Shingles

[eytonxav]

DS had it on his back a few years ago at 28 yo. DW and I both had our shingles shots at 60.

Nemo, you've been through the wringer this year, hope your shingles resolve quickly, especially with respect to the eye.

 

[Nemo2]

Nemo, you've been through the wringer this year, hope your shingles resolve quickly, especially with respect to the eye.

Scheduled to fly to Spain on Halloween..if I still look the way I do today I anticipate accolades from the flight crew for my authentic looking "Recently resurrected zombie who was subsequently involved in a motorcycle accident" costume.

 

[Moemg]

Nemo, Sorry about your shingles . I had them years ago on my arm & chest . Very painful !

 

[ERD50]

There's some confusion about getting "the shingles shot" (I assume people mean the preventative vaccine, when they say that), to lessen the effects once you got the shingles. So let's go to a reputable source:

Shingles Prevention - Mayo Clinic

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the varicella-zoster vaccine (Zostavax) to help prevent shingles. .... The shingles vaccine is used only as a prevention strategy and is not intended to treat people who currently have the disease. ...

There's no cure for shingles, but prompt treatment with prescription antiviral drugs can speed healing and reduce your risk of complications. These medications include:

Acyclovir (Zovirax)
Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
Famciclovir (Famvir)

NOTE - those are all different from the vaccine (Zostavax).

Also:

Shingles can cause severe pain, so your doctor also may prescribe:

Capsaicin cream
Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin)
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
Numbing agents, such as lidocaine, delivered via a cream, gel, spray or skin patch
Medications that contain narcotics, such as codeine
An injection including corticosteroids and local anesthetics
Shingles generally lasts between two and six weeks. Most people get shingles only once, but it is possible to get it two or more times

-ERD50

 

[Golden sunsets]

Yes, shingles can recur and yes, a vaccine will make sense (after this episode is over - it's not going to do any good for the current infection).

BTW, sorry you have this happen, especially in the face/eye area must be extremely unpleasant - I had an episode on my chest/side and it was exquisitely painful for a week or two.

Euro-no disrespect but are you a doc? I am not but as a shingles survivor, (same area -forehead and around eyes-fortunately no damage to the eyes), I was told by my doc that the best antidote to preventing future cases of shingles is to have shingles. Shingles inoculates you against reoccurrences for several decades. When I asked my doc, why not get the shot, as added insurance, his response was there is always some danger to receiving any shot and in this case where you have just had the best innoculation(shingles itself) the risk is not worth the benefit.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Scheduled to fly to Spain on Halloween..if I still look the way I do today I anticipate accolades from the flight crew for my authentic looking "Recently resurrected zombie who was subsequently involved in a motorcycle accident" costume.

Nemo; Good luck to you. I was in great pain with it on my face. I was in a foreign country when it happened. I did not go to the ER for 2-3 days as I thought it was the sun. When I did go and received the diagnosis and started the regimen it took another 5 days to abate but within a week I was 100%. During that 5 days though I was in agony and essentially laid in bed with what felt like a constant bad migraine. No fun. Feel better.

 

[Meadbh]

Shingles inoculates you against reoccurrences for several decades.

This statement is not quite true. Having shingles lowers but does not eliminate, the risk of another bout. Over time, up to 6% of people have a recurrence. If you have immune deficiency, the risk is higher.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-come-back#1-2

Meadbh (MD)

 

[Alan]

This statement is not quite true. Having shingles lowers but does not eliminate, the risk of another bout. Over time, up to 6% of people have a recurrence. If you have immune deficiency, the risk is higher.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-come-back#1-2

Meadbh (MD)

Yeah, my sister has had it 3 times, although she said the 2nd and 3rd attacks were much less severe. At the times of the occurrences she was working a very stressful job and she has since been diagnosed with Lupus so maybe her immune system was suppressed.

Nemo,
Sorry to hear about this, I hope you get better soon, and thanks for telling us about it. May encourage a few to get the vaccine. (DW and I got the vaccine when we reached 60).

 

[timo2]

I had shingles 2 months after I turned 60. As soon as that episode was over, I got the vaccine, since they can reoccur. Now three years later, I occasionally get little tiny shingle-style pricks in various limbs, and they look like shingles (now that I know what they feel like), but they go away fairly quickly. I imagine that if I had not had the vaccine after my initial bout, I may have come up with a repeat case in the last year.

 

[HFWR]

And what happens when alkaline water hits the highly acid stomach acid? Hard to reason it could have any effect at all, it would be neutralized unless it was so alkaline that it burned out all the tissue in your throat on the way down (wanna drink lye anyone?)!



I bet those same sites claim alkaline water cures psoriasis, hep C, all forms of cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, etc. That seems pretty typical of those sorts of claims.



edit - oooops, cross posted with Meadbh, who actually has significant credentials in this area!



-ERD50

"With the oil of Aphrodite, and the dust of the Grand Wazoo, he said 'You might not believe this, little fellow, but it'll cure your asthma too!'"

 

[euro]

Euro-no disrespect but are you a doc? I am not but as a shingles survivor, (same area -forehead and around eyes-fortunately no damage to the eyes), I was told by my doc that the best antidote to preventing future cases of shingles is to have shingles. Shingles inoculates you against reoccurrences for several decades. When I asked my doc, why not get the shot, as added insurance, his response was there is always some danger to receiving any shot and in this case where you have just had the best innoculation(shingles itself) the risk is not worth the benefit.

No doubt a shingles episode will boost your immunity against future outbreaks. For some viral infections, this will be enough to basically provide life-long immunity against future infections/recurrence. For VZV (Varicella Zoster Virus), the virus that causes chickpox/shingles, this is NOT the case. That's why an additional vaccination (even after a shingles episode) can still provide additional benefit. Whether that additional benefit outweighs whatever risk you or your doctor perceive exists for getting the shot, only you and your doctor can decide.

 

[ERD50]

"With the oil of Aphrodite, and the dust of the Grand Wazoo, he said 'You might not believe this, little fellow, but it'll cure your asthma too!'"

-ERD50 (who now has 'Cosmic Debris' stuck in his head (which is OK, gonna have to play the whole song now)!

 

[timo2]

When I asked my doc, why not get the shot, as added insurance, his response was there is always some danger to receiving any shot and in this case where you have just had the best innoculation(shingles itself) the risk is not worth the benefit.

My doctor said the opposite, that the shot would help, even after my initial bout of shingles. Last month after I had minor shingles-like occurrence that kept me up at night (but went away quickly) I called my NP who once again confirmed for me that shingles can reoccur.

The reason I called the NP at all was because in my initial occurrence of shingles, I didn't go to the doctor until it was almost full blown (I had no idea what shingles were or felt like). The doctor said if I they could have started the meds earlier my outbreak might not have been as bad. So when I felt an attempted recurrence of shingles, I called right away, but in this case the 'outbreak' only lasted about 12 hours.

 

[HFWR]

-ERD50 (who now has 'Cosmic Debris' stuck in his head (which is OK, gonna have to play the whole song now)!

Better than "Cracklin' Rosie"...

 

[Bamaman]

Shingles are terrible, but if you have them on your head and they start creeping toward your eyes, it's especially dangerous. They can take your eyesight.

I saw my parents and my sister to be essential invalids for weeks and weeks with shingles. My wife and I sucked up the price and got the shot.

The DW got the shingles when we were spending February in Hawaii, and she didn't know it. Just felt like she was itching uncontrollably. She had some Neurotin with her that helped greatly. Had she not had the shot, she'd have been in trouble.

 

[Nemo2]

Just back, and blurry eyed, from a very good and comprehensive visit with the eye doctor/surgeon.......have a follow up scheduled for this Thursday......seems the retina is unscathed, but there is a very small scratch on the cornea which he feels will very likely heal itself.

Gel drops and a soon to be picked up prescription for a cream to (hopefully) prevent the shingles on the eyelid from encroaching on the eye itself.

Extremely happy with the service/treatment.

 

[kcowan]

Told DW that I'm beginning to feel like one of those cars that's run 'forever' simply with standard maintenance......then, suddenly, the muffler falls off, the shocks pack it in, and the springs collapse.............sheesh.

I keep telling my friends that my "best before date" passed 2 years ago!

That's exactly how I felt in 2015. My knee problems and my cataracts both progressed rapidly during my move in the summer of 2015. I had cataract surgery in October 2015, but wanted at least a year between surgeries just for my own peace of mind. Now I'm seeing an orthopedic surgeon for possible knee surgery. I am just hoping nothing else comes up before I can get that done with.

Yes, lower leg problems for 2 years, HBP. Orthonecrosis. Damaged right retina by my opthamologist. COPD. I feel like all hell has broken loose. Plus son with testicular cancer.

I think 60 is the magic age, doc told me I was eligible and it was free so I got it.

I would say 70 is the magic year then watch out!

Better than "Cracklin' Rosie"...

I like to think of of it as Crackling Rosee. Gotta love those good Rosee wines...

 

[kramer]

The younger you are, the less severe the shingles is, on average. This is why the vaccine is more important when you are older and why it is recommended primarily for older people.

I got it at age 47 or 48, it was pretty minor (back area around kidney). It is commonly believed that the acicolovir (and the other similar meds listed) is helpful only if you start taking it in the first 72 hours after onset. My case was mild enough that I am pretty sure I didn't meet this threshold. After self-diagnosis I had aciclovir in my body within the hour, bought at the local pharmacy, but once I knew I had shingles I realized that the symptoms had started more than 72 hours earlier. I only experienced mild pain and only during vigorous exercise.

At age 51 I still have not gotten the vaccine. There is a new vaccine in trials that is almost 100% effective. I am waiting to see what happens with that. If I were 5 years older, I would go ahead and get the current Zostavax vaccine now.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My DH got it at 55. It was on his face and spread to his eye. His vision is fine but his nose has scars. He was told that the vaccine would not do him any good since he has had it. I looked into it but if you are allergic to neomycin they tell you not to get it.

 

[Meadbh]

Just back, and blurry eyed, from a very good and comprehensive visit with the eye doctor/surgeon.......have a follow up scheduled for this Thursday......seems the retina is unscathed, but there is a very small scratch on the cornea which he feels will very likely heal itself.

Gel drops and a soon to be picked up prescription for a cream to (hopefully) prevent the shingles on the eyelid from encroaching on the eye itself.

Extremely happy with the service/treatment.

That's good news, Nemo2. It's also good to know that our healthcare system can respond in a timely manner when it counts. Your tax dollars at work!

 

[Nemo2]

That's good news, Nemo2. It's also good to know that our healthcare system can respond in a timely manner when it counts. Your tax dollars at work!

As I've noted before, I have never once faulted the personnel, all of whom have done a sterling job.....and I'm also very impressed with pharmacists, who without exception have asked what any particular prescription is intended for, (today, for example, the eye doctor prescribed Ciloxan 0,3% to be applied to my eyelid in an attempt to stop further encroachment, and the pharmacist, (a lady from India in this particular instance), wanted to make sure that I knew why I was getting it*)

(* Even if this is primarily a CYA practice on their behalf I appreciate the thoroughness.)

 

[Nemo2]

His vision is fine but his nose has scars.

Oh, Oh...this could mean the end of my lifetime, (and thus far completely unfulfilled), dream of having a modeling career.

 

[eytonxav]

I would say 70 is the magic year then watch out!

Not 70 yet, but based on progressing thru my 60s, I think you are right.

 

[ERD50]

...
I would say 70 is the magic year then watch out! ...

Not 70 yet, but based on progressing thru my 60s, I think you are right.

There is no magic age for shingles. Risk increases with age, but there isn't some sharp knee. Here's some data.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4636742/

The overall annual incidence rates (IR) of HZ across all ages was 4.47 per 1000 person-years (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 4.44–4.50) which monotonically increased with age from 0.86 (95 % CI: 0.84–0.88) for those aged ≤19 to 12.78 (95 % CI: 12.49–13.07) for patients ≥80 years. The IR was 8.46 (95 % CI: 8.39–8.52) among adults ≥50 years and 10.46 (95 % CI: 10.35–10.56) among those aged ≥60 years.

To break that down, annually -

0.86 for those aged ≤19
4.47 per 1000 person overall
8.46 among adults ≥50 years
10.46 among those aged ≥60 years
12.78 for patients ≥80 years

A link there gives more detail:

Age ------ IR per 1000

<50 ----------- 2.40
 50–59 ------- 6.33
 60–64 ------- 8.01
 65–69 ------- 9.84
 70–79 ------ 11.57
 80+ -------- 12.00
combined: ---- 4.12

So 50's is ~ 2.6x more likely than those under 50.
In your 60's ~ 3.3x ~ 4.1x ( they broke that down into 5 year groups) more likely than those under 50.
In your 70's ~ 4.8x more likely than those under 50.

It certainly increases with age, but it's not like it would be rare for those under 50 to get it compared to someone in their 60's 70's.

-ERD50

 

[AllDone]

The CDC no longer recommends waiting for 6-12 months after a shingles outbreak to vaccinate. Their latest recommendation is to wait only until the rash has cleared.