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Shingles - Body kind, not roofing (1 Viewer)

kentric

Footballguy
Just on to ##### and moan about the massive amount of pain I'm experiencing from shingles. I got it four weeks ago and, while the actual blisters are gone (I took viral medication for a week), its still sticking around. When the outbreak was new, I didn't feel any desire to itch. Now, its itchy as hell and a chore to keep from scratching. Only additional medication I am taking is Codeine 3 2x/day.

The outbreak is on my torso, from the middle of my back around to the middle of my chest - they say shingles tops in the middle of the body. It goes from just below my nipple to an inch or two above my belly-button.

It started four weeks ago when I had a sharp pain at my lower left rib/upper stomach. They thought it may be gas related to Thanksgiving excess so I took Prilosec OTC. The next day the rash broke out and I thought I had an allergic reaction to the Prilosec. GP pronounced shingles the following day after looking at it. Went to a gastro specialist just to make sure it wasn't an ulcer/cancer/etc. of my stomach and he said he was 98% sure it was tied to the nerve damage associated with the shingles.

So I'm sitting here 4 weeks after the first symptom and feeling like total crap. Took a couple of days off three weeks ago but coming in since. Best thing I can do is walk around without a shirt as the sensitivity is muted then. But still sitting here with that lower rib/upper stomach pain and skin pain.

I read that in 10-20% of shingles sufferers that the pain can go on for months. I can't imagine having to bear this for months longer.

Anyone else here have this lovely experience? Does the pain dissipate after another week or two or will it be like this for the next few months?

 
That sucks, hang in there man. I haven't had it but my dad suffered for about 6 weeks with it.

 
T&P

wife went through it- about a month. another friend is pushing into her second month. seems pretty freaking horrible.

hope it gets better for you fast.

 
Felt like a rat was trying to claw and eats its way out of my left gut. Then the rash. If i did not touch it i was ok. One touch and itching flaming joy. Every so often i can feel the pain like a flashback.

 
Actually had it break out on my neck and go up around my right ear and towards the eye. The doctor said if it hadn't been caught in time I would have lost use of the eye. Agree about not feeling the need to itch at first, but it was tough later on. Good luck.

 
I had shingles in my left ear. It started as the most intensely painful headache I can imagine until the two nerves on the left side of my face gave up, causing the left side of my face to be paralyzed (called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, hence my username).

For 6 to 12 months, I looked like a stroke victim. Noises at certain wavelengths felt like they were hitting me straight in the brain stem. I couldn't handle bright light. My equilibrium was messed up, so I'd lurch to the side in the middle of walking for no apparent reason.

The paralysis has mostly cleared now. You have to look closely to see that the left side of my face doesn't move as much as the right side. The one lingering issue is that my left eye tears up with crocodile tears when I eat.

 
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I had shingles in my left ear. It started as the most intensely painful headache I can imagine until the two nerves on the left side of my face gave up, causing the left side of my face to be paralyzed (called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, hence my username).

For 6 to 12 months, I looked like a stroke victim. Noises at certain wavelengths felt like they were hitting me straight in the brain stem. I couldn't handle bright light. My equilibrium was messed up, so I'd lurch to the side in the middle of walking for no apparent reason.

The paralysis has mostly cleared now. You have to look closely to see that the left side of my face doesn't move as much as the right side. The one lingering issue is that my left eye tears up with crocodile tears when I eat.
Holy ####

 
Felt like a rat was trying to claw and eats its way out of my left gut. Then the rash. If i did not touch it i was ok. One touch and itching flaming joy. Every so often i can feel the pain like a flashback.
I liken the feeling to someone reaching into my body just below the lower rib and then pulling on the rib as if trying to rip it out of my body.

 
I had shingles in my left ear. It started as the most intensely painful headache I can imagine until the two nerves on the left side of my face gave up, causing the left side of my face to be paralyzed (called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, hence my username).

For 6 to 12 months, I looked like a stroke victim. Noises at certain wavelengths felt like they were hitting me straight in the brain stem. I couldn't handle bright light. My equilibrium was messed up, so I'd lurch to the side in the middle of walking for no apparent reason.

The paralysis has mostly cleared now. You have to look closely to see that the left side of my face doesn't move as much as the right side. The one lingering issue is that my left eye tears up with crocodile tears when I eat.
I can't imagine what you and Charlie went through. Just the thought of having this pain anywhere near my brain makes me think of a months long migraine.

 
I had shingles in my left ear. It started as the most intensely painful headache I can imagine until the two nerves on the left side of my face gave up, causing the left side of my face to be paralyzed (called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, hence my username).

For 6 to 12 months, I looked like a stroke victim. Noises at certain wavelengths felt like they were hitting me straight in the brain stem. I couldn't handle bright light. My equilibrium was messed up, so I'd lurch to the side in the middle of walking for no apparent reason.

The paralysis has mostly cleared now. You have to look closely to see that the left side of my face doesn't move as much as the right side. The one lingering issue is that my left eye tears up with crocodile tears when I eat.
I can't imagine what you and Charlie went through. Just the thought of having this pain anywhere near my brain makes me think of a months long migraine.
The headache only lasted a few days. That's the one benefit of the nerves dying. Maybe I couldn't eat without soup spilling out of my mouth, but it had stopped hurting.

 
All shingles episodes are not horrible.

It still sucks to have it.

I had an outbreak of this on the lower left half of my rear end just below the lower back.

At first I thought it was poison ivy from doing some yard work where i had gotten it on my hand and reached back to pull up the shorts I was wearing at the time.

GP was convinced it was shingles.

I thought it wasn't because it didn't really hurt and felt itchy like well poison ivy.

The GP told me all shingles cases are not the same and some are not as painful and it also depends on your thresh hold of pain.

Mine lasted for 6 weeks and has just recently gone away.

That's another reason I finally realized it was not poison ivy, it lasted far too long.

At it's worst if I pushed on the area it was in it hurt like a bruise about a week after the rash appeared.

The GP gave me some anti itch creme that also had an anti fungal that I applied twice a day to help me resist the urge to scratch away for the brief joy of scratching it.

 
I liken the feeling to someone reaching into my body just below the lower rib and then pulling on the rib as if trying to rip it out of my body.
Always thought the commercials were a :moneybag: scam to scare people

Are you able to work through this or are you at home

 
So I read the vaccine is for people 60 & over but what about people under who are :scared:

 
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I liken the feeling to someone reaching into my body just below the lower rib and then pulling on the rib as if trying to rip it out of my body.
Always thought the commercials were a :moneybag: scam to scare people

Are you able to work through this or are you at home
Took two days off due to the pain. The codeine I'm taking just mutes the pain a bit. I may go back to the GP and ask for something a bit stronger. Anything to take the stabbing pain away. I am going to see about working from home a bit as the other part of the pain (sensitivity) is materially lessened when I go shirtless.

 
Actually had it break out on my neck and go up around my right ear and towards the eye. The doctor said if it hadn't been caught in time I would have lost use of the eye. Agree about not feeling the need to itch at first, but it was tough later on. Good luck.
I had thia version too and if my sister hadn't had shingles previously I probably wouldn't have caught it in time.

It's was like my face waa lit on fire nonstop.

Good luck OP :(

-QG

 
Doc gave me a scrip last visit to get the vaccine. Insurance wouldn't pay saying I have to wait until I'm 60. Playing the odds...

 
I got shingles about ten years ago. Fortunately, they only appeared on my right ankle. I, too, thought it was poison ivy (or similar) at first because I had been playing golf and my ankle was sore the next day. I blew it off for a couple of days, but then it got really swollen and started turning purple. I began having trouble walking on it and it hurt like a mother -effer. It literally felt like someone was holding a lighter against my ankle. I would agree that it was one of the most physically painful things I have ever experienced. Doctor gave me some meds and it felt better in about a week. It looked like crap for several weeks, though.

 
Doc gave me a scrip last visit to get the vaccine. Insurance wouldn't pay saying I have to wait until I'm 60. Playing the odds...
The odds are in your favor, but when I was in that situation, I paid for the vaccine out of my own pocket (think it was about $250) figuring it was worth a few hundred bucks not to go through what some of people here have experienced. Some things I will roll the dice on if the odds are in my favor, but this wasn't one of them.

 
Has anyone who has previously had shingles ever had it pop up again? I read somewhere that the vaccine wouldn't be effective on people who already had shingles.

 
Had it on my face a few years ago. Seriously sucks...I looked like a monster with half my face swollen up and could barely open my mouth for a week. If I look closely, I can still see the scars from the blisters.

 
holy #### I hope I never get this, sounds beyond horrific. :scared:
Get the vaccine when you can. I'm planning on it.

Not scare the crap out of anybody, but my next door neighbor was rendered housebound by this. She has been in pain for about fifteen years now. She can hardly walk. So get that vaccine.

(And Mr. R had chicken pox FOUR times. I have no idea how that affects his odd of getting this.)

 
squistion said:
3C said:
Doc gave me a scrip last visit to get the vaccine. Insurance wouldn't pay saying I have to wait until I'm 60. Playing the odds...
The odds are in your favor, but when I was in that situation, I paid for the vaccine out of my own pocket (think it was about $250) figuring it was worth a few hundred bucks not to go through what some of people here have experienced. Some things I will roll the dice on if the odds are in my favor, but this wasn't one of them.
Hopefully the fact that my immune system has always been crazy strong (sick maybe 3 times in the last 40 years) will help me avoid it. My annual checkup is coming so I'll talk it over with my doc. We're the same age and he got it but he's covered by insurance since he's a doc (higher exposure to sick people which could weaken his immune system).

 
Has anyone gotten this prior to age 60? Is says not to get the vaccine until then, but how much younger than that makes sense?

 
Has anyone gotten this prior to age 60? Is says not to get the vaccine until then, but how much younger than that makes sense?
Most definitely. The reason they put the vaccine at 60 is because your immune system begins to weaken as you age. As you age, your shingles risk goes up. http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/90996/20140222004115/www.shinglesinfo.com/images/img_graph_atrisk2.png

My sister had it when she was in her 20s. Of course this was the 70s and she could have had something else and they lied to me. :unsure:

 
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Has anyone gotten this prior to age 60? Is says not to get the vaccine until then, but how much younger than that makes sense?
Most definitely. The reason they put the vaccine at 60 is because your immune system begins to weaken as you age. As you age, your shingles risk goes up. http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/90996/20140222004115/www.shinglesinfo.com/images/img_graph_atrisk2.png

My sister had it when she was in her 20s. Of course this was the 70s and she could have had something else and they lied to me. :unsure:
Am I reading that chart correctly? In your 60's you have a .69 chance of getting this? Seems like a long shot of this happening. Not that I won't get the vaccine especially if its covered at that point, but I thought the rate would have been way higher with all the coverage I've seen of this.

 
Has anyone gotten this prior to age 60? Is says not to get the vaccine until then, but how much younger than that makes sense?
Most definitely. The reason they put the vaccine at 60 is because your immune system begins to weaken as you age. As you age, your shingles risk goes up. http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/90996/20140222004115/www.shinglesinfo.com/images/img_graph_atrisk2.png

My sister had it when she was in her 20s. Of course this was the 70s and she could have had something else and they lied to me. :unsure:
Am I reading that chart correctly? In your 60's you have a .69 chance of getting this? Seems like a long shot of this happening. Not that I won't get the vaccine especially if its covered at that point, but I thought the rate would have been way higher with all the coverage I've seen of this.
Well, at 60 it's 10 per 1000 each year. While there is a chance for repeat occurrence, let's "pretend" each case is distinct so we get a risk of 10% during your 60s.

Found this more conclusive info: The risk of acquiring shingles over an expected lifetime (assuming no preventive vaccination) for males aged 45 years is 22% and for females 32%. It's 10 year old info but likely still similar. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12744889

 
My father got this when he was 59. Had it on his face/forehead. He still has large pock marks on his forehead from this. So brutal.

 
A little more info including a little blurb about repeat occurrence.

About 25 percent of all adults, mostly otherwise healthy, will get shingles during their lifetimes, usually after age 50. The incidence increases with age so that shingles is 10 times more likely to occur in adults over 60 than in children under 10. The "burden of illness" (a measure of both severity of zoster pain) is double among individuals greater than age 70 as compared to those 60 - 69 years old.

People with compromised immune systems -- from use of immunosuppressive medications such as prednisone, from serious illnesses such as cancer, or from infection with HIV -- are at increased risk of developing shingles. Shingles is also common in people who are under prolonged stress. These individuals also can have re-eruptions and some may have shingles that never heals. Most people who get shingles re-boost their immunity to VZV and will not get the disease for another few decades.

 
A little more info including a little blurb about repeat occurrence.

About 25 percent of all adults, mostly otherwise healthy, will get shingles during their lifetimes, usually after age 50. The incidence increases with age so that shingles is 10 times more likely to occur in adults over 60 than in children under 10. The "burden of illness" (a measure of both severity of zoster pain) is double among individuals greater than age 70 as compared to those 60 - 69 years old.

People with compromised immune systems -- from use of immunosuppressive medications such as prednisone, from serious illnesses such as cancer, or from infection with HIV -- are at increased risk of developing shingles. Shingles is also common in people who are under prolonged stress. These individuals also can have re-eruptions and some may have shingles that never heals. Most people who get shingles re-boost their immunity to VZV and will not get the disease for another few decades.
never contemplated suicide before, but I would need 24 hr surveillance if the bolded happened...

 
...now I'm terrified that mine will leave me with lasting issues....I need to try and take a nap. Oh...that's right. I can't because my ear is burning. 

 
I had I guess the most mild case of this ever last month on my back shoulder. I originally thought it was a spider bite that was sore, went to the convenience clinic and they told me Shingles. A week's worth of meds and they were pretty much gone - my PCP confirmed shingkes and we did some blood work. Ended up chalking things up to stress. 

Got very lucky - never spread, didn't hurt too terribly bad. 

 
Just mentioned in the post above I had a mild case... 36 next week. 

Edit: just realized your post is over 2 years old - prob surprised when you see a notification for this post. 
HaHa!!  No worries.  I thought this was from a while back. :)

 
Just got my diagnosis this morning. Thought I had strep throat. The rash broke out last night and it is gruesome. I’m not the best looking guy so I hope the rash on my chin and mouth don’t produce scars. Right now the worst is the postule on the bottom of my tongue. It’s worse than it sounds. Pain and itch are tolerable though the headaches and toothaches haven’t been fun.

 
Just got my diagnosis this morning. Thought I had strep throat. The rash broke out last night and it is gruesome. I’m not the best looking guy so I hope the rash on my chin and mouth don’t produce scars. Right now the worst is the postule on the bottom of my tongue. It’s worse than it sounds. Pain and itch are tolerable though the headaches and toothaches haven’t been fun.
sorry man - sounds insanely horrible. 

 

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