I just came back from the Doctors...

[Auntie Bush]

Damn! I have Shingles! What a pain in the ass! And I mean that literally.
It goes from my waist down my butt, down my thigh all the way to behind my knee. See...it really is a pain in the butt! I can't sit, can hardly walk and my pain medications (Hydrocodine...Rush's favorite) don't seem to work at all.

Wish me luck as I'm told it's a nightmare...that I wish I could wake up from. Does anyone have any advice or experience. Getting sleepy...so I guess it's doing something.! Good night!

[NYC_SKP]

1. Good luck, Auntie Bush!

So sorry!

[lostincalifornia]

2. They might be able to give you some anti-virals that might prevent the potential post nerve pain

Hopefully, you have a good doctor. If not get a second opinion

Good luck

[Lasher]

3. Eeek! Hate that for you.

I've heard lots of stories like yours so I got the shingles vaccine last year.

[Samantha]

9. I read that is only effective 50 percent of the time in blocking an outbreak

I was thinking about getting it until I read that statistic. What do you think?

Sam

[DURHAM D]

11. I would take it and hope you are in the good 50%.

Actually I had not heard that stat. I don't know anyone who has taken the shot that later had a shingles episode. Also, I don't know anyone who suffered any side effects from taking the shot.

[Lasher]

21. I think it's true.

In a clinical trial involving thousands of adults 60 years old or older, Zostavax reduced the risk of shingles by about half (51%) and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia by 67%. While the vaccine was most effective in people 60-69 years old it also provided some protection for older groups.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vacc-need-know.htm

I'm glad I got vaccinated anyway because I'm 100% sure that if I get the shingles I won't have to put up with some smartass saying, "You should have gotten the shot like I did." But seriously, even it it's only somewhat effective it makes sense to get the vaccine.

[Cleita]

4. My heartfelt sympathies and I know how awful it it.

Take all the medications they give you. It won't last as long, but it lasts long enough.

[Cha]

5. So sorry, Auntie.. I have two close

friends who have gone through that misery. I wish I could give some good advice.. oh yeah, my friend when he was in New York would take cold showers and he said that helped for about an hour. They both just rode it out. A distant memory.

My friend here on Kaua'i was taking Percocet but she had to keep taking more and more and then she had to come down from that.

Hope you find the relief you need~

[RKP5637]

6. Ohhh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I had them years ago, followed the nerve path

across my chest. Back then the only thing the university hospital had was tincture of iodine whatever good that did. Hopefully, you have medical attention that can help alleviate some of the pain. Good luck. As soon as the vaccine was available I ran immediately out and got it, never want to go through that again. Best advice is to have a really good doctor helping you.

[Lars39]

7. Dang, Auntie Bush!

I am so sorry this happened to you. It sounds like a bad case.
My husband has just finished the anti-viral for his shingles. It seems like such a crap shoot as to how severe a case a person gets.

[Beacool]

8. Ooohhh, That sounds painful.

I'm sorry that you're going through that ordeal, Auntie. I have no advice since I've never had it. I only hope that it doesn't last long.

I wish you a full and quick recovery.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Anti-virals. Immediately.

The sooner you get them into your system, the better they work. My spouse has had shingles twice - and both times the antivirals stopped it before it got to the blister stage. Still a royal pain - but much shorter and smaller area than if we hadn't immediately recognized what was happening.

[kestrel91316]

12. I take lysine supplements to keep my herpes simplex I (cold sores)

under control and it works great. I have always wondered if herpes zoster (chicken pox/shingles) is also inhibited by it.

It wouldn't hurt you at all to try it. I take 1000 mg twice a day when I actually have a cold sore, and maintain long-term on 500 mg once or twice a day, but I take a long time to taper that dose down. It's cheaper than systemic antivirals, and safe enough that there is no down side to it.

[madamesilverspurs]

13. Ow!

I'm right there with you! Got mine for Christmas, of all things. Mine hit me in my bad knee, I thought I'd damaged it. Then the blisters showed up. Silly me, I thought they were bug bites and went to the doctor; she immediately recognized the "bites" as shingles blisters and proceeded accordingly. Prescribed anti-viral med and Gabapentin for the nerve pain (tylenol and ibuprofen didn't touch it); she explained that nerve pain simply does not respond to conventional pain meds, so the one she prescribed starts small and works up to larger doses. Doc also prescribed Lidocaine patches for the areas most painfully affected (knee, thigh, hip, lower back); strongly advised Capzasin for those 12-hour stretches between the patch applications.

It's getting better, but they said it would take some time. At least it's no longer keeping me awake all night. I feel your pain, and wish to hell that wasn't so.

Hang in there!

[riversedge]

20. I just wrote a post about Gabapentin below. My

experience with it--working with patients in the nursing home--it does work.

[Yo_Mama]

14. Valtrex!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valaciclovir

[WhiteTara]

15. shingles is a nerve disease

and vitamin b12 specific and vitamin b in general. If you like nutritional yeast, it is excellent source. Good luck. I hear this is a terrible condition.

[ananda]

16. I'm so sorry.

My great aunt, my mom, and my dad all had shingles,
and it was horrible and painful. My dad got head
and eye shingles, the absolute worst.

As soon as I turned 60, I got the vaccine. I knew
I never wanted to go through that nightmare.

I still get cold sores from coffee, though. That's
why I drink tea and juice only. I like coffee so
much, but it doesn't like me, so we've parted ways
for good. Oh well...

I hope you feel better soon.

[uppityperson]

17. Avoid chocolate, nuts, tomatoes as they are high in the amino acid lysine which can help the virus

thrive.

Amino acids come in pairs with foods having more of one, less of the other. Lysine/arginine is one such pair. The first encourages herpes viruses to thrive, the second to not. However, there have not been studies on the type herpes that causes chickenpox/shingles. However, outbreaks of chickenpox are common after christmas (could be due to travel too) and easter. Chocolate and nuts anyone?

Google arginine/lysine shingles and you will come up with a bunch of hits.

Chosen at random, this one says "The major risk of consuming high lysine/low arginine foods is that it will have no effect" though they also say do not avoid your regular health care provider. It also has lists of foods high in each of those amino acids.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/280245-shingles-and-lysinearginine-foods/

Cool bath with a bit of baking soda or powdered oatmeal helps some feel better for a bit.

Anti-virals asap can help.

Good luck.

[Rowdyboy]

18. Been a victim of that particular pain in the ass twice....it will get better, especially if you

caught it in time for the drugs to work. Otherwise, just time. Lots and lots of time.

Sorry, wish I could offer more. Its pretty horrible.

[riversedge]

19. Gabapentin is very effective for nerve

pain from shingles. Many times it has a synergistic effect when taking narcotics--meaning you need less of the narcotic when used in conjunction with gapapentin. It is an anti-convulsant and I do not think anyone knows why it works but it does. Discuss with your doctor. I know nursing homes use it lots. Best if used at beginning of the episodes. I wish you well.

[Silver Swan]

22. I hope you got something to help you sleep, and something for the itching.

My doctor initially prescribed anti-virals and anti-inflammatory meds, but I was still unable to sleep. When I complained, I was prescribed Ambien and strong antihistamines. Those meds helped me at least get some sleep.

[adirondacker]

23. So sorry you have to through this. It is indeed painful. I thought someone rubbed shards of glass

on my face. It spread from my left temple to my nose and just missed my optical nerve. Dr said I was lucky it missed the optical nerve as it could result in blindness. It took a couple of weeks for it to start healing. I ended up with a couple of superficial scars. It's been 30 years and no recurrence. Hope you feel better soon!

[Auntie Bush]

24. Thanks everyone for your useful suggestions and help.

I did have a Shingles vaccine about 2 years ago, so that proves you can get this nasty affliction in spite of the vaccine.

It was a nasty night, woke up around 3:30 and never got back to sleep, also got several new patches of this crap. Damn, now half my thigh and half my butt are covered in rashes and blisters...hurts like hell to sit. I've spent the morning trying to get some stronger medicine but so far, nothing.