Poll of the Day > Man, Shingles sucks!

(+) Yeah! (+)

So last week, I started noticing pain around my lower left torso. Initially, I thought it was from sleeping wrong and just ignored it. Then last Sunday, I noticed a couple of red bumps in that area. I assumed it was bug bites, got one of those pens for it, and ignored it. Then Tuesday, I noticed a lot of red bumps and extreme pain in my lower left torso, to the point where I couldn't even wear a shirt comfortably. So I called my doctor, and after a telemedicine session he determined I have Shingles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles

He gave me an anti-viral and antibiotic medication (he thought one of the blisters might be infected), which I have been taking. The pain seems to have dispersed, and I can actually wear a shirt for the first time since Tuesday. Notice I said "dispersed" because the pain has reduced in my torso, but has spread into the back of my head and my leg (both on the left side). Plus I still have another 1 - 3 weeks of this before I am recovered (assuming I don't have nerve damage, then I could have the pain for another year). At least I got it on my torso and not my face, then I would have to worry about going blind...


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Ugh, that sucks.

I had always heard that having chicken pox as a child can increase your chances of getting Shingles later in life.

Dreading it.

Sorry about the herpes

Good luck with valacyclovir. Cheap and highly effective with essentially no side effects

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if it persists over a month/comes back regularily and the medical treatment isn't working try a candida diet
also get an intake of good bacteria one way or another when taking antibiotics

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ChimeraBlue posted...

Ugh, that sucks.

I had always heard that having chicken pox as a child can increase your chances of getting Shingles later in life.

Shingles is chicken pox. The virus never really goes away, it can remain inactive in your nerve cells. Shingles occurs when the virus reactivates. Risk factors are old age, poor immune function, and contracting chicken pox before 18 months of age.

Good news is that there are vaccines that are about 50 to 90% effective, depending on the specific vaccine (and reduces the severity even if shingles does occur), and there are antiviral medicines that can treat the disease as well. The best way to prevent shingles is to never get chicken pox, and there is a vaccine for that which is 95% effective.

Fun fact: Exposure to the blisters that occur in shingles can cause chicken pox in people who have never had it and never had the varicella vaccine.

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Sis got shingles and said it was the most painful experience.

My condolences.

Update: Feeling pretty good today, spent most of the day wearing a t-shirt, which would have been unheard of just yesterday. Plus I noticed after mowing the lawn the pain reduced quite a bit, so I am going to try exercising more to see if getting the blood flowing helps ease the pain.

ChimeraBlue posted...

I had always heard that having chicken pox as a child can increase your chances of getting Shingles later in life.

Exactly the reason I got it. Had Chicken Pox when I was like 1 or 2, hence why I got Shingles so young (normally you get it in your 50's, I am 36).

Clench281 posted...

Good luck with valacyclovir. Cheap and highly effective with essentially no side effects

That is what the doc put me on, was worried about the dizziness and nausa since I get vertigo easily, but so far no problems (other then the pills being giant 1g tablets). I have been making sure to follow the directions and take it with my meals.

Wanded posted...

if it persists over a month/comes back regularily and the medical treatment isn't working try a candida diet
also get an intake of good bacteria one way or another when taking antibiotics

Oddly enough, my diet is already kind of like that and I didn't even know it, LOL. Only real adjustment I would have to make would be less root vegetables (I LOVE carrots).

ChaosAzeroth posted...

Sis got shingles and said it was the most painful experience.

My condolences.

Thanks, I believe it. I don't know if it is the worst pain I ever felt, but it is at least top 3. Definitely the worst lingering pain that didn't go away quickly.

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Sorry to hear, TC.

If it is in the same family as HSV, does that mean that outbreaks and subsequent symptoms become less and even nonexistent with time?

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I have no idea why I didn't get the chickenpox vaccine.

It was already available when I was a kid and I received tons of shots for everything else.