Have you had chicken pox?

I also had the shingles when I was pregnant. As you probably know this is a recurrance of the chicken pox virus in one's system. It has occurred to me that there may be a connection with MS.

When I was a child and my best friend came down with chickenpox, I didn't. I spent time with another friend instead, from a different school where they didn't have an outbreak. The incubation period later, this friend came down with chickenpox. I still didn't. Over the years, two of my three kids have had chickenpox, and I've spent time with plenty of other children with it, and I've still not apparently had it. I suspect I had a mild case on first exposure - no spots - and gained immunity, but am at a loss as to how to answer this poll!

Interesting that a form of herpes (varicella zoster) might be implicated in development of MS, and/or MS may contribute to the disease development later, or both. Especially since over 90% of the world population (yes . . . of the WHOLE world) carries the herpes virus.

Just a silly memory...When we were kids, it was inevitable that we would would get chicken pox, mumps and measles at some point. There was a family of 7 kids living next door and 3 of us. Whenever one of the kids from either family got chicken pox, measles or mumps, our Moms would have the rest of the kids who had not had these illnesses go to the respective "sick house" and get exposed so that we'd "get it over with". Oh, what joy!

I was diagnosed with my MS during my son's bout with Chicken Pox. They treated me like I had some rare form of the Varicella virus because my mom told them I never got any pox as a kid...just a fever. This news sent the Dr's scrambing with tests. I was in the hospital being scared to death because this "virus" needed to be treated asap or I could die. Ha..seven hours later when the Neuro said he suspecte MS...I was actually relieved. Turns out that I was immune to Chicken Pox (they do have a test for this if you are wondering)

I have been swimming at an indoor pool near my home and the current water temperature is 77 degrees. I have found that I feel better and energized all day with no need for a nap. Does anyone else notice that staying cooler has its benefits?

Wouldn't it be helpful to get the ages of the respondents? The chicken pox vaccine is relatively recent, so someone who was born or a youngster prior to the vaccine would be very likely to have had chicken pox. (That would be almost the whole population). So if the poll respondents are all older the answers would be significantly skewed. I'm extremely interested in whether or not there is a link with the chicken pox virus because I've likely had some unusual zoster issues along with my ms.

I did have chicken pox as a baby (I have MS now). I also had shingles as a teenager.

The only infection I blame for my M.S. is Glandular Fever, it was the only anomaly in my spate of ordinary peer shared illnesses. The research supports a major role for Epstein Barr as the common link for all M.S. cases. We M.Sers all test seropositive for this virus as a recent study revealed (I'll have to look it up and get back to you with the reference).

The Government of the United States of America spends billions of dollars every year on healthcare for illegal aliens, I live in Texas and I see it every day; it is disgraceful that anyone that can get to the US gets a free house, free car, spending money, health care and free food for themselves and all of their children regardless of not being citizens. Those of us with chronic illnesses have to fight the government for assistance of any type and are routinely turned down for any help, and we have been life long tax paying citizens, as have our ancestors. What is wrong with our Legislators? What is wrong with our Government?

Born 1948. I have had chickenpox, glandular fever and 2 bouts of shingles prior to my diagnosis of ppms in 2006. Co-incidence...I don't think so.
Caz, UK

I got Chicken Pox (along with my sister and brothers) when I was 12 yrs old. I do now have RRMS, diagnosed the first time at age 33 after having serious continual headaches for almost a year prior to my first neurological visit in 2001. I understand that Epstein Barr, Shingles, and Herpes Simplex I and II are all different strains of the Herpes virus (for whatever that's worth to other readers); there are probably others. Chicken Pox as a form of the Herpes Virus would be new news to me.

I had chicken pox as a child but I also had pneumonia when I was in my thirties. I developed primary progressive MSA in my mid forties. I wonder if there is a connection there.

I had chicken pox at 9, and was diagnosed at 33. A few months ago at 45 I had on outbreak of trigeminal nerve shingles. The onset of my first MS symptoms began after walking on wet Scotchgard on my newly-cleaned carpet. My feet went numb and by the next morning I was numb up to my waist. Coincidence?

I have five brothers and sisters and we all had chicken pox as a child, but mine broke out on the inside. The doctor had to give me a shot to make them break out on the outside. Not sure what was in the shot...lol. I was diagnosed at age 35 with RR/MS in 1991. No one else in my family has MS. It sure would be nice if they could figure this mess out and finally DO SOMETHING to cure it.

I was diagnosed with MS in 1986 - had chickenpox as a child, and am now doctoring for shingles (if you haven't had your shingles vaccine, get it now!!!). Both of our children had chickenpox when they were young and the elder also had shingles when she was about 30, and has 1-2 bouts since. My husband doesn't know if he ever had chickenpox, and there is no one around to check with to find out. Can't talk him into the shingles vaccine yet, but I haven't given up! CRM

re the previous comment about shingles, I had chicken pox as a child and had shingles as a teen. I didn't realize there might be a connection. Regardless, I do not have MS (well, at least as of age 53).

I had a VERY severe case of chicken pox when I was 13. It was so severe that even after being out of school for two weeks, when I returned my teachers wanted to send me back home because I looked so bad. I had chicken pox on top of chicken pox. No one, including our family doctor at the time, had ever seen so many and such big pox. My mother is convinced to this day that this is why I have MS.

My first M/S attack came only 2.5 weeks after having a German Measle booster (1989)A anouncement at my daughter perschool said that if any one born between certin years should have a booster shot, it was thought that the injections during that time period were faulty. (I was born in 1958)
After years of on going problems,
It took until 1993 before a doctor told me I had M/S
Just thought I'd pass this info on.

Hello Art and all concerned,

Having had chicken pox as a kid, and herpes from my college days, I intuitively began to sense, and have concern of getting MS while in my late 30's. At 50 now, although I gratefully have'nt been diagnosed with MS, I periodically get tingling, pins and needles, numbness, and jumping RLS in legs, feet and hands. I've recently connected this with herpes and when I take Valtrex it goes away, very thankfully.

I've also done a lot of metaphysical healing work, specifically for MS with a Lazaris tape titled "Healing the Scars of the Past: Charting a Course for the Future," for which I give credit.

http://shop.lazaris.com/Healing_the_Scars_of_the_Past__P144.cfm

Tape description:
"There is much that hurts us in our lives, but not everything that does damage leaves a scar. But some things do, and the scars leave us with haunting memories and sorrow that eventually lead to the very serious damage of judgments of ourselves and others, a debilitating lack of emotional intensity that robs us of magic, and hidden agendas that wreak havoc with our programming. The scars of the past rob us even of what we have to give, and they offer nothing positive in return. Lazaris offers strong, beautiful techniques to work with and a powerful healing meditation to free us from our haunting. He culminates with a process to chart a loving, spirit-filled course for the future. Between 2-1/2 and 3 hours." Keywords: Scars of the Past, Judgments, Sorrow, Hidden Agendas, Lack of Emotional Intensity

Hope this helps. If anyone wants to contact me regarding this, feel free.

Best regards, Robert

Until the 1980s, kids got chicken pox as almost a rite of passage. For kids in the 50s, it seemed like we all got the big 3: measles, mumps and chicken pox. The big 4, if you count rubella. Wonder if a random sample would give the same results? 80% yes, 20% no, or thereabouts.

Has anybody else been on an antiviral?I got shingles in 1986 and have been taking antivirals since,otherwise I was miserable. they have enabled me to live a productive life . Then in 2001 I saw halos around lights became ataxic and the stinging and tingling began.I had chicken pox as a kid. MRI's are always borderline and every time a little worse. I want to know if anyone else has been on antivirals as long as I have and could being on antivirals make my MRI's different than others. I have a Doctor who considers me Secondary Progressive. I use a wheelchair because of overwhelming exhaustion and ataxia. I was tried on Methotrexate and my liver shut off. My memory and word searching are bad. My doctor wants me to try Tysabri or one of the newer drugs. I want to know more. Would an IV Antiviral help? anything new

Chicken pox at age 5 (horribly bad - still have the scars); mono at age 13 (for an entire year!) which I think that I have never gotten over; herpes in my 20s and now MS. Still think that this is environmental, but once you have one disease are you predestined for the worst of the worst?????????

I can not remember ever having chicken pox, so I guess it was very mild. I did have shingles as an adult which means I must have had chicken pox. Peggy

Had chickenpox age 4, herpes age 30, shingles age 45, progresive MS age 50, 7 years ago. Find change of temperature affects the most have tried a cool vest it worked for a couple of weeks then stopped. I wear a leg brace all the time even in the gym which I use 3 times a week with personal trainer. Find exercise helps the most, have always been very fit. Taking exercise combats fatigue.

When I was 6 years old, my 8 year old brother and my twin sister and I all had chicken pox at the same time. Additionally, we all had the measles and the mumps at the same time, too. Neither my twin sister or my brother have MS. I've had MS for 7 years and my sibs are unlikely to be diagnosed as they're most likely too old.

I had chicken pox severly as a child.I was therefore surprised to get it again recently. It was not shingles as most would assume. Two months later, a friend, who also had chicken pox as a child,also had chicken pox officially diagnosed by her doctor. I have heard that there is a new variant. I haven't got MS but it concerns me that people are now getting it twice, which was previously unheard of.

H-m-m-m. Let's see here. Art just alerted us to a recent study that suggests maybe researchers should take another look at a viral agent as the cuse (or one of the causes) of MS. And chicken pox is caused by a virus. Could the search for a cause be that straightforward? That easy? Would be nice.

Since not everyone who got chicken pox develops MS, there's got to be something alse at work here too, like genetics, or something in the environment. But there are also those who said they never had chicken pox but now have MS. Perhaps they had a mild form and never knew it? I'm not a physician or researcher, just a fellow MS patient, so this is merely a feeble attempt to connect some dots.