Question 1

can shingles during pregnancy be harmful to the baby?

Accepted Answer

Doubt any effect: Shingles is essentially the emergence of a hibernating virus from nerve clusters along the inside of your spine. It travels out the nerve, like a canoe paddling down river to the skin, where pt causes pain & blisters that contain the reactivated virus. To affect baby it would need to enter the blood & pass thru the placenta. This is not a feature of shingles.

Question 2

what is a safe way to treat shingles during pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Valtrex (valacyclovir) for 7 days: Shingles is when dormant chickenpox virus reactivates and causes painful blisters on limited areas of your skin. It will often appear with pregnancy and other immunocompromised states. Shingles is not dangerous to your unborn baby. The best treatment is oral Valtrex (valacyclovir) for seven days. Valtrex is a prescription drug and is felt to be safe to take in pregnancy.

Question 3

i have just been diagnosed w/shingles. any advice for me during treatment?

Accepted Answer

Shingles: Although there is not a “cure” for shingles- valacyclovir (valtrex), Acyclovir (zovirax) ; Famciclovir (famvir) can help symptoms. 
Cool bath or compresses over the rash may v pain/ itching.

Question 4

i recently had shingles. what can i take during my pregnancy to minimize the transmission of the virus to my baby?

Accepted Answer

Not necessary: Shingles are a skin eruption caused by the chicken pox virus that you likely contracted in childhood.  The virus is present in the nerve root supplying the skin area where the eruption occurs.  With normal immunity you will also have circulating antibody to the virus that will be protective for the neonate.  If you have a suppressed immune system, you should consult your doctor.

Question 5

so, i have reoccurring shingles and im currently having an outbreak. is it safe for my wife and i to have sex right now? she has also had shingles once before but is currently not experiencing an outbreak.

shingles and sex

Accepted Answer

Should be ok: If a person had shingles or chicken pox in the past, she can no longer catch the virus from another person. However, if a person has no good immunity to the zoster virus (never caught chicken pox, is immunosuppressed, never got the vaccine, or got the vaccine but did not make enough antibodies) then she can get a case of chicken pox from the virus in the skin lesions of somebody else's shingles.

Question 6

can i still have ovarian cyst surgery during a mild outbreak of shingles and not taking any antiviral medication?

Accepted Answer

"Shingles" ?'s: Since shingles is a viral condition which can be extended by stress, surgery during an active outbreak is probably not a good idea. Unless the cyst is complex and needs an immediate diagnois, wait until the symptoms of shingles subsides before surgery.

Question 7

my wife has shingles she finished her medicine i have had chicken pox as as a kid.  can we get romantic can i catch shingles by heavy kissing or sex

Accepted Answer

Shingles: Shingles comes only in people who once had chicken pox. You can catch chicken pox, usually as a child, if you are exposed to another child whol is sick and never had before, but you can't catch shingles, because it comes only in people who were cured of chicken pox, and often many years later. There is a vaccine for chicken pox, for children, and a vaccine for older people to prevent shingles.

Question 8

during the month of june i had shingles on my left breast. i am still having pain on the breast; i am not sure if it is because of the shingles or it is something else it gets very sore at times?

Accepted Answer

I would think it is: residual pain from the nerve irritation of herpes zoster/shingles. This is fairly common. About 20% of patients report some pain at 3 months. It does seem to improve with time. There are various treatments for this pain called post-herpetic neuralgia including topical lidocaine or capsaicin or oral medication including gabapentin. Work with your Doctor to confirm the diagnosis and pursue treatment

Question 9

during a routine check up six weeks ago, my platelet count was found to be 650.  three weeks later i had a really bad case of the  flu. i am essentially over the flu, just a residual cough. however, i have come down with the shingles, but not a terrible c

Accepted Answer

Platletct650or650000: Normal platlet count is 150000 to400000 per cubic millimeter or 150-400x10\\9\\\\\\\\\  per liter
650 is very low and cause spontaneous bleeding 
But it may be 650000 in your sisters case and that is high
Shingles are not related to low or high olatlet count.Apparently your sister was not treated for what you say is count of 650,and makes me think it might be 7500
Follow up with her MD

Question 10

im 30 yrs old and had unprotected sex 4 months ago, 4 weeks ago developed shingles on my back. weak immune system, hiv positive? no prior symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Too important: Your request is too important to pass on even though it's confusing. If you're asking about chances of having contracted HIV 4 mths ago, definitely have a test and counseling and always use protection. If you know you are HIV+, please be responsible and avoid spreading it to others. Shingles has been seen to emerge in newly HIV infected folk, so please do test, DX and treat whatever you have!

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Doctor answers about:

Sex during shingles

A member asked:

Can shingles during pregnancy be harmful to the baby?

A member asked:

What is a safe way to treat shingles during pregnancy?

A member asked:

I have just been diagnosed w/shingles. any advice for me during treatment?

A member asked:

I recently had shingles. what can i take during my pregnancy to minimize the transmission of the virus to my baby?

A member asked:

So, i have reoccurring shingles and im currently having an outbreak. is it safe for my wife and i to have sex right now? she has also had shingles once before but is currently not experiencing an outbreak. shingles and sex

A member asked:

Can i still have ovarian cyst surgery during a mild outbreak of shingles and not taking any antiviral medication?

A member asked:

My wife has shingles she finished her medicine i have had chicken pox as as a kid. can we get romantic can i catch shingles by heavy kissing or sex

A member asked:

During the month of june i had shingles on my left breast. i am still having pain on the breast; i am not sure if it is because of the shingles or it is something else it gets very sore at times?

A member asked:

During a routine check up six weeks ago, my platelet count was found to be 650. three weeks later i had a really bad case of the flu. i am essentially over the flu, just a residual cough. however, i have come down with the shingles, but not a terrible c

A member asked:

Im 30 yrs old and had unprotected sex 4 months ago, 4 weeks ago developed shingles on my back. weak immune system, hiv positive? no prior symptoms.

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