I've never had Chicken Pox, But I think I may have shingles, is that possible?

Question

Is it possible to get shingles when you never have had chiken pox's? I have all the signs/symptoms of shingles. Rash, developed into the bumps, pain, one area, on my back. Does anybody know?

So it is possible? Everything I've read said it wasn't, and when I told my Dr. I never had chickenpox he said it was Herpes V2 and who knows how I got it because I'm not sexually active. I am taking Valtrex right now for it, but it can be shingles? I have read that doctors mis-diagnose herpes V2 a lot, and my Herpes test came back negative according to the health clinic, even though there is a chance of error. I'm just freaking out because I'm not sexually active so don't understand how it can be herpes if it is.

Answer 1

The following are quotations from a National Institute of Health website on shingles. My guess is that you either don't remember having chicken pox or had a mild case but you had it sometime and the virus stayed in your body to reactivate as shingles also known as Herpes Zoster.
"Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles. Scientists think that in the original battle with the varicella-zoster virus, some of the virus particles leave the skin blisters and move into the nervous system. When the varicella-zoster virus reactivates, the virus moves back down the long nerve fibers that extend from the sensory cell bodies to the skin. The viruses multiply, the tell-tale rash erupts, and the person now has shingles.
A person with a shingles rash can pass the virus to someone, usually a child, who has never had chickenpox, but the child will develop chickenpox, not shingles. A person with chickenpox cannot communicate shingles to someone else. Shingles comes from the virus hiding inside the person's body, not from an outside source."

Answer 2

Su Z Q is 100% correct, if in fact you do have shingles (herpes zoster) you did have chicken pox. Shingles is the chicken pox virus that comes out along a nerve trunk which means it is one sided only and it it follows the path of a nerve, it is groups of small blisters on a red base which can cause a lot of pain in the area and surrounding area. The treatment is an anti viral med. like Valtrex or Zovirax. You cannot pass shingles to someone but you can pass chicken pox to someone who hasn't had them, once the areas start to crust over, use an antibiotic cream to keep infection from setting in, Bactroban is a good one that your doctor can prescribe or you can use triple antibiotic cream found in any drug store. The pain of shingles can stick around longer than the blisters. A patient being treated with meds for shingles has an average of 3-7 days less blistering than a person not being treated. You said that the rash is on your back...If in that location it normally extends to your flank (your side) and comes around the front too. It usually follows the whole nerve. It could be that you were treated very early and the meds put a halt to it quickly or it may not be shingles at all. Whichever it is, I hope your feeling better.

Answer 3

Ok.. first let's deal with the 'herpes' issue. There are several types of herpes viruses. These viruses can cause cold sores, cancre sores, chicken pox, shingles, and yeah.. THE dreaded herpes of ...... cold sores etc. are caused by herpes simplex, chicken pox and shingles by varicella zoster. If you have been diagnosed as having shingles, then YES, whether you realized it or not you HAVE HAD chicken pox. It is possible that you had at one time an extremely MILD case of chicken pox that went undetected. Yes, its possible and also the reason my doctor thinks I show an immunity to chicken pox even though I never "had it".

Despite what others say on here, these are all viruses and are NOT treated with antibiotics. The only reason for an antibiotic is if a secondary bacterial infection exists. Ok, so your doctor put you on Valtrex. Sounds like you have a good knowledgeable doctor! Valtrex (an ANTI-viral) medication, will make your shingles less severe and heal faster too. It is commonly prescribed for shingles and it is important to start the anti-viral meds as quickly as possible.

Yeah, I had a friend who got shingles and was given Valtrex.. she was so embarrassed to go have that script filled, not to mention all of her co-workers at the hospital where we all worked giving her lots of grief about 'living the life she wants' :-) Trust me, Valtrex is prescribed for more things than genital herpes, but yeah, I feel your pain as there is an abundance of ignorance out there.

Answer 4

I don't think so how do you know how its shingles have you seen the Dr yet. Or if it is shingles maybe you did have a chicken pox and your parents just don't remember I cant remember which of my kids has had them and which ones did not have them. A lot of years its hard to remember all the time things like that.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

yes its possible, even if you've had chicken pox you can still get shingles later on in life.

Answer 7

yes you can get shingles even though you've never had chicken pox. as an adult they are very painful,run along the nerves of the back and torso and can cause lasting nerve damage.you should see a doctor if you think you have them because they usually are treated with antibiotics.also they can recur

Answer 8

I'm not sure are you sure that they aren't chicken pox?

Answer 9

my 3yr old son has a weird rash as well... I will be watching your Q for an A Doctor told me not to worry- right!~

Best wishes to you.