Anyone ever have....Shingles?

[Chocaholic]

Saw the doc this morning. Says it's Shingles. Put me on an anti-viral and said to hope for the best. Really, it itches more than anything. Hopefully it won't be that bad, but I've heard horror stories. Got on anti-viral med within a couple days of noticing the rash.

Always thought it was for old farts. I'm 54, so I guess that qualifies me. Have a lot of travel and a 5 day conference to attend right after T-giving. Hoping for the best.

[Rot 911]

Got them once when I was in my late 20's. It goes from itching to sensitive skin to just hurting. Hopefully the meds they have now work faster than they did in the 1980's.

[scottmandue]

Yes I have and it in my 20's, as far as know you can get it at any age.

At the time when I had it there was nothing they could do for it so I just suffered.

Very painful when full blown, hope the meds help, best of luck.

[ckelly78z]

I'm 48 and just got over them about a month ago. I had been cutting firewood, and got a rash on my stomach that I thought was poison ivy, well, poison ivy shouldn't hurt ! I have a high tolerance for pain, so for me, it was never any more than a tight pinching pain when something hit directly. I too did the viral thing, and they dried up after a week or two. Maybe some people get it worse than I did, or they just can't handle any discomfort in their lives, but I think the people on the TV adds are wimps.

[74-911]

I had it about 15 years ago (early 50's also). Doc put me on the anti-viral meds and it went away within a few weeks and but definitely felt like skin was on fire at times, not a pleasant experience. Know several people that had some real problems with shingles however. I think the real issues come when you get in around your face and it can get it your eyes - really bad news.

[cairns]

Yes. Believe it or not I'm allergic to gold. Got them when I first put on a wedding ring. Up my arm and all over my back. Couldn't figure it out until the doctor mentioned it. Took the ring off took anti virals and it was gone in a few weeks.

[lowyder993s]

Originally Posted by cairns

Yes. Believe it or not I'm allergic to gold. Got them when I first put on a wedding ring. Up my arm and all over my back. Couldn't figure it out until the doctor mentioned it. Took the ring off took anti virals and it was gone in a few weeks.

Me too...but I'm alergic to being married

[cashflyer]

Had it in my 20s. Doc prescribed a 7-day regimen of Zovirax and it went away.

[TimT]

My uncle gets outbreaks of shingles.

AFAIK if you had chicken pox, the virus that cause shingles is already in you. You get the shingles when the virus "wakes" up and becomes active again.

I recently started seeing a new Dr, and he asked if I had had Chicken pox, I couldn't remember so he ordered a test to see if I have the virus in me. I was clean... so no shingles in my future

I think some of you are confusing hives with shingles..

[911michael]

A friend who recently battled shingles advised me to get the shingles vaccine so I did.

CDC article on shingles vaccine

[JTO]

I had a pretty severe case on my head. Looked like a bad spider bite with lots of pain. Swelled up. Got misdiagnosed and almost lost my vision in my left eye (doc said almost got to my optic nerve). Regardless, anti-viral drugs worked but I still have neuralgia occasionally under high stress. Get the shot if you can.
Troy

[recycled sixtie]

My fil had shingles around the stomach about 15 years ago(he is now 98) . Was very uncomfortable for him but seemed to go away after treatment.

I had a shingles vaccine about 2 years ago and I am glad I did . Never had shingles and don't expect to get it.

I am not a medical person but understand that shingles is a different strain from herpes. I understand that stress can bring out shingles.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by TimT

I recently started seeing a new Dr, and he asked if I had had Chicken pox, I couldn't remember so he ordered a test to see if I have the virus in me. I was clean... so no shingles in my future

You may want to ask your doctor about the vaccine. Since you never had chickenpox as a child, you are still at risk of contracting chickenpox from people who have active symptoms, and: ...for those who didn't catch it in childhood, an attack of chickenpox can produce serious, sometimes lethal, complications. Adults are at risk of pneumonia and, less commonly, encephalitis (infection of the brain).
- http://immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook-varicella

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

I am not a medical person but understand that shingles is a different strain from herpes. I understand that stress can bring out shingles.

Wiki agrees with you:
Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease.... Herpes zoster is not the same disease as herpes simplex, despite the name similarity

[JJ 911SC]

Get the vaccine before it get you… Well worth the $200.

Kind of funny it's not cover by our national health care system nor by my work which cover everything else.

https://www.google.ca/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=shingle+vaccine+in+canada&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=yN6TUo_SGMPTqgHX-AE

[gamin]

I had chicken pox when I was a kid. Just got the prescription for the vaccination. Going to get it in the next few days.

[mudman]

Think of herpes like pines, there are lots of different types.
Chicken pox= herpes zoster= shingles. All the same virus.
Chances are you have some variety of herpes.

I had a clinically acute case on my face and head. Trigeminal nerve root is where it popped up from. A nickname for the trigeminal is the 'suicide nerve'.

It changed my life. I still have scars and post herpetic neuralgia. Anti inflammatory drugs helped a little, most relief I found was from marijuana (seriously). I have a very high pain tolerance but I was in hell for 3 weeks. Barely slept, barely ate. Couldn't open my eye (eyelid and eyebrow were so swollen, skin in my eyebrow split open in several places). I had it on my nose as well and had to see some special eye doctor because I was at risk of losing my sight.
Total time until I truly began to recover was over 4 weeks.

There is no way to describe the pain. Light rain on my face felt like a million bee stings, a gentle breeze was like a blow torch on my forehead. My whole body ached like I had been in a bad auto accident.
Then as I was healing I had to walk around with crazy oozing scabs. Something I would never want to repeat.

Stress seemed to be to blame for causing the virus to wake up (rather my body stopped suppressing it). I owned a landscape design/build company at the time and this happened during my busy season. That and the fact that I didn't have health insurance made this a very expensive illness.
Not fun. Do not recommend.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by mudman

Think of herpes like pines, there are lots of different types.
Chicken pox= herpes zoster= shingles. All the same virus.
Chances are you have some variety of herpes.

I had a clinically acute case on my face and head. Trigeminal nerve root is where it popped up from. A nickname for the trigeminal is the 'suicide nerve'.
It changed my life. I still have scars and post herpetic neuralgia. Anti inflammatory drugs helped a little, most relief I found was from marijuana (seriously). I have a very high pain tolerance but I was in hell for 3 weeks. Barely slept, barely ate. Couldn't open my eye (eyelid and eyebrow were so swollen, skin in my eyebrow split open in several places). I had it on my nose as well and had to see some special eye doctor because I was at risk of losing my sight.
Total time until I truly began to recover was over 4 weeks. There is no way to describe the pain. Light rain on my face felt like a million bee stings, a gentle breeze was like a blow torch on my forehead. My whole body ached like I had been in a bad auto accident.

I got off really easy. Anyone who reads the above and doesn't go get the Shingles vaccine is literally playing with fire or worse....

[GWN7]

I had shingles when I was about 9. In my groin area. Calamine lotion was my friend. I remember pain, being pink and how much warm baths with oatmeal felt good.

I have a buddy who is 65 and he has had shingles for the last 6 months. He is still trying to get rid of them.

[Laneco]

Holy carp MUDMAN!

That's it - I'm getting the vaccine...

angela

[Bugsinrugs]

In my twenties and around my lower back....yep,very uncomfortable.