Shingles

Furryanimal

Furryanimal

Y gath o Gymru
Location
Wales
Anyone have experience of this?I was diagnosed yesterday and am typing this at 3am as the pain in my shoulder area has woken me up.It does come and go and I am starting the meds the doctor prescribed later-will update on what they are when I collect them.But he has warned me I will have to continue to moisturise the affected areas for some time after I complete the meds with a generic over the counter cream.Its more irritating than anything else-but I am having to work hard not to be ratty with people!
 

aja8888 said:
So I take it you didn't get any preventive shingles shots in the past (zoster, shingrex?)? Or is this after you did?
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No shots.They aren't offered here until you are over seventy and only then at certain ages.Didn't even know there was one until I saw the notice at the doctors yesterday.
 
C'est Moi said:
My sympathies to you, Furry. I had them last December and it was a long, miserable month. I'm glad you got the meds early; that can make a huge difference in the severity.
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Month?
You were blessed

Furry-

Prepare for the long haul.

I had it for several months
I should say ‘still have it’ as the remnant post herpetic neuralgia I have is a fun little jaunt thru itchy, sporadic dull pain, hades.

I began to have symptoms May 1.
Yeah, deep into the sixth month.

If your bout is anything like mine, you’ll develop neat little bubonic plague like sores
Do not pick at, rub, or itch those areas!
Or, try not to.
I found that even gentle rubbing causes the rotting skin to slough off, leaving raw dermal meat where once was a protective scab.

My ear suffered the most.
I had a strong desire to push my dremel tool with burr attachment into the drum area and turn it on high speed.

Once the sores abate (a month or two), you’ll consider that you’re getting over it…heh heh.
The shards of pain will continue, causing you to yelp out at optimum times, like shopping at a grocery store.
Folks will look at you like you’re a Tourette’s victim….and, well, you pretty much are.

Nights become interesting, as being horizontal brings on a steady, but not so excruciating, agony.
I found that one can slumber in cat nap intervals while sitting or even standing, once sleep deprivation sets in.

'Course, yours may only last a month

enjoy
 
I know a fella that contracted shingles in his rib cage area which then kinda walked around to his lower back.....he says the pain was pretty hard to deal with and it seemed like it was getting worse.

He put up with it for quite awhile and finally had surgery to have one of those pain management thingies implanted under his skin with wires attached to it that ran up his spine.
 
IKE said:
I know a fella that contracted shingles in his rib cage area which then kinda walked around to his lower back.....he says the pain was pretty hard to deal with and it seemed like it was getting worse.

He put up with it for quite awhile and finally had surgery to have one of those pain management thingies implanted under his skin with wires attached to it that ran up his spine.
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Yeah, It’s really not the degree of pain
It’s the freaking duration
Really gets to the nerves after several days of 24/7 aggravation
 
Gary and Ike -I think I am going to be lucky.Fingers crossed..I have it in my upper chest and it extends around to my back.I am on Aciclovir which is an antiviral designed to deal with the rash and Amitriptyline at night to deal with the pain.I was told i would have to use moisturiser for several weeks.The rash is currently one of large red blotches that started out like little pimples.No blisters yet.Its much easier to deal with in the daytime.At least I don't feel ill.
 
Gary O' said:
Month?
You were blessed

Furry-

Prepare for the long haul...
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I believe getting the meds early is what makes all the difference in the severity of the outbreak. I had residual pain and itching for a couple of months, but the extreme pain and rash was gone after about a month. I have scars from the rash.
 
Furryanimal said:
Gary and Ike -I think I am going to be lucky.Fingers crossed..I have it in my upper chest and it extends around to my back.I am on Aciclovir which is an antiviral designed to deal with the rash and Amitriptyline at night to deal with the pain.I was told i would have to use moisturiser for several weeks.The rash is currently one of large red blotches that started out like little pimples.No blisters yet.Its much easier to deal with in the daytime.At least I don't feel ill.
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I also had the combo Rx. You probably know that the outbreak and blisters follow a nerve path in the body. Mine was down my left shoulder and following the C8 dermatome all the way to my hand. When it first started, I thought I had a pinched nerve in my neck because of the "route" of the pain. I developed patches of blisters on my upper arm, around the elbow, and on my left hand. I hope your outbreak is mild and you have no lingering effects.

Gary can attest to the annoying itching that arrives as the blisters heal and the pain subsides. Shingles is the gift that keeps on giving!!
 
Furryanimal said:
No shots.They aren't offered here until you are over seventy and only then at certain ages.Didn't even know there was one until I saw the notice at the doctors yesterday.
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Ouch! I did not know that! Good luck with the shingles going forward. I had a friend who got them on his face and he almost lost an eye over it.
 
fmdog44 said:
I had a shot years ago and my doctor said there is a new shot for a new string of shingles but he blew it off as not mandatory.
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You can't get a free one here before the age of seventy and I have no idea if it's worth it after you have had shingles.Anyway I have nine years to go.You can get one younger but it will cost you at least £150
 
From what I've read, the first shingles vaccine to come out was Zostavax. It came out in 2006, requires a single injection, and reduces your chance of getting shingles by about 50%. This is the one my wife and I got a number of years ago. In 2017, a new vaccine called Shingrix came out. It requires two injections, 2 to 6 months apart, and reduces you chance of getting shingles by at least 85%. If you had the Zostavax shot in the past, you can still get the Shingrix jabs.

I see my doc next week and will talk with him about it.
 
Furryanimal said:
My rash is much reduced and I am not in discomfort all the time but I get,completely out of the blue,sudden sharp bursts of pain.Going to be a little while yet before everything is cleared.
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Sounds good... relatively speaking. :D The timing of the anti-viral medication makes all the difference. I will say that I thought my rash was clearing up and then new ones appeared. Also once the rash starts clearing up is when the itching usually begins. Take care, Furry.
 

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