RA and Shingles/ Chicken pox

flowerpot
flowerpot Member Posts: 53
Afternoon,

I have just spent the weekend with my friend who we thought had been bitten to death by midges while out walking her dog, she has been to the doctors this morning and have diagnosed her with something between Chicken pox and Shingles, she had chickenpox as a child and its very localised so they are a bit baffled as to what it is!

I have already had chicken pox and shingles so know how miserable she is feeling, but as there is a high chance I have had sufficient contact to get chicken pox off her I wondered if it would present its self in a different way as I have suspected RA. As its only suspected RA am not taking any DMARDS so that's not an issue but wondered as RA is a result of a wonky immune system is there a higher chance something will appear?

Feeling a paranoid itch coming on :)

Comments

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,464
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Flowerpot,

    Thank you for your mesage to Helplines. As we are not medically qualified you'd need to go to someone medically qualified for a definite answer on this one. Normally people with RA who are on a dmard/biologics need to notify the rheumatology nurse/a doctor if they've had exposure to chicken pox I think as they then can be offered anti viral treatment against the herpes virus. If you have a rheumatology nurse you can speak to them about this. As you are not on dmards there may not be same pressure to do that if you don't feel it necessary.

    I hope that is helpful

    Guy