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Types 1 Diabetes and Shingles

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markj84

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Does anyone have any experiences dealing the risks of someone with type 1 diabetes coming into contact with someone with shingles? One of my sons has type 1 diabetes and his older brother who doesn't live with us who is due to be staying with us from Christmas day, developed shingles 2 weeks ago. I will be calling the Diabetes team on Monday but was wondering if anyone else had any experience of a simar situation??
 
I do not believe there is any connection between Type 1 diabetes and shingles.
I have had both but thankfully the shingles was mild.
Like all illnesses, my BG was raised at the time but manageable .
I do not consider myself to be any more at risk of catching shingles than someone without diabetes. It was just unfortunate.
 
I can’t imagine there is any risk so long as you follow general hygiene practices (eg keeping it covered, not touching the rash, washing hands) and aren’t pregnant
 
My eldest son who has shingles was diagnosed 2 weeks ago and scabs have dried out. My sone with type 1, does seem to catch everything and be particularly poorly. Want to be careful but then also don't want to ruin their Christmas by keeping them apart.
 
helli said:
I do not believe there is any connection between Type 1 diabetes and shingles.
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Like all infections, I imagine getting shingles can mess with control. I don't think people with shingles are that much of a risk, are they? Normally anyway, shingles is the previously dormant virus from when you had chicken pox reemerging (normally because of reduced immune response as you get older). (So children who are vaccinated against chicken pox would, as I understand it, be much less likely to get shingles (as well as chicken pox).)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Like all infections, I imagine getting shingles can mess with control. I don't think people with shingles are that much of a risk, are they? Normally anyway, shingles is the previously dormant virus from when you had chicken pox reemerging (normally because of reduced immune response as you get older). (So children who are vaccinated against chicken pox would, as I understand it, be much less likely to get shingles (as well as chicken pox).)
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I don’t think I got the chicken pox vaccination - I remember catching it as a child and I still have the scars to prove it.
But I am only a sample of one so not sure if I am much of an indicator of risk.
 
Google says
A person cannot get shingles from a person that has shingles. However, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The person exposed to the virus would develop chickenpox, not shingles.
 
helli said:
I don’t think I got the chicken pox vaccination - I remember catching it as a child and I still have the scars to prove it.
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It's a pretty recent vaccine and still not a recommended one in the UK (though that's being revised). (Part of the reason (to be fair a minor part) is that having children catch chicken pox (and so keep the virus spreading at a low level) might be a way to stimulate immunity in adults, thus reducing the risk of shingles.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
It's a pretty recent vaccine and still not a recommended one in the UK (though that's being revised). (Part of the reason (to be fair a minor part) is that having children catch chicken pox (and so keep the virus spreading at a low level) might be a way to stimulate immunity in adults, thus reducing the risk of shingles.)
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Apparently in Pakistan it was usual for children to have chickenpox vaccine, I suppose if you could pay for it but my son in law still caught it when my grandchildren got it, maybe there are different strains.
 
Leadinglights said:
Google says
A person cannot get shingles from a person that has shingles. However, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The person exposed to the virus would develop chickenpox, not shingles.
Click to expand...

Exactly this. You can’t catch shingles. Presumably your younger son has had chickenpox @markj84 ?
 
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