Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Shingles question

tootsiesmom
tootsiesmom
Hello All,
I hope everyone is well.

I'm just looking for some input.

A lady that works with me has Shingles, she says only 2 small spots. Her rash started last Friday and on Monday she got her diagnosis,
Our Boss has had her off of work this week, but she went to her Doctor yesterday and he has cleared her to come back to work, he says that she is no longer contagious.

Everything that I have read says 2-4 weeks before this clears, the one week and you can go back to work makes me extremely nervous.

Has anyone had any experience with Shingles?

I want her to stay home as the last thing that I need is to get Shingles, but I know that she wants to come back to work as she has used all of her PTO and the rest of the days will be unpaid for her.

Is there a possibility of transfer if she touches something and then I touch the same thing? We transfer paperwork back and forth all day.

So, that is my dilemma this morning.

Thanks,
Kim
Angelpuss
Angelpuss
I am just at the end of a shingles attack. (Never have I felt such pain and yet my tolerance of pain is very high). My doctor said it is impossible to get shingles from someone. If you did get infected (by touching the actual sores) you may get Chickenpox but not shingles.
I guess you also know that you can only get Shingles if you've had Chickenpox at some stage (say even 80 years + ago). You wouldn't be infected by passing paperwork between you.
People who don't have RA can have the Shingles innoculation, but we RAers cannot because it is a live vaccine, as is Yellow Fever.
It sounds as if your colleague saw the doctor within 72 hours and would have been prescribed anti-viral shingle medication which stops (hopefully) long-time nerve ending pain.
I didn't have to stay away from people at all. So you should be fine. Hope this helps to settle your mind.
lindamassey
lindamassey
I was diagnosed with shingles back in early May. My doctor told me the same thing that Angelpuss is saying. You can only get shingles if you've had chickenpox. You can, if you have shingles, pass chickenpox onto someone who has not had chickenpox yet. So, if you have had chickenpox, you are ok.

They caught mine very early and I used anti-virals. I had a mild dose of them due to the meds. I was very very lucky.

Linda
tootsiesmom
tootsiesmom
Thank-you!

I had been told that you could pass Shingles on to someone that had had the Chickenpox. I did not know that it was only passed as the Chickenpox to someone who had not had it before.

Hugs to All,
Kim
MarleneJ
MarleneJ
I've had shingles 4 times. All on the same nerve in my arm.

Definitely shingles is a result of chicken pox. If you have had it, you may get shingles one day. Be careful of major surgery, as it is a big trigger for shingles, according to a nurse friend of mine who works in the ER.

Chicken pox seems so harmless when kids are young, but shingles is definitely one of the worst pains I have endured, RA included!
Angelpuss
Angelpuss
Jen, you've answered a question I was about to post. about whether you can get shingles more than once. Thank you.

Also, Marlene - interesting that your friend said major surgery can be a trigger for Shingles. I had major surgery last October . Maybe that was too long between to connect the two.

I had Chickenpox as a 7 year old 60+ years ago so I asked my doctor why it had been present all those years and then caused Shingles. He said the immune system would have stopped shingles all those years but, due to my very weakened immune system (because of the last two biologics I was on) it just wasn't strong enough to fight the shingles.
Angelpuss
Angelpuss
Just another piece of knowledge gained yesterday from my PCP.
He said it is extremely rare to get a second attack of shingles at all but the pain can reoccur. The only thing to help is strong painkillers should the pain become unbearable.

The reason that I went to my doctor, was, needless to say, that I was feeling the same pain in the same place. So far, not too bad, so here's hoping it doesn't get past this level.
pittRAlady
pittRAlady
I just had shingles and can only share what dr told me. I should keep my hands clean and would be contagious to those who never had chickenpox vaccine or chickenpox. I was worried about my son as he only had his first vaccine shot, but his pediatrician told me not to worry as he was already most likely immune. I was told it was fine for me to go to work and I did. Was rough and I do not blame you for worrying. Nasty stuff. My dr said I may have a shingles outbreak again or imay never. She told me as I get older I should consider the vaccine. She said having an autoimmune disease made me more susceptible to a shingles outbreak.
pittRAlady
pittRAlady
She said I would be contagious until the blisters scabbed over.
Angelpuss
Angelpuss
As far as I know, w RAers cannot have the shingles vaccine as it ism a "live" vaccine. Yellow fever vaccine is also hence no entry into Africa for me.

Hope you don't have pain reoccurrence.
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