Comments on: Shingles

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:36:14 +0000

I’m 44 and have had Shingles at least 8 times over the past 5 years.
I have been treated with Valtrex and now Famvir.
The first few times seemed to have been the worst.
I am able to recognize it quickly and get on meds within 24 hours. The last time I had it was about 4 weeks ago and I got another mild case a few days ago. It’s beginning to scare me a little now.

I know stress is a big factor, but this is insane!
I plan to finding an Infectious Disease Specialist to hopefully get some more infomation because my Dr. is just as puzzled as I am.
(I have also mistaken the early stages for spider bites)

By: Leanne

Leanne — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:26:35 +0000

I was diagnosed with Shingles this past Wednesday (june 25).

-It started as a pain in the back of my neck last week., it was a burning/stabbing pain that radiated down my back and down my right shoulder. I thought i pulled a muscle at work or something.

-On Monday i got one sore. It appeared in the very center of the neck, at the back of my head in the hairline. It looked like a spider bite, or a boil.. so i used a hot compress thinking i could poke it with a pin and squeeze something out of it.

- Tuesday i went to work, and the rubbing of my uniform collar caused a burning rash all across the back of my neck. So Wednesday i went to the doctor.

I started my 3 pills a day, for 5 day prescription of valtrex, (holy moses, is IT ever expensive!!), and now its Saturday. The rash is drying up, with the exception of the ONE Shingle that doesn’t seem to be responding to the meds.

I wasn’t give a prescription for pain, but i guess either i have a mild case, or a really high tolerance for pain, but i’m finding Tylenol Extra Strength works for me. Yes, the pain is intense at times, its not constant like i thought it would be.

One minute i’m feeling pretty good, then BAM, it feels like my back, neck, arm, and hair is on fire!!

It sucks that this darn Chicken Pox virus comes back to bite us in the butt again. As if getting it once, wasn’t good enough!

By: Bridgett

Bridgett — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:44:27 +0000

I am 47 y/o and was diagnosed probably 10 years ago with shingles. I wondered then how you could get just 1 shingle. I still question this. I get this 4-6 times a year always on the same side of my face. It starts out with me knowing it is coming by the feeling of numbness on my left side of my face. I also feel like a lymph node is swelling right under my left ear. The “shingle” always appears somewhere between my eyebrow and a little higher. Depending on where it comes in at my eye sometimes swells appearing to be hanging down. It has a scab and swelling. From my ear to the spot it remains tingley and somewhat numb. My life is always full of stress. I question if this is actually the shingles since it keeps coming back as well as only having 1 scab. Any ideas? Anyone else out there only get 1 scab? Thanks for any advice.

By: concerned

concerned — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:20:09 +0000

my boyfriend whom ive been with for 7years is 26 and was diagnosed with shingles on one side of his face. Im really scared. Could someone please let me know if it is ok for people younger than 50 to get shingles if they are perfectly healthy. He has usually been a healthy person and experienced almost no pain at all, so this scares me even more. its been less than a week but it is clearing up. All the scabs are gone but if it comes back should i be really concerned? he has been a bit stressed lately and gets cold sores often in the summer time

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:40:40 +0000

Hello! I am 23 years old and I was just diagnosed with shingles. It started out as pain along my right rib cage (right on the bra-line no less). I thought it was just a pulled muscle or irritation from my bra or something. Three days after the pain I woke up with a rash in the same spot. I went to urgent care on the third day of the rash, and they confirmed my suspicions with a diagnosis of shingles. I am on acyclovir for the virus and hydrocod/IBU (vicoprofen) for the pain.

I too am kind of worried that I have shingles at such a young age. I haven’t been tested for HIV but I’ve only had a few partners, and my current boyfriend I’ve been with for 5 years. I wonder if I should go ahead and get tested, or if I’m just being paranoid. I’ve never had any major health problems that would indicate a weak immune system, so I’m hoping it’s just stress related.

My doctor also told me that the earlier you had chicken pox as a child, the more likely you are to have shingles at a younger age. I had chicken pox when I was 3. So far the rash hasn’t subsided but it has stopped spreading.

The pain medications help a lot, but they also seem to cause more itchiness. Good luck to everyone else going through this! Hopefully insurance companies will start covering the shingles vaccination so that nobody has to experience this discomfort.

By: kelsey

kelsey — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:16:34 +0000

Hi, I’m 20 and i have had Shingles for the last 5 years. I get them 3 times a year in my hire and eye and no one can tell me way this happens and what makes it come out so many times? and i have it again for the 1st time this year

By: Jerry

Jerry — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:40:14 +0000

My heart goes out to all of you suffering from shingles, especially you pregnant moms! I got chicken pox when I was three weeks old and got shingles when less than a year old. It lasted a month.

My dad walked me every night for the entire night, because my mom was too slim (bony) to be comfortable. For those of you suffering now, it really does get better, but I remember when mom got it at 65, it is REALLY painful.

By: jen

jen — Sun, 18 May 2008 01:34:43 +0000

Fives hours after i thought i was bitten by a spider on my very upper thigh and buttock. Pain was horrible woke me from sleep. One week later it turned into a scab and is still very painful. The area around it is painful as well.

I’ve included these pictures below:

By: O'Connell

O'Connell — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:51:09 +0000

Hello - I accidentally stabbed myself in the palm of my hand with the blade of the liquidizer just under 2 weeks ago. 2 days later I developed an ache in my hand and arm which worsened over the next couple of days to the point that I could not sleep in any position and paracetamol didn’t do anything for the pain.

A small rash appeared half way up my arm on the 5th day after the trauma. On the 9th day the GP confirmed shingles and put me on a 7-day reduced course of Acyclovir (3 rather than 5 tablets daily so as not to further reduce my sole kidney function).

I am half way through the course of tablets. The rash has spread down to the bottom of 2 fingers and up to the elbow in random patches and is still spreading as of today, the 12th day. The pain has eased and then heightened over the last couple of days so am hoping that is a good sign. Have also had stabbing pains in the side of my head which is probably the same nerve route.

I had chickenpox as a child and also caught it from my young son in my mid-30’s. I have not been in contact with any children whatsoever in the recent past. It’s possible my immune system is lowered as I have been on steroid medication for a year. But, this would appear to confirm that you can definitely activate the virus by injuring yourself perhaps along a nerve path.

Mrs S.

By: calif

calif — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:19:49 +0000

My wife is 15 weeks pregnant. Today we came to know (from dermatologist) that she is caught with shingles. 5 days back, a small rash started on her right leg then 2 or 3 bumps came out. Initially there was some pain around the rash and some itching. We used calamine lotion, itching was relieved. But on her 3rd and 4th day there was a lot of pain in right leg. We went to our ob-gyn; she mentioned she doesn’t have a clue at this stage. She suspected that it is shingles and referred to a dermatologist. Dermatologist found that she caught with Herpes Zoster (Shingles) and asked us to use the Acyclovir for 5 days (5 times in a day).

At this point (During second trimester of her pregnancy), I am not sure..
- What are the side effects of shingles on un-born baby?
- What is the side effect of using Acyclovir on un-born baby? (I am so scared about birth defects etc.)
- How shingles (during pregnancy) going to affect my wife…
- Do I need to more worry about wife’s health or un-born baby’s health?

Has any one experienced this before…? (Especially in second trimester)… I am new to U.S and I am experiencing all weird problems. What kind of questions/ clarification I can seek from my doctor…

Sorry for my bad English…

Thanks.