shingles

[Sean]

Got this rash on the left side of my body, more toward the back,
running in a roughly oval pattern. I went to the doctor yesterday and
upon a visual examination she said I have herpes. (she might've said herpes zoster, i'm not sure, we were speaking russian and all the medical lingo is not in my vocabulary ) She gave me a
prescription for a cream and some expensive pills which I'm yet to
get. I got home and after doing some reaserch online I am pretty sure I have the shingles. I think the main thing that led me to think that is
that the first website that I checked out on shingles said that it
appears mostly on the side of the trunk or the face whereas the ones
on herpes described mostly the mouth and the genitals. (I realize
herpes can be trasmitted to any part of the body from the source) I
now know that shingles is part of the same family as herpes, but I
don't think I have that oral herpes or genital hepres. Anyway, I just
have a few questions. Is shingles irreversable like genital herpes?
I mean, does it keep reappearing once in a while and you can't really
cure it? Do treatments for active shingles help? Or will it just run
its course and disappear without a trace? I basically need for
someone to complete the line "If left untreated, shingles...". I
really don't want to shell out 180 bucks for a drug that will likely
mess with my immune system if it's useless. Now if it does indeed
help alleviate or reduce some after effect, that's a different story.
Thanks for any advice/help.

P.S. They took blood tests, so I guess I will know soon exactly what I have.

 

[Nancy]

Shingles comes from the Chickenpox form of herpes, NOT genital herpes. The Chickenpox virus lurks in your body in the nerves, and in some unfortunate people it develops later in life as shingles. Most people only get shingles once, but a few people who have poorer immune systems can get it more than once, but that is not the norm.

If you start on an anti-viral medication before the blisters get started too badly, you can help this condition, but once the blisters are there, the antiviral medication does not work as well. I guess that's what the expensive medication is that you got. You should fill it like this very minute and start taking it.

After the blisters heal there can be some pain which is called post-herpetic neuralgia, and it's very painful, including electric-like shocks, and extreme pain. This pain can last for a long, long time. It's the nerves that are being irritated.

My husband had shingles on one side of his face about 9 weeks ago, and he is still in a lot of pain, even though he started his antiviral medication within the first 72 hours.

He had to get a prescription for Darvocet for the pain. He is not taking that anymore, so I guess things are improving. The one cream that worked for his pain was Capzasin cream, the High Potency version. That is itself is painful, but once the immediate pain goes away, it kind of deadens the pain. He has now graduated to the lower dose version of Capzasin cream. I apply it to him, and use either latex gloves or a cotton ball, so I don't get the cream on my own hands, it can burn.

If you still have the blisters, I guess you can transmit Chickenpox to anyone who does not have immunity to that.

It's a nasty, nasty thing, and has this silly little name "shingles". It should be called "daggers" or something like that. It's pretty common.

I wish you good luck with your shingles.

Here's a link from the Famvir (antiviral medication) website. It discusses shingles in depth.

http://www.shingles.com/index.jsp?checked=y

 

[Sean]

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you so much for the reply, Nancy. All my questions are answered.

Sean.

 

[Les]

Life's An Itch...

Life's An Itch...

Hi Sean,
Just hang in there...I had them on my face a couple years back
( the 2nd most common locale) and I know what you're going through. Hope they go away quickly!
________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[Nancy]

Hi Sean-

David Letterman had them on his face and was out of work for 3 months. You can look that up on Google.

 

[Sean]

Well, so far I haven't had any extreme pain, but I'm still in the rash phase. Hopefully I can take it one day at a time and bear with it

Be well.

 

[Georgia]

If left untreated, shingles will

If left untreated, shingles will

possibly make your life a living hell. Please go get the medicine. It's worth any amount of money.

And it is caused by herpes zoster. All that others on here said is also correct. Mainly that you DON'T want to let this go with out treatment.

I think that the vast majority of people don't have repeat cases. And it's not contagious like the other nasty herpes; the open sores of shingles can cause chickenpox in those who haven't had them yet. And I believe I read somewhere that there can be a problem for those with really compromised immune systems (those on chemo, for example).

Otherwise you're pretty much on your own to suffer. Do everything you can to get relief, and good luck.

 

[Sean]

My only problem with this medication is that it's supposed to be taken within 72 hour of the rash outbreak. I've missed that by two days at least (I had the rash last Friday, and possibly even Thursday), and I'm not sure I want to deal with the possible side effects if the drug is almost ineffective at this point, as I read somewhere else.

 

[hensylee]

Sean - shingles (herpes zoster) is what you have. Nancy is correct in everything she said. Shingles can break out anywhere on your body (no connection to genital here nor fever blisters except all are in the herpes family). A friend of mine got it on her ear. Her doctor told her it can be dangerous and she should get in touch with him immediately if she ever got it again.

I had it under my arm and it was so painful and it later caused neuralgic pain in my back shoulder area. Don't want it again, believe me. Never had it again, tho.

Hang in, check to see if you can start the medicine. If you wait, you may have to go through the whole time of them. At least with the medicine maybe the time can be shortened. Good luck to you.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi sean!
welcome! this is a wonderful place with wonderful people,as you can already see.

my father in law (85) had shingles on his forehead earlier this year and was in tremendous pain until it subsided (weeks).

have you thought of asking the pharmacist if it's too late to use the medication? maybe it's not?

i hope you feel better soon and please let us know what you end up doing.

all the best, sylvia

 

[Sean]

You guys are great! so many responses...
I decided to do nothing. I'm gonna apply the cream the doc prescribed...Zovirax and see what happens. Maybe I'll post some pictures and sound bytes of screaming on my website

Thanks

Enjoy your day.

 

[cookie]

Shingles!!! ARGGGHHHHH!!! I had shingles a couples of years ago on the left side of my head and face. I woke up with a splitting headaches unlike any I had had before. Went to ER and 2nd doc to look at me diagnosed shingles and started me on meds immediately. Basically you just ride it out. For a long time the area over my eye was very sensitive after the blisters went away. It can still zing there occasionally. Good luck. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

 

[hhardt]

Famvir is what I took for shingles around the belt line. Fortunately it worked and my pain only lasted a couple of weeks. The sooner you start, the less damage you have to recover from. What happens is when people get older (over 65 for most) they develop auto-immunity problems. The chickenpox critter, which has been hanging around the spinal stuff for years re-appears and you essentially get that ring of what I call chickenpox. What is happening is that stuff is damaging the nerves. The longer it takes for you to recover, and the medication really helps here, the more damage is done and the much longer those powerful pains will occur. Some people who thought it was something different and thus had delays in recovery, had years of pains. The suggestion of taking the medication ASAP is correct. Just make sure it is for shingles virus. I'll bet the cream is for the irritation and that just ain't going to cut it alone.
Good luck

 

[hhardt]

A good shingles web site is:
http://www.aftershingles.com/shingles.html

 

[KathyH]

I had the shingles last year. Stress usually brings it out. You should take the pills, it will help the new blistering rash from continuing to come out. It's best to stop it in it's tracks. If you keep letting it go, the more nerve ending will become involved and be very painful. Some people have the pain for a long time after the rash is gone. Your Dr should have samples of the medication if you can't afford it or they could give you acyclovir which is cheaper, just have to take it more often.
Kathy

 

[Kevin M]

My gosh. This sounds just awful. My father-in-law had it on his side a couple of years ago and he complained about it a little. (Old country, never complains about anything). I didn't realize it was so harsh of an affliction.

Hope you get through this as painfree as possible Sean.
Kev

 

[hensylee]

Kevin, shingles can become a life/death situation in rare cases. All shingles should be treated immediately.

 

[Nancy]

Joe was speaking with someone who had them inside the body. And if you get them near your eye and they get into the optic nerve, they can blind you. So any facial shingles should be looked at pronto.

 

[ticktock]

shingles with nails

shingles with nails

Wow, should have checked in here when my shingles hit!! Didn't think of that. I had bilateral shingles starting just above the elbow under my arm, down my sides and onto my.. uh.... derriere. Itched like crazy... took the medicine pretty quickly, and think that was a great thing! I understand bilateral is quite rare, leave it to me. The Valtrex worked, I feel sure. The entire course ran over about 2 weeks, never really blistered, and no left over pain!! Lots of GOOD info here, specially about the Lysine!! Should have thought of that.