Well, have you had chicken pox? If not, then you run the risk of that disease specifically. I don't think, though, if you already had chicken pox as a child...being reexposed reactivated the virus dormant from your childhood thus causing shingles to emerge. Good question for the rheumy!

Oh, side note I searched this topic and the national institute of health states studies show that childhood chicken pox, and reexposure to the disease later in life actually will boost your immunity to shingles and help prevent you from getting it. Orencia may change the factors involved, so that's why I say call the doc:) will post the NIh link in a new post.

Here it is.
"There have been studies of adults who had chickenpox as children and were later exposed to children who had chickenpox. Interestingly, that exposure apparently boosted the adult's immunity, which actually helped them avoid getting shingles later in life."
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/shingles/causesandriskfactors/01.html

Sorry to say, I did. I was teaching preschool at the time, and chicken pox was going around like wildfire. Child after child came down with it even though they had been vaccinated. Parents didn't know what their child had, and kept sending them to school. Several pediatricians said they had never seen chicken pox before!

I did not get a very bad case, and I got retrovirals right away, so it wasn't too terrible. Very unsightly, though. At the time, I was taking Enbrel, Mtx, Plaquenil and a few other goodies.

Ask your doc if you can have a shingles shot, as a preemptive measure. I had them as a child and my doc insisted on the shot, but I do admit if was before my RA diagnosis, so I'm not sure what your rheumy will say. Have a glorious day. Trish