Shingles (ouch)

[Malo83]

Have shingles, started out as a rash on my right hip and is turning into blisters, doctor gave me some pills to take. If anybody had them what were you using to help with the pain, bought some rubbing cream for shingles but Salonpas with lidocain seems to help better, not fun.

 

[gfh77665]

A poor lady at our Church (pastors wife) has them all over one side of her face. Its terrible, and her eyesight was/is in danger. If anyone is over 50, GET THE "2 PART" VACCINE! You get one injection and then another two months later. It is 97%+ effective.

Malo, unfortunatly you have to treat the symptoms only at this point. Good news is after it all passes and clears up, you can get the vaccine and never have to deal with it again. Best wishes.

 

[kschachn]

Malo, unfortunately you have to treat the symptoms only at this point. Good news is after it all passes and clears up, you can get the vaccine and never have to deal with it again. Best wishes.

No, there are effective antiviral drugs to treat shingles but you do need to start taking them as soon as possible:

Prevention and Treatment (Herpes Zoster) | CDC

The only way to reduce the risk of developing shingles is to get vaccinated. Also, several antiviral medicines are available to treat shingles.

www.cdc.gov

 

[simple_gifts]

That sucks. Had it years ago and the left side of my stomach still is numb from postherpetic neuralgia probably

Buy some manuka honey for $45/tin; it is supposed to have antiviral properties according to the CDC

edit: looking for that reference; don't want to propagate incorrect info.

 

[kschachn]

That sucks. Had it years ago and the left side of my stomach still is numb from postherpetic neuralgia probably

Buy some manuka honey for $45/tin; it is supposed to have antiviral properties according to the CDC

Do you have a link to this CDC information? The CDC link I posted only mentions the antiviral drugs as being effective.

 

[Malo83]

Doc has me on ACYCLOVIR 800mg tablets taken 5 times a day and GABAPENTIN 300mg pills taken 3 time a day.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Had a bad case of shingles twenty one years ago. Left me with PHN pain which runs from three to nine on the pain scale. My ten is unconscious and that has happened. Here is the best advice you will ever receive. Get the two shot shingles vaccination ASAP. You don't want to chance getting PHN. The last twenty one years I have been on exactly one trip. A flight to Albuquerque for my mother's funeral. Got stranded at DIA in a Mayday snow storm. Didn't have enough pain killers with me and arrived at hotel two something in the morning without luggage. So sick the next day I missed the service.

 

[simple_gifts]

Do you have a link to this CDC information? The CDC link I posted only mentions the antiviral drugs as being effective.

I edited my post to indicate I was looking for the reference; I remember seeing it many years ago and was surprise when I see they suggested it; the site appears to have been redesigned since then. As mentioned not trying to push out medical nonsense,

edit:I apologize; it was an NIH study

In vitro antiviral activity of honey against varicella zoster virus (VZV): A translational medicine study for potential remedy for shingles - PubMed

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro anti-viral effect of honey on varicella zoster virus. METHODS: Manuka and clover honeys were used at concentrations ranging from 0-6% wt/vol. A clinical VZV isolate was obtained from a zoster vesicle and used at low passage. Various...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Doc has me on ACYCLOVIR 800mg tablets taken 5 times a day and GABAPENTIN 300mg pills taken 3 time a day.

Lyrica or its generic pregabalin may help, but Neurontin(gabapentin) didn't do squat for me. Neither did the regimen of antivirals which you mention. Hope you make a full recovery without complications sir.

 

[Imp4]

I contracted shingles about 2 years ago at 44 years old. In my circumstance it was likely stress induced. It was the absolute worst 6 weeks of my life.

It is a level of discomfort that I cannot adequately explain but I would describe as an invisible hand inside my body that grabbed me by the nerve endings and just squeezed my entire nervous system into a tight fist. Absolutely debilitating.

My only relief regimen was alternating between Tylenol, ibuprofen, and naproxen (Aleve). It didn't make me feel better but it made me feel less worse. That said, do exactly what your doctor tells you and nothing else.

You're in for quite a ride. I hope your experience will be better than mine was.

 

[Donald]

If you go to doctor within 48 hours they can give you a drug that will make it go away quickly. After that its treating the symptoms.

Shingles only happens on left or right side of body. Never both. If you have a itching rash on only one side of body get it checked out.

 

[RitcheyRch]

My wife had shingles and said it was pretty painful. Earlier this year we both went and got the vaccine and it hurt like hell for a few days.

 

[kschachn]

If you go to doctor within 48 hours they can give you a drug that will make it go away quickly. After that its treating the symptoms.

The antiviral drugs may help to lessen the symptoms and may shorten the length of the disease. My wife responded very well to the treatment but a lady here at work did not appear to do as well.

 

[Malo83]

I'm using Terrasil ointment for shingles and Salonpas with Lidocain plus for rubs which seem to help.

 

[Racer4]

Last year December I had the first of 2 shots Second in March for the vaccine. My insurance paid it all very glad I got it now after hearing all the people getting it. My arm was sore for a few days after each shot.

 

[Needleman]

Have shingles, started out as a rash on my right hip and is turning into blisters, doctor gave me some pills to take. If anybody had them what were you using to help with the pain, bought some rubbing cream for shingles but Salonpas with lidocain seems to help better, not fun.

Try taking L-Lysine tablets, 3000-6000 mg per day. Avoid foods high in L-Arginine, like most nuts, seeds.

Foods High in L Arginine for Your Diet | L-Arginine Plus (l-arginine.com)

Shingles and Lysine/Arginine Foods | Livestrong.com

Good luck!

 

[OVERKILL]

Have shingles, started out as a rash on my right hip and is turning into blisters, doctor gave me some pills to take. If anybody had them what were you using to help with the pain, bought some rubbing cream for shingles but Salonpas with lidocain seems to help better, not fun.

I just had them about a month ago, had no idea what it was until it I was too far into it to take meds, had to just ride it out. I didn't take anything for the pain but apparently calamine lotion or whatever works on Chicken Pox is similarly effective. I'd probably try that and some Advil.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I contracted shingles about 2 years ago at 44 years old. In my circumstance it was likely stress induced. It was the absolute worst 6 weeks of my life.

It is a level of discomfort that I cannot adequately explain but I would describe as an invisible hand inside my body that grabbed me by the nerve endings and just squeezed my entire nervous system into a tight fist. Absolutely debilitating.

My only relief regimen was alternating between Tylenol, ibuprofen, and naproxen (Aleve). It didn't make me feel better but it made me feel less worse. That said, do exactly what your doctor tells you and nothing else.

You're in for quite a ride. I hope your experience will be better than mine was.

Twenty or thirty mg of hydrocodone will help if you can get a MD to write a prescription for it. Good luck with that. Family doctors' eyes will cage and then roll back in their head if asked. Specialists(Pain MD) will figure you for a doctor shopping addict if you mention opioids. They may suggest implanting wires in your spine and a battery pack in your rear. "It MIGHT help." But they can't sight a reference to one case where it did help PHN. Tomorrow I will call my pain doctor's office and request a refill for hydrocodone 325/10mg,Qty 40. She will look in computer to see last refill date (10/26/20) and immediately tell me I'm two days early. Then I will have to point out that the 26th is Thanksgiving and the process of faxing my pharmacy the script and getting it filled takes two days if things go smoothly.Been jumping through this hoop every month for seven years now. I understand the problem with misuse of hydrocodone on the drug scene, but that doesn't make the pain go away for those who have been left with permanent pain from shingles and other diseases or injury.At eighty four, being dead is looking better.

 

[wpod]

I have heard that Shingles is brutal.

 

[MParr]

I had them in 2011. I had a band 6” wide that ran from the center of my chest to the center of my back. Painful? Heck yeah! The doctor prescribed me acyclovir and Lyrica. Neither drug had any effect. Lyrica is a horrible drug and I quit that. Calamine lotion provided the only relief. I still itch in the effected area.