never quite sort out and my Mother was just adamant I never had chickenpox. If I had chickenpox it must have been so mild she didn't notice and I was too young to recall.

No matter what the cause just thinking about the possibilty of getting shingles again makes my skin crawl.

iff

I know the original posts were from 4 years ago, but I want to thank those who brought the topic back to life. It couldn't have been more timely because it happened just as my mom was diagnosed with shingles, so the information and comments have been helpful and interesting to read.

Hers presented as a back ache/pain. After a few days of that, she called her doctor, who told her to go to acute care, which then sent her to the ER for a workup to rule out a cardiac cause. It wasn't until two days later that the blisters showed up and then the doctor knew right away what it was.

Anyway, I certainly appreciate all of your posts!

best

I was told by doctors it makes a big difference in treatment where they are: such as the eye is different than the stomach.

oldpenny16

We wish her the best in her recovery.

peachfront

Good luck to your mom. It might encourage you to know that my friend, who went to the ER thinking she was having a heart attack, had a remarkably fast and smooth recovery from her attack of shingles. I was impressed.

iff

Thank you for your wishes for my mother. She was fortunate, I think, in that her blister outbreak was small and the shingles was not along a nerve distribution that would have more serious effects. She complains about the pain but now knows that it may last for some time, and she's going to check with her doctor about the vaccine. Her own mother had shingles for the first (and hopefully only) time last year at age 97. Again, thanks for all of the info and personal experiences as well.

techgirl

It was.

Sleeping was miserable - I am a side sleeper and (used to) sleep on the side where I had my outbreak. It felt like I was lying on a bed of nails - or more accurately, razor blades. Having clothing touch my arm or torso felt like someone was repeatedly running the hard bristles of a hairbrush repeatedly down my skin. And even when sitting still, I felt like I had biting ants crawling on me.

The last two bits still recur from time to time - when they do, I can usually look at the calendar and like clockwork I'm 7 to 10 days away from my next Remicade treatment - and that is when I know its time to take Valtrex (yes, I do keep a script on hand) lest I start having a minor skin flare.

I can also get minor skin flares - not shingles, but in the same locations on my body where I got the shingles - when I'm under a lot of stress. I've had a couple of them lately because I've been burning the candle at both ends.

Landing Gear

I am reminded that when kids pick at chickenpox, sometimes a mark is left which stays forever. If you have such a mark, ask your folks how you got it.

MissJoeyDFW

Both my parents are deceased so I can't ask that. I don't have any pox scars, my children both do so I know what they look like.

l etoile

I've read that some children get such a mild case of chicken pox that neither they or their parents are ever aware they had them. Perhaps this was the case in your situation, as you noted above. I had hoped that was the case with me, but no such luck ...got them as an adult.

Katja

My children got chicken pox at ages 5, 3 and about 6 months (all simultaneously). The baby had no more than 2-3 spots, and the pediatrician would not commit to whether this was enough exposure to give him immunity.

Of course, this was 17 years ago, and I don't know what pediatricians are saying now.

ancienthills

My husband had chicken pox twice as a child! His Dr. said that he did not have a bad enough case the first time to develop immunity. I have had shingles too and it is really horrible. I don't think I could travel with it unless I was seriously knocked out. I stay far away from anybody with chicken pox because I don't want shingles again. I have been through alot but shingles was one of the worst things ever. I was told I got it because I was burning the candle at both ends plus I was exposed to a child with chicken pox. I have only had shingles once about 10 years ago and I never want to go there again! They now have a vaccine for chicken pox. Isn't that amazing!

svenskaflicka

I am amazed that shingles is more popular than I thought. I am confused because I was told that once you have shingles you cannot get it again. You can have nerve damage, which is what I have, but I haven't heard about a recurrance.

It does hurt to wear a bra or have a blouse or top brush against it. There is nothing that helps with the pain either. Painkillers will dull it, but it still hurts like the dickens. I take a medicine called neurontin, which is actually an anti-convulsant, but was recently approved for use with shigles and post herpetic neuragia. IT will make you very drowsy though.

I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I feel so bad for the elderly that get this. It must be extra horrible for them. I hope that everyone here that has had shingles is feeling well now. Pain is a horrible thing to live with.

jerseygirl

Just read some of the posts not all, apologies if this has already been mentioned.

There is now a vaccine to prevent shingles, from Merck I think. I have an app't to get this
Also, if your kids come down with chicken pox you can have your blood tested to determine if you ever had chicken pox. Surprised to see that some have had their children with chicken pox, most are ow vacinnated. Although the chicken pox vaccine for some needs to be repeated in high school and later since their immunity disappears for this more often than other diseases