Can You Get Shingles More Than Once

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Get the Facts

Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

What Is Shingles? Shingles is a very painful disease caused by the same herpes virus that causes chicken pox (varicella zoster virus). Like other herpes viruses, the varicella-zoster virus has an initial infectious stage, (chicken pox) followed by a dormant stage. Then, with no warning, the virus becomes active again. About 20% of people who have had chicken pox will eventually develop shingles. This reactivation of the virus is most likely to...

Ask the Experts

shingles virus

1. can you get Shingles more than once?2. if you've had Shingles, would the vaccine Zostavaxbe beneficial so not to get it again?...

Response from Joseph McGowan, M.D., F.A.C.P.

North Shore University Hospital

Thanks for your question:1) Yes, you can get shingles more than once...it arises from the varicella (chicken pox) virus that stays in our bodies for life and can reactivate under certain circumstances2) Having shingles is not reason not to receive... Read more »

Does recurring shingles signify HIV infection?

Does reccuring shingles mean that I am hiv+? we just had a baby and my wife said that she was tested and that it came back negative. We have been together for a little over 2 years. Is that too soon to show up in her or our newborn son? It seems as...

Response from Bruce Dezube, M.D.

Harvard Medical School

Recurring shingles is NOT necessarily a sign of HIV infection. Most patients with shingles do NOT have HIV infection. That said, HIV is more common in HIV-positive patients than in HIV-negative patients. I would highly recommend that you get HIV... Read more »

shingles

I got shingles for the first time ever while my CD4 was 100 before I knew I had HIV. I understand that you cannot ever get shingles again once you have had it. Is this also true for people with HIV regardless of CD4 count?Thank You....

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

Shingles (due to herpes zoster virus) can occasionally recur in HIV+ patients since the virus persists in the nerve root. Recurrence is seen across a wide range of CD4 counts though typically more likely with lower CD4 counts. KH... Read more »

Shingles

Can one get shingles more than one time?...

Response from Joseph McGowan, M.D., F.A.C.P.

North Shore University Hospital

Shingles is reactivation of prior chicken pox infection. The virus, varicella zoste, becomes latent or "hidden" after the initial chicken pox infection...it is hidden within the nerve roots. Reactivation or a "waking up" of the... Read more »

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shingles

Posted by LLsexyLL, 2 Replies

Does anyone know how to prevent getting shingles the second time. I had them Dec 2010 . Now my face has healed but I was told I can get them again.
Is there anyway of preventing getting shingles again? Read more »

Shingles

Posted by Anonymous, 3 Replies

Someone told me that shingles is one of the first indications of being HIV positive. I had shingles in 2002, and has felt fine since then. Although I do occassionally get dandruff. I had a dermatologist take a scalp sample and he said it was... Read more »

My sister is HIV+ and has shingles

Posted by Anonymous, 3 Replies

I was just wondering if anyone had experience with HIV and shingles. She's been fighting the shingles now for about 5 months and they'll just start to go away and then come back again. She was very thin for a while, but looked really good and had... Read more »

shingles?

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

can you get shingles in roof of mouth? I had a big like blisteron the roof of my mouth but it was like a water blister like when you get burned and then I popped and it hurts like crazy! Then I broke out with genital herpes I got this years ago and... Read more »

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