I have shingles!

[sfmini]

I have never had this before. Really gross sores on my forehead and feel awful. Have to stay home from work at least until Thursday. Well, that part's not so bad, and I have to say the meds are good, I'll be too woozy to care about how much they hurt, but darn it, I have a horse to work for the AMHA world show and the sun hurts, the wind hurts, can't be too close to when I take the vicodin....

Guess that proves just how much stress I have been under lately!

 

[justaboutgeese]

We had a friend that said the case of shingles was much more painful than childbirth. Now I have never had a child but from listening to any number of women state that was pain in the extreme so shingle must be up there. Vicodan is a great pain reliever and they make it in several doses when you need it to get stronger.

 

[Miniv]

You poor thing! I've had relatives have them, and all I know is that it is painful!

Be good to yourself! I have a feeling lots of it has to do with low antibodies to fight off stuff???? In other words, if you are stressed, it can make it worse! Please take care.

MA

 

[Marty]

Totally sounds gross and painful Jody!

I've had a lot of gross stuff too numerous to mention so I feel for ya.

Major yuk. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

What causes them and how long before they go away?

 

[justaboutgeese]

Shingle is actually related to herpes, Its thought (but not proven) to be brought on or exasperated by stress. They are so many theories but its one of those things that old wives tales are made of.

 

[tifflunn]

Oh- so sorry- both my father and my brother has them- none of the break outs were on there faces though- I remember my brother would go through bottles of calamine lotion during his out breaks.

 

[Sue_C.]

Shingle is actually related to herpes,

That, I didn't know. It is also related to chicken pox, as well, so they are all related...ouch!!

 

[sfmini]

Actually when the blisters are gooey I could infect people with chicken pox. It is the virus that lays dormant after you have had chicken pox, and when you are under a lot of stress (me) or immune suppressed, it travels up the nerves and POP! The pain is because of the nerve involvement....

I feel guilty, flew down to AMHA offices thursday and home last night, total of 4 airplanes. The chicken pox is an airborne virus so god knows how many kiddies I may have exposed. The good news is if you had chicken pox or are vaccinated you are safe from me

Well, you will be able to recognize me at the World show, the really fat woman with the nasty looking boo boos on the forehead.

 

[Sonya]

on your face??? Ouch! My Mother used to get them often for a while. She would get them on her back and/or stomach. They looked like little blisters. They were terrible painful for her, she said it felt like someone was stabbing her with a knife in each sore all the way through her muscle. The doctor would give her high doses of valtrex (I think that's what she was taking), but they would come back very easily if she got stressed mentally or physically. It is a string of herpes, so are coldsores. I get those sometimes (you know the blisters on your lip) and I have a prescrip for valtrex for it. Sometimes I will get a coldsore on or in my nose too or below my lip.

Once you have gotten shingles/coldsores, the virus lays in your system until something triggers it...usually mental or physical stress. Chances are you could get them back again.

note - when my mom had the shingles, she would wash her clothing seperate from ours and disinfect the washer w/ a solution of bleach. I've heard they are highly contagious, but I'm not sure. I know coldsores are. The rest of the family never got the shingles, so if it was contagious, the bleach worked I suppose.

I hate when I get coldsores, I am so self-conscious of them...big ole nasty sores on my lip...yuck, I just got over one last week.

The vitamin Lysin is suppose to help w/coldsores, maybe it would help w/shingles too, you could check into it.

Good luck, hope they heal quickly (and don't leave scars) and you feel better soon.

 

[minimama]

Shingles is from the Herpes Zoster virus. When you get chicken pox, this virus comes with it and sits there in your body forever. Sometimes it gets just the right trigger and turns into Shingles, sometimes it just sits there forever and dose nothing. I too have had Shingles and it is not pleasant in any way shape or form. I get an outbreak every now and then when I am severly stressed. I mean it has to be severe too. But mine are not on my face so I am glad for that. I wish you well and enjoy the great meds!! I have those stockpiled here for just those emergencies. LOL

 

[Robin1]

I seem to remember someone on here had a relative that got them in her mouth and throat.

Robin

 

[Minimor]

I have a friend who gets shingles; she really suffered with them the first time, but since then at the first indication that she's getting them again she goes to the doctor for a prescription--there is something (don't know the name of it) you can get for them, if you take it right at the very start--like in the first 24-36 hours--it will pretty much stop the outbreak in its tracks. If you wait, though, for 3 or 4 days & then take this medication it will have no effect whatsoever. It's expensive stuff (at least here it is) but it works!

Speaking of cold sores--2 years ago a friend's mother ended up in hospital in a coma; after extensive tests the doctors figured out what was wrong with her--herpes simplex (which causes cold sores) had affected her brain.

I don't know if that's a very common thing, but certainly no one around here had ever heard of it before. Once she came out of the coma she didn't recognize anyone for a long time. She did eventually recognize people again and regained some of her memory, but she's had to go into a nursing home since she got out of hospital. She's only in her late 50's, or is maybe 60 now.

 

[Hosscrazy]

Oh you poor thing...

my brother had it and he said it was so, so painful... hope you feel better soon! Is there anything you can do to relieve some of the stress in your life right now? That definitely seems to be the trigger!

 

[sfmini]

I can't afford to quite my job so no go on that.

Only 10 years til I can retire.

 

[CyndiM]

My uncle has had shingles and he said the pain is still there even after the blisters have cleared up.

I'm sorry you are hurting this way, ((((HUGS))))

 

[AppyLover2]

I, too, know someone who has/had it. I understand it's very painful. Good luck finding meds that will help you when you need it.

 

[Bluerocket]

wow -- you have them on your face --- bet that hurts a lot!!

I had them on my rear end... hard to sit down with that!!

Hope they go away quickly for you!

JJay

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Shingles, cold sores and chicken pox are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Several years ago, a Dr. prescribed Zovirax for me for the cold sores. Clears them up in no time at all. Late hubby had shingles, had the oral Zovirax prescribed for him, and it helped him immensely. His sister had shingles at the same time, and it turned out they also had chicken pox the same time when they were children. She also had Zovirax prescribed for her and she got right over hers. Ask your Dr. if he will prescribe it for you. If you haven't been taking it since first onset, it won't help as much, but it will help some.

 

[DunPainted]

You have my sympathy. Had shingles on my temple and half my scalp...it was so painful. Kinda feels like having a boil....even a breeze over the affected area hurts. Hope your doctor stays on top of it, as I was sent to an opthamologist to make sure my "eye part" were not affected. It took a couple months for the pain to subside. Please keep your stress level to a minimum and hope you take care of yourself.

Cindy