# Varicella Zoster?



## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Darn, I think I have shingles. Have included a photo. This looked like a bug bite two days ago and now is about six inches long on my center right chest. I have pain going from the rash to under my arm to across the right side of my back.

I dont know that I need to see a doctor since I already have some pain meds and there is no real treatment. Had shingles in exactly the same place 45 years ago of all things. Wonder what I did to get this stuff restarted?:facepalm:


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

a doctor can give you an anti-viral to help


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## CountryMom22 (Nov 27, 2014)

Sisterpine, I'm sorry you're suffering with this. A number of my friends have recently gotten shingles and although I don't usually jump on the vaccination of the month bandwagon, I am seriously considering getting the shingles vaccine.

Has anyone here gotten it and did you have any side effects?

I hope you get over this soon Sisterpine.

God Bless

Sue


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## Jlynnp (Sep 9, 2014)

SisterPine, I feel for you having shingles. My aunt went through it several yeas ago and she was miserable. The Dr can give you antiviral meds that should help. 

I had the shingles shot because of watching what she went through. I had no side effects from it and highly recommend it.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Doctor told me three days on is too late for the anti virals so me and my pain meds will become friendly for a bit! It is a very odd kind of pain....scratchy burning???? Oh well, at least it wont kill me and is not in my eyes - thank you Lord.


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

Stress can trigger it and you can get it more than once. If you can get the shot to prevent it that might be a good idea. Our neighbor would get it almost once a year and usually it was only a small area on his hands. I hope that you are feeling better soon!


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Vit B12 fights the pain of shingles; heals nerve endings. Either injectable or sublingual. Can buy the sublingual at Wally, and drug stores.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

also looks like a spider bite or two like I just had...have also had shingles in the past, but doc said this time it was spider bite and gave me an antibiotic which started working in couple of days and now it is gone.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

I've never heard that it is too late to have the antiviral. I had mine almost a week before I went to the doc and was put on zovirax. Thank heavens for that stuff! I do have residual nerve damage 26 years later but the initial outbreak cleared up quickly from the meds. I'd try to get them if possible.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

CountryMom22 said:


> Sisterpine, I'm sorry you're suffering with this. A number of my friends have recently gotten shingles and although I don't usually jump on the vaccination of the month bandwagon, I am seriously considering getting the shingles vaccine.
> 
> Has anyone here gotten it and did you have any side effects?
> 
> ...


Check with a doctor...I have had shingles and went to get the vaccine....

Nope not good to get the vaccine AFTER having shingles.....unless you really enjoy pain.
Per the doc getting the vaccine after having shingles is like shutting turnabout after the cows out...I would risk getting another bought.


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

Sisterpine: the picture you included above is non-descript. Shingles rash is just like chicken pox rash: a cluster of lesions like in your photo starts (often after a "early warning" of tingling/itching/pain)-- then turns into blisters, which then break open and weep golden fluid--then dry up and crust (often black) over the course of 7 -14 days (rarely longer). Additional crops of lesions can show up during that week or so, anywhere in the dermatome (the stripe of skin innervated by the affected nerve). Usually only one dermatome is involved in an attack and a repeat attack often occurs in the same dermatome as the last attack (as in your case). If the rash "crosses the midline" on your body, it probably isn't shingles.

Antivirals are given not to treat the current attack, but to reduce the risk of future recurrences and to lessen the rate of the dreaded "post-herpetic neuralgia": continued pain in that dermatome after the rash goes away. Treatment is very expensive and ain't all that effective. One could argue that treatment is recommended to avoid malpractice suits, not to benefit the patient.

The shingles vaccine is only 50% effective. The real risk of developing shingles in us old f*rts who actually had chicken pox as kids is only about 1 in 2-300 or so (not the 1 in 3 they lie about in the advertising), so we have to give the vaccine (@$150ea) to 400-600 people to save one stinking case of shingles. Add in the risk of side effects and it's obvious it's really a case of having invented a cure and now we have to find a disease for it in order to make some $$. (We don't know the risk of shingles, if any, for younger people who have had the chicken pox vaccine.) 

Sorry you got this--hope it doesn't last as post herpetic neuralgia. "Icy-hots" like capsaisin cream is a good treatment for the pain. Just don't get it in an open sore or you'll discover how high and how long you can jump.


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## haley1 (Aug 15, 2012)

You are trying to say they lie about how many people get shingles? Pharmaceutical companies would never ever lie.


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## SueBee (May 28, 2010)

You can get Hypericum Perforatum it is a Cell Salt this will help with the pain and healing. They have it at Health Food Stores, or you can get it on line, it really works good it comes in little pills that you put under your tongue.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

doc- said:


> Sisterpine: the picture you included above is non-descript. Shingles rash is just like chicken pox rash: a cluster of lesions like in your photo starts (often after a "early warning" of tingling/itching/pain)-- then turns into blisters, which then break open and weep golden fluid--then dry up and crust (often black) over the course of 7 -14 days (rarely longer). Additional crops of lesions can show up during that week or so, anywhere in the dermatome (the stripe of skin innervated by the affected nerve). Usually only one dermatome is involved in an attack and a repeat attack often occurs in the same dermatome as the last attack (as in your case). If the rash "crosses the midline" on your body, it probably isn't shingles.
> 
> Antivirals are given not to treat the current attack, but to reduce the risk of future recurrences and to lessen the rate of the dreaded "post-herpetic neuralgia": continued pain in that dermatome after the rash goes away. Treatment is very expensive and ain't all that effective. One could argue that treatment is recommended to avoid malpractice suits, not to benefit the patient.
> 
> ...



Antivirals given early are most certainly to treat the current attack. The vaccine is given to lessen the severity of a future outbreak.


Shingles outbreaks are expected to be on the rise in older people who contracted wild chicken pox because their immune systems are not being challenged by wild CP outbreaks as often as they used to because so many young people don't get them any more because of the vaccine. So while my generation may suffer, it's expected that my kids generation will have a much lower incidence of Shingles when they are older.


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

haley1 said:


> You are trying to say they lie about how many people get shingles? Pharmaceutical companies would never ever lie.


Shut up and take your Lipitor. :hammer:


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

basketti said:


> Antivirals given early are most certainly to treat the current attack. The vaccine is given to lessen the severity of a future outbreak.
> 
> 
> .


Using an antiviral (cost $80-240 per pt) may shorten the course (only if started within the first 72 hrs of the attack) from 14 days to 12 days. Add in side effects. Does it benefit the doc's legal exposure more than the pt's course?


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Sorry for the lousy photo, hard to photograph a breast without being lewd! I did go to the doc for something else (broken toe) and he confirmed it is shingles. Exactly the same place I had it as a teenager. He did not mention stress but I sure think that is possible. Two and a half weeks down the pain has reduced greatly, now it only hurts if the shower hits it or something similar. I wondered if it had anything to do with me tapering myself off neurontin? One never really knows.


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

I had it 3 times in 13 months... decided I needed to quit THAT job!! In my hair all 3 times. Never blistered, just lumps I could feel. NP misdiagnosed first round... too late for the antiviral by the time I figured out it really WAS shingles. I have a super high pain tolerance. Tried the antiviral the second time... little difference. Didn't bother with the third round. There is a whole community out there who get it frequently and live in misery, I found out while doing research. Husband had it in his head too and Neurontin(Gabapentin) helped him. He's a wimp with pain and had heavy duty narcotics. I just toughed it out. Such weird pain it is too! Once you've had it, you KNOW when you get it again!!

Debbie


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I was doing some research on a different problem I have been having for at least twenty years. I call it "loose feet" though it has also become loose leg and hands and arms. I could not figure out why it was keeping me awake nights this past few months and while researching neurontin I discovered that it was one of the meds I was taking with the clonidine to combat what "they" call RLS and RAS LOL. So when I tapered off the med thinking that I could handle my back pain I kind of screwed with some other problems....go figure. sis


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