Shingles

[Kinkyboots]

Just found out I have shingles

Has anyone got any suggestions for the pain?

Also how contagious is it everyone seems to have different opinions on it?

Edited by Kinkyboots on Monday 16th August 17:28

[ShadownINja]

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Shingles.htm

[apotek]

By all accounts the pain is grim but have you been given anti-viral drugs,given early they reduce the spead and duration of the shingles and also the post infection pain.The drugs once were expensive but now are so cheap there is no excuse not to have them,they are also safe.
For the pain try a maximum daily daily dose of paracetamol i.e.four grammes(8 tablets).You will be offered an assortment of drugs used for neurological pain but they can be hit or miss.
Discuss this with your local pharmacist but the sooner the better for the anti-virals.
Good luck John

[eddo]

I had my dose a few years ago, got the antivirals into me pronto and it wasnt to bad at all. To be honest ive had worse stinging nettle rashes!
Good luck Ed

edited to add , maybe im just hard!!

Edited by eddo on Tuesday 17th August 16:20

[eddo]

I had my dose a few years ago, got the antivirals into me pronto and it wasnt to bad at all. To be honest ive had worse stinging nettle rashes!
Good luck Ed

edited to add , maybe im just hard!!

Edited by eddo on Tuesday 17th August 18:32

[grumbledoak]

You've almost certainly held onto some Chicken Pox from your youth, and it's flared up again - i.e. you didn't catch it this time. But you could give Chicken Pox to people (normally kids) who've not had it.

The pain is pretty much as bad as it gets. Seriously - it's in your nerves. When I had it, fifteen plus years ago, the drugs limit was about twice what the packet allowed. That was paracetamol (I think), but you'll likely be on different drugs, so ask your doctor. They don't work, though.

And, the anti-viral is only effective if diagnosis is very, very quick.

Deep joy, and happy memories. Not.

Edited by grumbledoak on Tuesday 17th August 16:29

[Beardy10]

I think if your rash is proeprly covered it's not too contageous....however you should definitely avoid all contact with anyone that's pregnant as I believe the shingles/chicken pox virus is potentially very harmful to babies in the womb. So if you work with anyone who is pregnant or whose wife if pregnant I would suggest keeping well away....just to be safe.

[theshrew]

Feel sorry for you mate i had it on my leg and back it hurt even to move.

I just took some pain killers helped a bit. It doesnt last for that long so dont worry to much

[theshrew]

Feel sorry for you mate i had it on my leg and back it hurt even to move.

I just took some pain killers helped a bit. It doesnt last for that long so dont worry to much

[slipstream 1985]

i had it at 12 very painful. couldnt sleep. comes when your immune sytem is low and you are stressed out. i had just recovered from an asthma attack and grandfather had died so perfect conditions for it. i still have the scars.

[The Hypno-Toad]

slipstream 1985 said:

i had it at 12, very painful.

If you're from Devon slipstream you've managed to beat my record. I got shingles when I was 13 1/2 and when I went to the GPs to check it out he said something which I'll always remember which was;
"You've got shingles. How the bloody hell have you managed that?"
He later checked and I was meant to be the youngest person in Devon ever to contract it at that time (1978).

Right then now for the gross bit. Stop reading now if you don't like horrible body stuff......

I can't remember much about the pain, I remember the glands in the back of my neck swelled up and were very painful. They didn't actually go back down fully for about 18 months. But I remember the rash, oh yes I remember the rash...

It was on my face and head & because of the way it attacks your body it was only one side of my face including into my scalp, so I looked like that Batman character.....errrrr Two Face. Now that was alright but the trouble was the stuff which I was given to get rid of the rash which came in a little pot & brush like Humbrol Liquid Poly, which then had to be painted on.
And it stank, really really stank. My mum was gagging when she was putting it on & had to call my dad, who she had recently divorced to come out of work and do it for her. I was then put it solitary confinement because the smell seeped through my skull and into my mouth to give me the worst bad breath in the history of the world. It then gets worse as part of the curing process of the liquid, was to scab the top of the red rash which then turned yellow & started to come away as you touched it...

So not only did I stink but I looked Two Face with a pizza stuck on him, which then proceed to flake off at the slightest touch. The scabs by the way, had a totally different smell to the liquid and was just as bad. However it did work as I have no scarring. However just be warned that it lowers your immune system so for the next two years or so you'll be getting every cold and flu bug going round.

Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. Hope you get well soon.

[grumbledoak]

The Hypno-Toad said:

I went to the GPs to check it out he said something which I'll always remember which was;
"You've got shingles. How the bloody hell have you managed that?"

I don't think much of your GP! I was in a walk-in in Australia and he initially gave me antibiotics, but three days later when it hadn't got better he got it immediately. Too late, as I was later told, for the antivirals to have had any effect. I had it on the head, too, one nerve branch from losing sight in one eye apparently.

But, "How the bloody hell?" You'd almost certainly carried it around for ages. It's Chicken Pox (Herpes Zoster).

Edited by grumbledoak on Saturday 21st August 21:55

[The Hypno-Toad]

grumbledoak said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

I went to the GPs to check it out he said something which I'll always remember which was;
"You've got shingles. How the bloody hell have you managed that?"

I don't think much of your GP! I was in a walk-in in Australia and he initially gave me antibiotics, but three days later when it hadn't got better he got it immediately. Too late, as I was later told, for the antivirals to have had any effect. I had it on the head, too, one nerve branch from losing sight in one eye apparently.

But, "How the bloody hell?" You'd almost certainly carried it around for ages. It's Chicken Pox (Herpes Zoster).

Edited by grumbledoak on Saturday 21st August 21:55

Slight mis-understanding there. My memory is now very poor (age, head injury) but he actually diagnosed it just from the swollen glands before the rash even appeared... I think. Must be going senile but it was 32 years ago.

[slipstream 1985]

The Hypno-Toad said:

slipstream 1985 said:

i had it at 12, very painful.

If you're from Devon slipstream you've managed to beat my record. I got shingles when I was 13 1/2 and when I went to the GPs to check it out he said something which I'll always remember which was;
"You've got shingles. How the bloody hell have you managed that?"
He later checked and I was meant to be the youngest person in Devon ever to contract it at that time (1978).

Right then now for the gross bit. Stop reading now if you don't like horrible body stuff......

I can't remember much about the pain, I remember the glands in the back of my neck swelled up and were very painful. They didn't actually go back down fully for about 18 months. But I remember the rash, oh yes I remember the rash...

It was on my face and head & because of the way it attacks your body it was only one side of my face including into my scalp, so I looked like that Batman character.....errrrr Two Face. Now that was alright but the trouble was the stuff which I was given to get rid of the rash which came in a little pot & brush like Humbrol Liquid Poly, which then had to be painted on.
And it stank, really really stank. My mum was gagging when she was putting it on & had to call my dad, who she had recently divorced to come out of work and do it for her. I was then put it solitary confinement because the smell seeped through my skull and into my mouth to give me the worst bad breath in the history of the world. It then gets worse as part of the curing process of the liquid, was to scab the top of the red rash which then turned yellow & started to come away as you touched it...

So not only did I stink but I looked Two Face with a pizza stuck on him, which then proceed to flake off at the slightest touch. The scabs by the way, had a totally different smell to the liquid and was just as bad. However it did work as I have no scarring. However just be warned that it lowers your immune system so for the next two years or so you'll be getting every cold and flu bug going round.

Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. Hope you get well soon.

im 25 so 13 years ago. was tld it was very rare for young people to get it as it tends to be an elderly condition. but tbh i have that sort of crappy luck with health related things.

[thetapeworm]

Shingles - the info I've read seems to be conflicting but is it safe for someone with it to go into work on the basis that they won't be in contact with anyone?

[slipstream 1985]

slipstream 1985 said:

i had it at 12 very painful. couldnt sleep. comes when your immune sytem is low and you are stressed out. i had just recovered from an asthma attack and grandfather had died so perfect conditions for it. i still have the scars.

Thread resurection 20 years on and I have it again. I have a high pain threshold due to other conditions I have but my god last night i broke down into wailing crying shouting and tears from the pain. It went on for 10 minutes solid. Can't believe I have this again

[ADogg]

I was the youngest person in the UK with it at 6 months old I think(at the time!), spent some time in Great Ormond St hospital, and have had it a few times, the last time at 12/13. I can't remember too much about the pain, but do remember taking Stafford Rangers to being dominant in the premiership and Europe on a Premier manager when I was off school.

I still freak out when I am near a kid with Chicken Pox as I think it can cause it to flare up again?

[actionpotential]

slipstream 1985 said:

slipstream 1985 said:

i had it at 12 very painful. couldnt sleep. comes when your immune sytem is low and you are stressed out. i had just recovered from an asthma attack and grandfather had died so perfect conditions for it. i still have the scars.

Thread resurection 20 years on and I have it again. I have a high pain threshold due to other conditions I have but my god last night i broke down into wailing crying shouting and tears from the pain. It went on for 10 minutes solid. Can't believe I have this again

There is a shingles vaccine now available, not suitable for all people (eg. people on immunosuppressant medication because it's a 'live' vaccine) but worth a chat with your GP if you're suffering from repeated attacks. There is another vaccine too in the pipeline for people who can't have the currently available vaccine.

[anonymous-user]

I had shingles as a kid, can't remember how old but I was a young un and had the stuff painted on the rash. The rash was all over my back so it wasn't a nice experience.