[Help] Shingles

[Thunder Bolt]

Another update for anyone who's unfortunate enough to get this.

It's been 4 weeks now & still painful. Definitely the worst thing is not getting good sleep because of the pain. Once you wake up, that's it, you're awake. Then the whole day is just a struggle.
Fly home from Quebec on Friday, so I'll be hoping to see a proper doctor the following week.
It really is much worse than I thought it would be. I'm quite an active person, I like my running & going to the gym, but with this it's impossible.
I went for a run last week to see how it went; I managed to do a 10k, but the pain was twice as bad for the 2 days after, so not doing anything now, which is quite depressing.
I know us blokes are not good with ailments, women tend to just get on with things, but blimey this is horrible.

You've had a nasty virus, and need to rest. It's as simple as that. You cannot just get on with things, male or female.
Some people recover quicker than others, so don't compare yourself with anyone else.

 

[robinsonsgrin]

there are those who disagree, but homeopathy is good as a shingles lessener.
for more conventional allopathic...mothers doc (now retired... but was quite on the ball) suggested amultriptline 10 mg at night plus painkillers but also with gabapention together...it is the combo of both that works.. not many gps will offer the combo due to cost.. so he said. just passing on info i found interesting at the time.

 

[smudge]

there are those who disagree, but homeopathy is good as a shingles lessener.
for more conventional allopathic...mothers doc (now retired... but was quite on the ball) suggested amultriptline 10 mg at night plus painkillers but also with gabapention together...it is the combo of both that works.. not many gps will offer the combo due to cost.. so he said. just passing on info i found interesting at the time.

I'd drink the devil's own urine right now if it helped! Actually feels like it's getting worse.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'd drink the devil's own urine right now if it helped! Actually feels like it's getting worse.

Go back to the quack and ask for help.

 

[smudge]

Go back to the quack and ask for help.

Home in 5 days, then I will see a Doctor. I have to be careful not to be signed off medical as it's very difficult to get your job back once off.
I will most definitely be seeing a Doc at the earliest opportunity that's for sure. Another reason I don't really trust our medical staff, click on the link. This is my company.

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2018/09/articles/crew-member-rights/arbitrator-orders-ncl-pay-3337500-seriously-injured-crew-member/

I only got told about this after receiving a pain killing injection in my backside, which was really painful & has left a hard lump in the muscle tissue at the very top of my thigh.
So yes, I'll wait till I get home!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

there are those who disagree, but homeopathy is good as a shingles lessener.
for more conventional allopathic...mothers doc (now retired... but was quite on the ball) suggested amultriptline 10 mg at night plus painkillers but also with gabapention together...it is the combo of both that works.. not many gps will offer the combo due to cost.. so he said. just passing on info i found interesting at the time.

Homeopathy isn't good. If you don't believe me, I'll dilute it for you.

 

[Klaas]

Another update for anyone who's unfortunate enough to get this.

It's been 4 weeks now & still painful. Definitely the worst thing is not getting good sleep because of the pain. Once you wake up, that's it, you're awake. Then the whole day is just a struggle.
Fly home from Quebec on Friday, so I'll be hoping to see a proper doctor the following week.
It really is much worse than I thought it would be. I'm quite an active person, I like my running & going to the gym, but with this it's impossible.
I went for a run last week to see how it went; I managed to do a 10k, but the pain was twice as bad for the 2 days after, so not doing anything now, which is quite depressing.
I know us blokes are not good with ailments, women tend to just get on with things, but blimey this is horrible.

Rest!!!

 

[blue'n'white]

A friend of mine had it and it allegedly lasted 6 months.
I say allegedly as he was trying to get medically retired at the time !
My mother had it and I know it was exceptionally painful
Good luck in your recovery

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Home in 5 days, then I will see a Doctor. I have to be careful not to be signed off medical as it's very difficult to get your job back once off.
I will most definitely be seeing a Doc at the earliest opportunity that's for sure. Another reason I don't really trust our medical staff, click on the link. This is my company.

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2018/09/articles/crew-member-rights/arbitrator-orders-ncl-pay-3337500-seriously-injured-crew-member/

I only got told about this after receiving a pain killing injection in my backside, which was really painful & has left a hard lump in the muscle tissue at the very top of my thigh.
So yes, I'll wait till I get home!

I don't blame you. Take care.

 

[Bognor Bystander]

Late to the conversation but also had this 'later' in life - 37 (now 56) when a friends child with Chicken pox visited and I started to feel unwell a couple of days later - lasted 4 weeks and some 2 weeks in bed of full rest finally saw it off. Was absolutely fine and thought it was out of the system until I got to 51 when rash and pain returned after I had a bad cold. Now still have treatment for Urticaria rash which is similar and take 720mg of anti-histamine a day. Really hope you feel better soon !

 

[RexCathedra]

There's a new vaccine -- better than Zovirax -- for shingles that they basically insist all us olds (I'm 61) get. In the States, you can get your jabs (2, with 2-6 mo. in between) at the supermarket or drug store and the co-pay is negligible, despite how tight-fisted US insurers are. That's how sold they are on getting us all immunized. I had mine a week ago Sunday,

My mom and wife both have/had run-ins with it in the pre-vaccine days, and I'm not going there, no thank you.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

There's a new vaccine -- better than Zovirax -- for shingles that they basically insist all us olds (I'm 61) get. In the States, you can get your jabs (2, with 2-6 mo. in between) at the supermarket or drug store and the co-pay is negligible, despite how tight-fisted US insurers are. That's how sold they are on getting us all immunized. I had mine a week ago Sunday,

My mom and wife both have/had run-ins with it in the pre-vaccine days, and I'm not going there, no thank you.

We have to wait until we're 70 over here. I'm waiting for my letter from the GP any day now.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

currently going through a bout of this,nasty

you lot weren't kidding,real sharp pains to the abdomen and intense itching

on the plus side,it's in a discreet area and I'm seemingly not suffering from fatigue or headaches

apparently it's rare to suffer another attack,so that's a positive,I'm 55,so hopefully shouldn't suffer from this in old age

 

[drew]

currently going through a bout of this,nasty

you lot weren't kidding,real sharp pains to the abdomen and intense itching

on the plus side,it's in a discreet area and I'm seemingly not suffering from fatigue or headaches

apparently it's rare to suffer another attack,so that's a positive,I'm 55,so hopefully shouldn't suffer from this in old age

It's a real *******. Had it in my mid 30s and it was on the top of my head. Felt like someone using a red hot drill bit into my head every minute or so. That said, think I got off lightly. Was only off for about two weeks. Had a colleague who had it across his eyes and forehead and was off for about a month!

Best of luck.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We have to wait until we're 70 over here. I'm waiting for my letter from the GP any day now.

currently going through a bout of this,nasty

you lot weren't kidding,real sharp pains to the abdomen and intense itching

on the plus side,it's in a discreet area and I'm seemingly not suffering from fatigue or headaches

apparently it's rare to suffer another attack,so that's a positive,I'm 55,so hopefully shouldn't suffer from this in old age

I had my vaccine nearly two years ago, but unfortunately had shingles in February of this year. I had to ring 111 as it was a Sunday, and the doctor came out ten hours later. My husband managed to get to the emergency chemist at the Seven Dials just before it closed, to get the anti virals.
I’d had a severe pain in my shoulder for a week before the rash came out (at the base of my hairline on the back of my neck)
The pain got worse and I rang the doctor five days later. She prescribed Gabapentin which is a specific nerve painkiller, and a controlled drug. Apparently shingles gets worse as you get older, and the vaccine only helps reduce the chance of it reoccurring, rather than prevention. I took the Gabapentin for about seven weeks, having to be weaned off them gradually. Nasty, horrible disease.

 

[Yes Chef]

I have two friends independent of each other, (one in Goring , one in Dorset) that are both suffering from shingles, does seem to suggest an outbreak, hope the poster above gets well soon

 

[Mr Moofo]

I had it about 4 years ago - on my face and eyelids and scalp. Luckily not into my eye - but i was warned that i might go blind in that eye.
It then lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases and me totally losing my sense of balance ( which hasn’t really returned fully).
Noticeable scaring on my face ( welllnoticeable to me).
And like a previous poster said , in times of tiredness, stress etc the right side of my fa eyeless lie it is being electrocuted. And it still does.

For me, it wasn’t hugely painful - but having a face that looked like Jabba the Hut wasn’t great- neither was the swelling etc.
Lasted about 4 weeks - but i am aware of it still now.