wow its kind of ironic I come here and read this! About a week after a trip to DL I started with what I thought was just a rash on my back, well I went to the ER with severe pain in my right side, and by then this "rash" had spread around to my belly button, they told me it was SHINGLES and admitted me on heavy antibiotics for 2 days. I'm home, but I still have sores and they hurt so so so bad. The pain was from my galbladder which I need to have removed, but the shingles are right where they need to cut and they won't do anything until they are cleared up.
I had CP as a kid, and I've been wondering where I got these from, so it is possible I rubbed up against something. DH asked me if I thought I could get them from DL.
Why would they put you on an antibiotic? Shingles are caused from the dormant chicken pox VIRUS becoming active along the nerves and are usually only on one side of the body. I had them when I was 14 and they are SO painful. You can't "catch" shingles, it's usually flared up by stress, compromised immune systems etc.
Here's some info (bolded is mine)
Shingles is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus responsible for these conditions is called the Varicella zoster virus (VZV).
After an individual has chickenpox, this virus lives in the nervous system and is never fully cleared from the body. Under certain circumstances, such as emotional stress, immune deficiency (from AIDS or chemotherapy), or with cancer,
the virus reactivates causing shingles. In most cases, however, a cause for the reactivation of the virus is never found.
Anyone who has ever had chickenpox is at risk for the development of shingles, although it occurs most commonly in people over the age of 60. It has been estimated that up to 500,000 cases of shingles occur each year in the U.S.
Shingles can be spread from an affected person to children or adults
who have not had chickenpox. But instead of developing shingles, these people develop chickenpox. Once they have had chickenpox,
people cannot catch shingles (or contract the virus)
from someone else. Once infected, however, people have the potential to develop shingles later in life.
Shingles is contagious to people that have not previously had chickenpox, as long as there are new blisters forming and old blisters healing.
There are several effective treatments for shingles. Drugs that
fight viruses (antivirals), such as acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), or famciclovir (Famvir), can reduce the severity and duration of the rash if started early (within 72 hours of the appearance of the rash). The addition of
steroid drugs may have limited benefit in some cases, but studies have not conclusively confirmed the benefit of steroids in combination with all antiviral drugs. In addition to antiviral medication, pain medications may be needed for symptom control.
The affected area should be kept clean. Bathing is permitted, and the area can be cleansed with soap and water. Cool compresses and anti-itching lotions, such as calamine lotion, may also provide relief. An aluminum acetate solution (Burow's or Domeboro solution, available at your pharmacy) can be used to help dry up the blisters and oozing.
So...long story short, no. You can't catch SHINGLES from DL, but you could probably catch just about anything else there
