Oh no ! Its Chicken pox !

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2585.aspx?CategoryID=200

Chickenpox and shingles are both caused by the same virus: the varicella-zoster virus.

In some people who have had chickenpox, the virus can become active again later in life and cause shingles.

You can't catch shingles from someone else. However, you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you haven't had chickenpox before.

Yes it's going the rounds. DGS1 had it about 4 weeks ago and his little brother two weeks after that.

I understand that you can get chicken pox from shingles but not the other way round. Shingles is caused by having dormant chicken pox virus in your system. It can get you if your immmune system is low.

Just been through 2 with chicken pox. DiL had to come over to chemist near me because the local chemist had sold out of calamine cream! She reckoned about 20 of her friends' children had it. Epidemic! Calamine cream helped and also a warm bath with bicarbonate of soda in it (as recommended by my gran years ago!) Watch out for shingles I can never remember which way it works, but if you have symptoms see your GP asap there is an anti-viral treatment that works best if it is given in the first day or so. It worked very well when I used it but a friend had it too late and really suffered.

DD absolutely swore by Poxclin recommended on Mumsnet when my DGSs had chickenpox and as I was called in to help look after the boys both times I too saw what a difference it made. That plus baby Antihistamine to reduce the itching. Don't just stick with calamine , this is so much better.

Sorry, forgot to say, plus one for lots of calamine lotion!

My GS had chickenpox when he was about a year old. It's miserable for them. I had had chicken pox and so had DD, but DH was susceptible to shingles, having had it twice (and yes, it is far worse than chicken pox!) so he kept his distance. As for whether you can get chicken pox twice, I always thought no, but the jury appears to be out on that one. It must be rare for it to happen.

Yes, sorry, shingles!

yes I thought calamine lotion * Tanith* but i have a vague recall of natural yoghurt ????

and thanks Jingl that's cheered me up no end LOL

Only shingles?! Shingles is worse than chickenpox. Good luck.

I thought I read that you can get it again but not absolutely sure. I used calamine lotion on mine when they had it seems to calm the itch a little.