Shingles

strtdv

I have it. It's not hugely fun.

Thought it was a bit of eczema flaring up in an unusual spot (I'd usually get a bit on my left hand and elbow when I'm chronically stressed) but then today the rash and skin sensitivity started. Never had it before

markr76

I’ve just got over it. I had pain around my back and right side of my rib cage. Severe pain at that. I first noticed the pain on a Friday. It lasted all weekend, getting gradually worse. By Monday evening, while at work I started to feel unwell too. Getting heart palpitations, cold sweats. Feeling very run down. The Tuesday I said to my other half, can you see anything on my back and she said there’s a rash everywhere on the right side of your back. Well I talked to the docs and they confirmed shingles. Prescribed me antibiotics, although she said they probably won’t work as they need to be prescribed within the first 48 or so hours to be effective. 

I’m only just getting back to normal now. Which is about 2 1/2 months down the line. I still have a faint rash on my back. I still get pins and needles where the rash is too. Plus a strange feeling like anaesthetic wearing off. A tingling, sensitive sensation. 

Really not very nice. I feel for you. 

fastonebaz

Avoid pregnant womenfolk.  It's dangerous to babies. 

Simonh

I had it last year in my c6 nerve which meant I got the rash all down one arm. Doc prescribed anti-biotics and it cleared up pretty quickly. Hurt like chuff though! It did take ages for the blistering to disappear though and it has left scars almost a year later.

Dominic

^It wont be anti-biotics.........Shingles is an Herpetic Virus that can only be treated with Anti-Virals
The normal prescription would be Acyclovir or Famivere at 800 mg x4 daily for 8 days
I have suffered with it for 20 years and tend to have an attack every 3 weeks or more ! Baine of my life .....been to every clinic/specialist in the country and beyond.
Acyclovir works well but can upset your stomach.
Avoid anti-virals if you can whilst you are waiting to build immunity from your Covid Jab as may be detrimental although compendium pharmacology has not been conclusive about this.
Avoid pregnant women , touching your eyes and old folk .
Do not share towels etc in your home.

Simonh

Acyclovir sounds familiar - tbh she prescribed pills, I took them and it went away!

WindmillGuitars

@strtdv Shingles can be pretty grim .. I've had them on six occasions now, mainly brought on by stress. As @Dominic ;
 says the meds can be pretty hard on your stomach so keep plenty of food in you. GWS.

strtdv

I shouldn't require treatment (I'm under 50 and have no significant health problems, and the pain is fairly mild), so hopefully will be back at work tomorrow if infection control ok it

Simonh

doesn't it come with the possibility of spreading chicken pox? and as such you need to be careful about what contact you have with other people?

markr76

You can get chicken pox from someone with shingles if you’ve not had it before. But only if you come into contact with the discharge from the blisters apparently. 

It’s more of a problem if you have the rash/blisters on your face or arms as they are rarely covered up. 

markr76

strtdv said:

I shouldn't require treatment (I'm under 50 and have no significant health problems, and the pain is fairly mild), so hopefully will be back at work tomorrow if infection control ok it

I’m 44 and they gave me meds. I had Acyclovir. But they are only effective if you get them in the first 48 hours so the doc told me. 

Mudcrutch

Years ago a friends dad got it because of contact with his grandchildren that had chickenpox.
He got it on the side of his face and lost the sight in one eye.
Most people I know that have had it got it around the waist like a boxers belt of painful scabs.
Not a nice thing to get especially during a hot summer.

rze99

Only had it once when I was about 40 and I felt very ill. Had it all over neck shoulders and chest as well as shakes/fever. I was in bed for 3 days. Deeply horrible. I didn’t know what it was it anything about it so it was a bit shocking. 

LastMantra

Mudcrutch said:

Years ago a friends dad got it because of contact with his grandchildren that had chickenpox.
He got it on the side of his face and lost the sight in one eye.
Most people I know that have had it got it around the waist like a boxers belt of painful scabs.
Not a nice thing to get especially during a hot summer.

My dad had it on his face once and was told it could be serious if it got into his eyes. Not very pleasant. 

Grunfeld

strtdv said:

I have it. It's not hugely fun.

Thought it was a bit of eczema flaring up in an unusual spot...

My mate had it in his perianal area.  "Not hugely fun" would probably fit the bill.

Logie

I got it a few years ago probably from the stress of arranging my wife's surprise 40th birthday.! Very unpleasant for about 6 weeks but mine was mainly confined to an area around my chest and sides. My Mother got it on holiday 2 years ago and she's only just now free of it and she was in horrendous pain with it for a long time.

Simonh

you don't "catch" shingles. If you have had chicken pox in the past the remnants of the virus live on in nerve clusters, these can then break out due to stress, poor health or other contributory factors, I read something that there have been links to people having covid and then a few weeks later having shingles.

Dominic

^ yes,that's correct............anybody prone to shingles will get an outbreak after;
Serious stress
Post illness ,even a very bad cold
Bereavement,depression
Not enough sleep
a heavy night drinking
not enough Lysine or Taurine Amino Acids in the diet
Not enough Niacin