shingles

[carolmk]

anyone know of a support group for shingles?

[babbs455]

I do not know of one but hubby has had a very very bad case of them for over a month now..It is taking a hugh toll on his life he can't work (flooring installation contractor) let alone maintain our lifestyle...Thank goodness we own our own business as he would not be possible to do any floors at this point of the juncture..
IT affects the whole family for sure..I am going to have to get back down on my knees and install floors til he is able...:( not a happy camper....
I send prayers to you if you are suffering from this debilitating virus!!! IT IS HORRIFFIC!!

[Mudder]

Please everyone get the vaccine. To you that have it I wish that each day you will feel a little better. I know it's sooooo painful, hang in there.

[The Great Fumar]

Gosh, its very tempting to ask ASPHALT OR VINYL ......But I can't as I know they are very painful (the RASH that is) I am not aware of any support group but there should be as its a big problem here,,,,the VA advised me to get one and I'm glad I did , I am finding out it was a smart move,,,,

fumar :spoken:

[babbs455]

[QUOTE=The Great Fumar;552939]Gosh, its very tempting to ask ASPHALT OR VINYL ...
and i have to agree GET THOSE SHOTS..
hubby is having nerve damage with this stuff..his left side mainly leg is affected to the point where he falls sometimes as his foot feels like it is not there...
its a horrible thing....

[sharonga]

My mom is 86 and has been suffering over 6 months. Horrific pain way after the rash lightens up. I feel so bad for her. Nothing helps. To come this far in life with no major illnesses and this just attacked her.

[raynan]

anyone know of a support group for shingles?

No I don't know of a support group but I do know you can't get the shot if you have an autoimmune disease. Just an FYI for everyone.

[senior citizen]

I do not know of one but hubby has had a very very bad case of them for over a month now..It is taking a hugh toll on his life he can't work (flooring installation contractor) let alone maintain our lifestyle...Thank goodness we own our own business as he would not be possible to do any floors at this point of the juncture..
IT affects the whole family for sure..I am going to have to get back down on my knees and install floors til he is able...:( not a happy camper....
I send prayers to you if you are suffering from this debilitating virus!!! IT IS HORRIFFIC!!

It is. My mom had it. Hope your hubby is on the mend soon........
Thanks for bringing up this topic, as painful as it is for your husband.

I've wondered if any of us could get shingles from being near our adolescent grandchildren who get that vaccination against herpes???

When their skin is broken out with tiny blisters after receiving the vaccine?

Our grand daughter had the vaccine a few years ago and then came to visit us.......she was sitting next to me on the sofa......I asked her what the tiny blisters were on her arms and face, etc...........she didn't know.
She also didn't tell me she just had the vaccine (shot). This was in early October. By the time their visit was over, half of my face broke out in tiny blisters which I pressed.......fluid came out........to make a long story short.........they lasted till Halloween and then dried up. I know I had chickenpox as a child and this "whatever it was" was not painful.......it reminded me of chicken pox but was just on one side of my face.

A mild case of chicken pox.

I wish our daughter had told us about the vaccine..........I really do believe that by my touching our grand daughter's skin, I somehow picked up the fluid from the blisters.....which must have been a reaction to the vaccine........

After the fact, months later, I mentioned it and our daughter just said that since I had already had chicken pox as a kid , I already had the virus inside of me?????????????????? I don't think I had shingles. I think I had chicken pox......weird.....very weird. I put calomine lotion on the pustules and they dried up.



Transmission


Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, the varicella zoster virus, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox. In such cases, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox, but they would not develop shingles. The virus is spread through direct contact with fluid from the rash blisters, not through sneezing, coughing or casual contact.

A person with shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister-phase. A person is not infectious before blisters appear. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.
Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox and the risk of a person with shingles spreading the virus is low if the rash is covered.
If you have shingles

Keep the rash covered.
Do not touch or scratch the rash.
Wash your hands often (http://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/) to prevent the spread of varicella zoster virus.
Until your rash has developed crusts, avoid contact with

pregnant women who have never had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine;
premature or low birth weight infants; and
immunocompromised persons (such as persons receiving immunosuppressive medications or undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, and people with HIV infection).

[DianeM]

I'm so sorry for his intense pain. I've considered getting the vaccine since I had chicken pox as a kid but have been procrastinating. This post has made me rethink my actions. Thank you and I wish you all the best for his recovery.

[LynnDeb]

Babbs, I hope your husband will get relief soon....and all that either suffer now. I've also been putting off the shot.

[delima2000]

You can get the shot at Walgreens.

[redwitch]

Do NOT put off the getting the shot. I've had recurring shingles since my 20s. I'm pretty lucky -- most of the time it is more of an irritant to me than truly painful. Some bouts, though, can and have brought me to my knees. Sadly, I can't get the shot due to allergies. So, if the option is there for you, get the shot and get it now.

[Parker]

Interesting thread. Discussed the vaccine with my doctor. His advice was to forego the vaccine as it is only marginally effective in preventing shingles, is very expensive, and promoted heavily. He's a reputable doctor, well-known in The Villages. So I'll be watching this thread to help me decide.

[Scouty]

On the other hand, our doctor encouraged us to get the vaccine. He told us that we might still get shingles, however, it would be a much milder case. If you have ever known anyone that has had shingles then you know how painful they are and how debilitating they can be, for months and months. Get the vaccine

[graciegirl]

One of my good pals, who I golf with and envy her beautiful wainscoting and just love everything about her...

She suffered all summer with shingles. She is not a wimp like me and she said that her pain levels were so high when she got to urgent care that it had made her blood pressure rise so high that at first they suspected a heart attack. She told us that it was worse than labor pain.

Her beloved grandchildren came to visit this summer and she was unable to enjoy them at all.

Please, no matter what it costs, get the shingles shot.

My friend made it very clear to me that this pain is beyond description. AND often does NOT disappear when the rash goes away and can become a chronic condition.

Protect yourself as soon as you can.

[784caroline]

Interesting thread. Discussed the vaccine with my doctor. His advice was to forego the vaccine as it is only marginally effective in preventing shingles, is very expensive, and promoted heavily. He's a reputable doctor, well-known in The Villages. So I'll be watching this thread to help me decide.

Believe me...the expense or cost of the shot will be the last thing you will be concerned about if you ever do get shingles. I would find a way to get the shot

[Bonny]

I got the shot last year and will get it this year.
I've had shingles 3 times. 2 times it was mild. The third one was horrible !
I couldn't even get out of bed for a month. The pain lasted for about 6 months. I never want to go through that again.
My Dr. said definitely get the shot.

[graciegirl]

I got the shot last year and will get it this year.
I've had shingles 3 times. 2 times it was mild. The third one was horrible !
I couldn't even get out of bed for a month. The pain lasted for about 6 months. I never want to go through that again.
My Dr. said definitely get the shot.


Bonny. I was under the impression that the shot immunized you partially at least from shingles for several years. I hadn't heard it needed to be repeated yearly like the flu shot.

[CFrance]

Bonny. I was under the impression that the shot immunized you partially at least from shingles for several years. I hadn't heard it needed to be repeated yearly like the flu shot.

I wonder if it's different if you've had shingles. I got the shot in 2006 and was under the impression that it's a vaccination that does not have to be repeated.

[784caroline]

Gracie..agree with you.... plus I always heard once you had shingles, yes you can get it again but it would be a milder case. The shot itself will not prevent shingles, but if you do get it , supposedly it would be a milder case.

[CFrance]

We need a medical opinion here! My understanding was it prevents shingles in 60% of people, and those it doesn't prevent have a milder case.

[Scouty]

It is a ONE time shot, discuss with your physician.

[DEWRDW]

I had the shingles for six months - worse case my Doctor ever saw - right leg totally numb for two months - tell your husband to be very careful if his leg(s) are numb - I dislocated my knee because I couldn't walk properly - even now and it's been several years I will sometimes have nerve pain in my right knee - my thoughts are with him.

[babbs455]

EXACTLY DEWRDW! UPDATE hubby has just passed the year mark of his shingle outbreak...his doc said he got it in the worst spot his sciatica..it traveled down his leg to the bottom foot. He now has nerve damage that will last him forever...his leg still goes numb and shooting pain his expression like someone just jabbed an ice pick in my leg. foot..
It's ugly and can last a long long time after the shingles have ran their havoc... best of luck everyone..

[Bonny]

Bonny. I was under the impression that the shot immunized you partially at least from shingles for several years. I hadn't heard it needed to be repeated yearly like the flu shot.

Yes, you are right I got it last year. I confused it with my flu shot the year before. DUH ! :o

[Bonny]

Gracie..agree with you.... plus I always heard once you had shingles, yes you can get it again but it would be a milder case. The shot itself will not prevent shingles, but if you do get it , supposedly it would be a milder case.

No, that's not true. My first 2 times were mild, just in a small area. My 3rd. time covered my left side from my face to my hip. It was bad.

[redwitch]

I've had seven major bouts of shingles since my 20s. The first was painful. The second and third were irritants. The fourth had me in tears. The fifth was mild. The sixth and seventh were worse than the fourth. For me, the pain of shingles seems to vary from location of shingles (shoulder no biggie; anywhere on spine or neck and pure agony), my stress level and the humidity.

[Lpierleo]

My husband had them on his face and they started following the optic nerve when he was in his early thirties. The doctor was very concerned he was going to lose his eye. Fortunately, he did not lose his eye or eye sight, but he was lucky. Shingles are nothing to play around with, if you can, get the vaccine

[Barefoot]

I've had seven major bouts of shingles since my 20s. The first was painful. The second and third were irritants. The fourth had me in tears. The fifth was mild. The sixth and seventh were worse than the fourth. For me, the pain of shingles seems to vary from location of shingles (shoulder no biggie; anywhere on spine or neck and pure agony), my stress level and the humidity.

Redwitch, since you are so suseptible to shingles, would getting the Shingles Prevention Shot help? I ask because I've had shingles twice and my family doctor does not know whether I would be a candidate for a prevention shot.

[Bonny]

My husband had them on his face and they started following the optic nerve when he was in his early thirties. The doctor was very concerned he was going to lose his eye. Fortunately, he did not lose his eye or eye sight, but he was lucky. Shingles are nothing to play around with, if you can, get the vaccine

I had breakouts all over my face and around the eyes. One of them at the bottom of my eye took off a section of eyelashes when the scab came off. They never grew back.

[redwitch]

Redwitch, since you are so suseptible to shingles, would getting the Shingles Prevention Shot help? I ask because I've had shingles twice and my family doctor does not know whether I would be a candidate for a prevention shot.

Can't have the shot -- I'm allergic. Otherwise, I'd get it in a heartbeat. Even if it didn't stop me from getting shingles, there's no question the bout would be a lot less severe and that alone makes it worth getting in my mind.

[KatzPajamas]

Try L-Lysine! About 2000-6000mg/day. It works! This link is to an article at Livestrong.com and there is evidence from University of Michigan also :clap2:
Shingles And Lysine/arginine Foods | LIVESTRONG.COM (http://www.livestrong.com/article/280245-shingles-and-lysinearginine-foods/)

[rosygail]

I had a shingles vaccine in November last year. I got shingles in my facial nerve in January. My face is still droopy on the right side but it is getting better slowly. Remember the shot is not 100% effective!