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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