My Husband, Harvey / "H", Has Shingles

[Jill]

We just found out this afternoon my husband, Harvey / "H" has shingles. He is only 40 years old. It started with like a little bump on his back several days ago that hurt a lot then spread. Looking at the "rash" last night, I was very worried it was shingles an the doctor confirmed it this afternoon.

H has percocet and what he said is an antibiotic (but I think maybe it's really an antiviral?). The doctor said it's a bad case of it. If he is not "better" in 7 days, he's to go back and there is some kind of long term medicine he can go on but that idea is scary to me.

It's like pulling teeth nearly to get H to tell me what did the doctor say, etc. I swear, anyone who thinks I am stubborn ought to spend some time dealing with H. And, he says he hurts a lot yet he is going over to mow someone's grass tomorrow (he's been mowing for this elderly man since he as in junior high).

Also, I didn't sleep hardly at all last night. A few times, H told me during the night he could not sleep, however, this was in between long periods of loud snoring

:

I hope he will be okay soon.

Do any of you have experience with shingles? I was looking for some home remedy types of things to help the prescription medicine (not to take the place) but haven't really come up with anything.

 

[kaykay]

im so sorry jill. years ago i had a friend get this and she was in terrible pain. this is a form of chickenpox that comes back or so i was told. I would do a net search. I know for her it kept coming back when she was stressed. Because of this she changed careers and it did get better. Her dr said it had laid dormant and then when she became a realtor and was so stressed it brought the virus out.

Thinking good thoughts for your hubby!

Kay

 

[minimama]

Hi Jill,

I had them years ago and now when I am at my most stressed teh pains come back but have not had another rash outbreak. I still get teh pins and needles though. No fun and not much help in treating. I have just had to suffer through it. I would say some type of benydryl lotion might help him out though and help to prevent the scarring that can occur with it.

Hope it is a quick outbreak and he never has another!!

Stacy

 

[nootka]

Aw. I sure don't have a lot to offer in the way of advice, just that I'm sorry he's going through this as well as you having to watch him go through it. It's hard when our big, strong protectors don't feel right, though it IS fun to baby them once in a while.

I hope it responds to treatment and he can find ways to relax and keep it to a minimum while he heals up.

I will keep you both in my thoughts that he's as good as new asap.

Liz

 

[Jill]

Thanks, Kay!

Yes, it is caused by the chicken pox which can lay dormant in your system for decades. Then the virus can re-activate can come up through your nerves and erupt at the skin. It is really painful.

For stress, H did injure his eye a month or so ago, and then specifically this week, we were scared we'd need a new drainfield (we don't), but this is such a recent stress that I don't know it could have brought it out.

However, I did read that sometimes X-rays / CAT Scans can activate Shingles. He had these done for the eye injury (a stick went in his eye socked like under the eyeball, not through it thank God).

I will be on him like white on rice to take the Valtrex which he needs to take 3 times a day for 7 days. He also should be taking his vitamins that I put out into this little day of the week box thing . . . Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn... But I love him.

Thanks, Stacy and Liz

I'm going to try and get him to take it easy this weekend though he will probably insist on going to cut that grass and also getting hay. One thing for sure is H is not a bit lazy, but it would be good if he'd rest some now.

 

[CountryHaven]

I'm sorry Jill. I'd heard of it but really didn't know what it was until reading these posts. I never knew anyone with it either. If stress brings it on though, that eye injury sure sounds like it could have been stressful enough both mentally and physically.

 

[Sonya]

Poor H...my Mom gets it alot. Really bad too, she says it's very painful.

Hope H feels better soon...also It can be transmitted so becareful Jill. We would have to wash my Mom's clothes seperate from everyone else and then bleach the washer afterwards, plus my dad wouldn't sleep in the same bed with her while she had them.

 

[anoki]

My Mom gets shingles when she gets overtired and stressed! She had them pretty bad a year and a half ago, and she has had a small flare up since. Although they 'say' they stay to one side, she had it start on one side then spread to the other....the rash was all through her hair. I know she found it pretty painful!!

I have heard Lysine -it comes as a powder, don't know if it comes any other way- is good to control the rash (we used it for a big horse, got the powder through a vet, to control a rash the horse had, and it did work!).

Yes, it can be transmitted....

~kathryn

 

[justanothercowgirl]

My Mom had an awful bout with them a couple of years ago!! yuck! Rest does really help speed the process and I know that our Dr. said the sooner you start the meds the better they work so that is good that H got in there and got it looked at quickly. The blister can be quite painful unfortunately, I hope that he gets over it quickly. I had to laugh when you said that H said he couldn't sleep but you heard him snoring, Mark will tell me he didn't sleep a wink and he is SO tired and I want to punch him right in the snout because I have been listening to him snore for HOURS!! :lol:

 

[bobby dazzler]

Hi. I had shingles about 1.5 years ago - and I was only about 38 at the time. I was stressed out at work - due to abusive customers - and trying to manage working full time and raise 4 kids. Yes, I have a husband but unfortunately, he was/is of no real help in that area!!! Lets not go there....

Shingles was horrible - I thought when the dr first gave me 2 weeks off that I would lye in bed and do some cleaning of the house, in a few days. hA - What an idiot I was. I had to get my mum to come and help with the kids - and I was off work for a month. I still have a scars - initially I thought I had strained my back - there was no rash but when a few blisters appeared, I went to the drs. Because I hadnt gone to the drs straight away, it was no use being on the antiboiotics - sorry about the spelling.

I remember the water droplets off the shower hurting my skin - like bruising. The side of my back that it occurred on is still numb - very weird indeed. I just hope it never comes back. My sympathy to your husband - and of course you - there is nothing worse than an ill man - and in this case, a very sore one at that too. Cheers, Kerrie

 

[Jill]

Thank you for the input and good wishes!

H has taken 2 of the anti-viral (Valtrex) so far and took a percocet / oxycodone last night. I "think" he maybe is feeling a little better already.

He did finally agree to take it easy this weekend vs. working his side jobs. We probably will still be getting hay this evening and tomorrow, however, he had originally planned to work the side job, do chores here, and get hay.

I asked him this morning (we get up way early) what he was going to do today, and he said "watch movies", so that is good news.

His doctor told him this is not contageous. I hope that is true because I don't want to catch it of course. If one of us had to have it, I'd rather be the one but I don't want to catch it.

I appreciate all the input here and the private messages and emails. We've got such a nice group of people here on LB

:

 

[sfmini]

Shingles itself is not contageous, but it can cause chicken pox in people who have never had it and never had the vaccination. He must stay away from pregnant women as it can endanger their pregnancy if they get chicken pox from it.

I had it on my forehead and didn't know it, and flew to Dallas on AMHA business. Ow, exposed 4 planeloads of people and was around some young pregnant women! I felt so bad, but luckily didn't make anybody sick (at least of the young ladies I was around, don't know about on the planes). From what I understand you only shed the virus when the blisters are draining.

Let me tell you, it was most attractive on my forehead, got it in my hair, ew. Hurt too. Missed over a week at work and that was just a mild case. We have too many people at work that have never had it and never been vaccinated, so I was not welcome at work at all.

The drugs should help slow him down and make him sleepy so they may help you get him to rest.

I took pictures of my head using a mirror and emailed a nurse friend to ask her what she thought. She didn't know and she had even had shingles!

 

[Sterling]

I just wanted to add my good wishes for a speedy recovery to H. I've heard this can be very painful and long lasting...but depending on the person too...some get it with minimum pain and it goes away quite quickly.

 

[Equuisize]

Michael sends his heartfelt understanding to Harvey......

He had them 10 years ago, never had a flare up since.

They are miserable.....The only way Michael could sleep for

a whole week was by laying his bent leg over the top of my

hips. He got comfy and could sleep only that way.....I on

the otherhand am way smaller than he is and didn't sleep at

all. My leg would go to sleep LOL

He took oatmeal baths.......Aveeno makes a powdered oatmeal

solution and he'd get in the tub and soak. Then I'd take calamine

lotion and dot it on the bumps with a Q tip....till it started spreading

and then I'd just slather his waistline area with it. it didn't spred

luckily.

Hope the meds kick in for Harvery quickly and he gets some relief....

Sure isn't any fun.........

 

[Jill]

Thanks

H is taking at least most of the week off, which is huge. He never takes sick days (had like 400 hours of sick leave, though his company cut everyone back to only 200 if they had accumulated "a lot" of time).

He's supposed to have a CAT scan tomorrow for that eye injury to see if there is still any drainage but that may need to be canceled. He's going to call and see if he's still supposed to have it.

The pain meds make him sick to his stomach, so he's going to see if the doctor can prescribe something less upsetting.

The bumps are like scabby now

But hopefully that means it's starting to run it's course?