Anyone had shingles? - ThinnerTimes

paige52 · 03-04-2008, 12:32 PM

Me!

I went tot he doc this morning and sure enough I have shingles.

Ususally this is reserved for the over50 crowd or those with weakened immune systems.... I guess I fall in the later catagory!

Anyway...any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated!

katzz87 · 03-04-2008, 01:17 PM

I have no experience with shingles...but know that they can be painful! Hope it goes away fast! And with the issues you have I'd definitely say it's the latter...weakened immune system.

Get better girl! How are you doing otherwise? We never did get together.

BlayPe · 03-04-2008, 01:59 PM

I had them last year, it was the worest pain I have ever had. I would cry from the fustration of not being able to do anything about them. Ice packs would work for a little bit, and they gave me a patch with cooling medication but they would only work for a little bit and then I would have to wait 8 hours before I used another one. Even the oral pain medication that they gave me didn't help. I was told it was because I was under alot of stress. Right before surgery I thought I was getting them again because I was stressing out about the surgery but when I went to the doctor he said it would never come back in the same place but I would continue to get pain maybe for the rest of my life. I was so relieved it was just the pain and not the shingles coming back. All I can say is try to get some sleep that was the only way I wasn't thinking about scratching.

Blay

paige52 · 03-04-2008, 02:55 PM

so far the pain is manageable. Teh did give me lycria for nerve pain but an almost assured side effect of nauseua...so no thanks.

Kat...you are definatley right wa havne't gotten together, I was thinking that very thing when I got up this morning for some reason.

Any chance you will be in Sac over the next few weeks?

Love to have coffee and visit or you can come over to the house if you like. Let schedule something

MiladyB · 03-04-2008, 03:01 PM

Paige, I had them a little over a year ago when I had the added stress of the need for a breast biopsy. The out break followed my siatic nerve and the pain was terrible. My pcp put me on Ultram for the pain along with some other type of med. For the life of me I can't remember what it was now but it was the standard drug treatment for shingles. I also did warm soaks. I'm afraid not much helped though. I hope the pain doesn't get too bad for you.

Robin W · 03-04-2008, 03:08 PM

I was talking with someone today who just got over a case of shingles. He said the doctor gave him some meds and he had no problems. I believe Zovirax is what was prescribed and helped him greatly.

He was also told that there's an injection available for those who had chicken pox as a child to help prevent getting shingles. I'm going to find out about that, as I'm sorry to say, I don't want shingles. I'm sorry you've got them though. Get well soon.

BlayPe · 03-04-2008, 03:26 PM

The doctor gave me Valtrex, which was embarrassing to buy since it is for herpes, but she said that was the only thing available for treatment.

Blay

paige52 · 03-04-2008, 04:17 PM

so far the pain is tolerable and the do said it's about as bad as it's going to get if I use that valtrex...

I love warm socks.... I am workign from home because what feels best is to not have any clothing touching it.... I'm sure all the men in my office woudl love to have me sittign topless at my desk however...I'm not really into cheap thrills so....yeah I'll work from home!

janh · 03-04-2008, 04:39 PM

I had them too-You can get them-according to my Doc. when your immune system is weakened by pain or stress (I had some pretty bad foot pain-that caused mine). They are no fun-but do not cause severe pain in everyone-I think the older you are the worse they get. Mine felt like a really bad cold sore above my eye.

fitbefore40 · 03-11-2008, 11:25 AM

There is no shame with being on Valtrex - it's used for lots of things other than genital herpes. Shingles is a type of herpes virus, herpes zoister or something to that effect - herpes simplex is usually fever blisters, herpes complex is genital herpes.

I have had shingles since my early 20's - I also get fever blisters very easy due to a drug that I take for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I take a drug to supress my immune system b/c it overworks . . . and you would think that's a good thing, but it's not. It's this delicate balance, and if I go one way or the other - frankly, it sucks.

If I have an outbreak of shingles or fever blisters, I immediately take Valtrex - I actually keep it in my purse. I have been on supressive therapy with Vlatrex also when an outbreak could not be controlled. Before Valtrex, I took Zorvorax, but Valtrex is the darling of the herpes virus supression now.

Don't be ashamed if you have to go on supressive therapy - the drugs are here to help us. Good luck.