<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I had asked if there was a connection between CD and shingles. Following are the responses I received so far: I had shingles at age 23 and was told that in some children the immune system too successfully suppresses the chicken pox virus, allowing the virus to go dormant instead of killing it off. In adulthood, anything that weakens the immune system can give the virus an opportunity to re-activate. At the time, the doctors suspected a strenuous excercise program as the trigger of my shingles case. In retrospect, as an only recently diagnosed DH sufferer, I wonder if the culprit were increased gluten ingestion in an altered diet. My mother, who is undiagnosed but whom we strongly suspect to have CD, had shingles. If they're related, I'd like to know. Both Chicken Pox and shingles are caused by viruses from a group called Herpes, and the type of Dermatitis from which many CD patients suffer is called Dermatitis Herpetiformes. I think it has this name because the appearance of the sores are like those of herpes, but my understanding is that the DH sores are caused by insufficient absorption of (fats?proteins?) which are deposited under the skin and cause a severe itching and rash, and not by a virus, so they are in fact unrelated to CD. I'll be interested in reading your summary. My little celiac daughter had shingles too. It goes away on its own and the drugs the doctor gave her made it worse and destroys the liver. Look for natural remedies and herbs. Shingles happens with a compromised immune system. I got shingles when I was 19 yrs. old & the dr. was in awe that someone so young got them. He said usually old people were more likely to have them. I also have Celiac. I was undiagnosed at the time of having shingles. I am a Celiac and I have had shingles on my head and neck. However I had them before I was diagnosed and I have some nerve damage as a result of them. They were so bad that sometimes I just wanted to die! But, my thought on the subject of them being related to CD, I think it was more likely because my system was compromised at the time. I had just been off predisone a short time due to a sever asthma attack which was also because of my system. Any time your system is down, you are more susceptible to shingles. I do hope your relative does not go through what I did. I have recently recieved my diagnosis of CD. I do have Herpes Simplex which breacks out on my forehead. I thought it was shingles, but it is not. I find it interesting that you are looking for a connecting. If you find out anything, would you please forward it to me. I will start investigating this myself, and advise you of what I find. I'll continue to summarize if I get more responses. A neice of mine had shingles at about four months of age. Her doctor was astonished as well. Thanks for the thoughts, Anna