Chicken Pox for Adults

[scmods]

If you've ever heard it said that contracting chicken pox as an adult is far worse than getting it as a kid, let me assure you it is true.

I've picked it up from my kids (who hardly noticed thay had it) and am suffering big time. I'm posting this in one of my couple of hours per day where I can actually move about.

So if you have kids and they haven't had chicken pox yet, find someone who has it and expose them until they get it - it is far preferable to go through it now than later.

 

[Blues4Life]

The worst thing about getting it as a kid is you don't really know the long term repercussions of scratching and picking at the itchy areas. I got afew scars on my chest but nothin too serious.

Glad I got it young though.

 

[scmods]

Originally posted by Blues4Life
The worst thing about getting it as a kid is you don't really know the long term repercussions of scratching and picking at the itchy areas.

The worst thing about getting it as an adult is that you do know the repercussions!

 

[eagleskickass]

I am very scared i never got it as a kid, i KNOW how bad it can be, just hoping i, like a lot of my family members in the past actually, dont get it in my lifetime. Doubt that though...

 

[evade28]

Originally posted by Blues4Life
The worst thing about getting it as a kid is you don't really know the long term repercussions of scratching and picking at the itchy areas. I got afew scars on my chest but nothin too serious.

me too! grr i have a few scars here and there from that!

scmods, ive heard its bad if u get it as an adult, but dont really know WHY, so what actually happens thats so bad?

 

[lozstar]

Originally posted by eagleskickass
I am very scared i never got it as a kid, i KNOW how bad it can be, just hoping i, like a lot of my family members in the past actually, dont get it in my lifetime. Doubt that though...

same with me, i never got it as a kiddy either

 

[aggels]

I believe there is actually an immunisation available, which would probably be a lot more pleasant than exposing the kids to the actual disease, but each to their own I suppose.

I didn't get chicken pox either. My sister got it three times in a row, broke out the night we shared a bed, when she was supposed to be contagious. Mum had me following her around trying to catch the bloody thing, didn't happen though. I was bloody glad too, it seemed absolutely horrible for her - 4 weeks of scratching, yuck. I keep thinking to get the immunisation, but I never actually do it. Probably should some time...

How much worse is it? Are there extra symptoms or just magnified ones?

I'm sorry you're ill by the way, hope it clears up soon.

 

[Blues4Life]

Originally posted by scmods
The worst thing about getting it as an adult is that you do know the repercussions!

Yah, I spose that was my point

 

[Kid Dynamite!]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

And yes, I was stupid and I scratched my spots. Well hey - it was either that, or ripping the skin off my face with frustration!

 

[tashibatts]

Got it in Grade 5.. got a week off school for it too. Only have one scar on the side of my face, not my cheek, kind of back from that.

I was lucky, only had a mild case

Go Roos

 

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

Thankfully got it when I was about 3 or 4.
Can't even remember it.

Glad I won't get it now. I hear it knocks you on your arse when you get it in adulthood.

 

[Destructive]

Got it in 1999, when I was 26, and living with Bomber Spirit. When I had the fever and the headaches, I thought I was dying. I scratched my head, and the area, a thin strip, does'nt have any hair there any more. Funny thing was Bomber Spirit was around me during that time, and he did'nt catch it at all.

 

[demon_69]

ooo the things I look forward too Hopefully I get it within the next year and a bit so I get a good week or so off school

 

[Mr. Snrub]

Originally posted by aggels
I believe there is actually an immunisation available, which would probably be a lot more pleasant than exposing the kids to the actual disease, but each to their own I suppose.

How much worse is it? Are there extra symptoms or just magnified ones?

Yeah there is a vaccine but it's usually only given to people (especially children) whose immune systems are weak, rather than being available for general use.

It definitely is worse in adults, but I'm not sure exactly why. Symptoms are the same but just more severe than in children. The spots, itching and other symptoms are (like most diseases) actually due to the immune system reacting to the virus rather than the virus itself. So maybe it has something to do with adults having a more mature immune system that reacts more strongly to the infection? I think adults also get nasty complications like pneumonia and nervous system infection by the virus more often too.

Moral of the story is - get it young. Of course, for all those of you who were hanging round contagious people for days and days and didn't get sick, it's quite possible that you got a sub-clinical dose (ie you were exposed to the virus but your immune system reacted quickly enough that you didn't actually get sick) and you're now immune without knowing it. I wouldn't automatically assume that though...

 

[FreoGirl]

I haven't had them yet and am not immune (had a blood test). My son got them last year and I didn't, even though I had him in our bed.

very weird...

 

[Grendel]

It damn near killed me when I got it at 24 and my health's never been quite the same since. I got complications (pneumonia) with it and lost around 2 1/2 stone in weight. Since that time I've never been able to put that weight back on either. Your also (sorry to bear bad news) now at risk of contracting shingles (it just gets better dont it) in latter life.

My advice if you haven't had it? Get vaccinated a.s.a.p. Cause it isnt pleasant when you do.

 

[TigerCraig]

Got em at 18. Really bad case (doctor wanted to take photos for a textbook). Blisters in EVERY orifice. Didn't sleep for 4 days - only relief was lukewarm baths with pine tar stuff in it, which died my toe & finger nails brown for ages. Luckily not many scars.

Only good thing was it helped me get through 1st year statistics at Uni, cause I had nothing better to do than actually open the textbook.

 

[bluechampion]

scratchy.

Yeah, they're ****ed when you're an adult. I did grow quiet a fetching beard in the time i couldn't shave though...

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

Originally posted by scmods
If you've ever heard it said that contracting chicken pox as an adult is far worse than getting it as a kid, let me assure you it is true.

I've picked it up from my kids (who hardly noticed thay had it) and am suffering big time. I'm posting this in one of my couple of hours per day where I can actually move about.

So if you have kids and they haven't had chicken pox yet, find someone who has it and expose them until they get it - it is far preferable to go through it now than later.

I had the chicken pox over 3 years ago, when I was 22.
It is pretty bad when you get them as adults.

Look after yourself.

 

[lioness]

Thankfully I had it when I was 11 or 12, and it was a bad case but at least it was over with.

Last year at the Child Care centre I worked at, there was a massive breakout of chicken pox, fully half the children in the centre got it at once!!!!! Some of the staff unfortunately got it too and they were all very sick. I guess I was lucky I had it as a child.

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

one of my nieces had the chicken pox during the holidays and then her brother got it really badly. He was really miserable.

 

[Beffery]

Horror story.. had to help babysit an 8 y-o's birthday party last year - - and it ended up that about 10 of the "little treasures" had the chickenpox, something that I had never had earlier in life.
Well, did I get sick or what. I was covered in the spots, itching like a b!itch and as I got sicker I couldn't eat or sleep as they had spread into my throat. For 3 weeks I was eating watery soup and missing out on school (in yr.12 this is not such a good thing). I lost about 12kgs and hated children ever since


Get Well Soon

 

[Uncle Steve]

Let me throw my voice into the growing chord: Chicken Pox suxks for adults.

My kid sister (then 9yo) brought it home from school. She was fine: had a few spots but was otherwise unaffected.

I immediately contracted it from her (was then 20yo). Spent a week in bed having hot sweats, unable to sleep, absolutely delirious with fever. Got dense spots all over, except the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and (ahem) my ol' fella. The spots were creeping slowly closer and closer to it - a couple appeared in my pubes, but thankfully stopped short of the meat and two veg. My daily ritual was to crawl slowly into a pinetarsol bath, pat myself dry v-e-r-y slowly upon getting out, and then stand naked for 15 minutes while my mother dabbed calomine lotion on me head to toe. Then crawl back into bed, where I'd spend the day itching like buggery before another sleepess, feverish night.

Thoroughly unpleasant. Should I ever have kids, I will make a point of infecting them with the pox while they're young.

 

[Pedro]

A mate of mine got it as a 35 y.o. Ended up in hospital with pneumonia etc, etc. It got to the point where the Doc's actually went through the organ donation stuff with his missus. Nasty stuff. Glad I had it as a kid, and that my two littlies have already had it.

 

[scmods]

Originally posted by Uncle Steve
Got dense spots all over, except the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and (ahem) my ol' fella.

Sounds like me, except I've also got spots on two of the three places you mentioned. Although there are a couple on my fingers and thumb if that counts.

Last night was absolute itching hell. I've kept myself more awake during the day today in the hope of putting myself into a coma-like sleep tonight.