Shingles

[Nemo2]

As the posters for Jaws2 said: "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..."

For a few days (beyond, as I found out, the 'critical' 72 hour period for treatment) I had a bump on my forehead, (which I mistakenly attributed to forcing a sweatband, which had shrunk in the wash, over my head), the now bumps scabbed over, which I thought was a good thing....but they also began to encroach on other areas of my face.....then I started to feel discomfort in my left eye.

First to a walk in clinic....Shingles!....(I'd never even heard of facial shingles before), received a prescription for Valacyclovir, then down to the hospital.....preliminary eye test......"There's a teeny teeny teeny spot".....but apparently big enough that I have an appointment with an ophthalmologist tomorrow morning....Sunday! (Don't forget this is in Ontario!)

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.

 

[REWahoo]

Have you been vaccinated for shingles?

 

[Nemo2]

Have you been vaccinated for shingles?

No......is it of any benefit after an attack, i.e. does it (at least partially) prevent future episodes?

 

[Meadbh]

Oh dear. Good luck with your eye.

 

[euro]

No......is it of any benefit after an attack, i.e. does it (at least partially) prevent future episodes?

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.

 

[Nemo2]

Oh dear. Good luck with your eye.

Thanks...I'll post updates.

 

[W2R]

Oh no, as if this year hadn't already presented enough health challenges to you. How utterly awful, and I hope you recover without any eye damage.

My brother had shingles and said the experience was very painful. I must admit that I have not asked for the shingles shot, even though I believe it would be free for me on my insurance. I need to get that done.

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.

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.

 

[MichaelB]

Oh dear. Good luck with your eye.

+1

I had shingles in the face near the eye. No fun at all. Wishing you a mild case and speedy recovery.

 

[Nemo2]

I had shingles in the face near the eye. No fun at all. Wishing you a mild case and speedy recovery.

How long ago? Any recurrences? Did you get the shot?

 

[Dawg52]

Sorry for your case of shingles but glad you brought this up. I will get the vaccination next month at my annual physical.

 

[MichaelB]

How long ago? Any recurrences? Did you get the shot?

Sept of 2010. No recurrences, no damage to the eye. Haven't taken the vaccine yet, mostly because I forgot about it.

 

[Nemo2]

Sept of 2010. No recurrences, no damage to the eye. Haven't taken the vaccine yet, mostly because I forgot about it.

Works for me!

 

[Lsbcal]

I seemed to remember that stress is associated with shingles. One source says:

Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons.

I seem to recall that if one gets the shot right after symptoms occur it can be beneficial. I would check on that. Good luck Nemo!

 

[RobbieB]

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

Only supposed to work for 50%, but hey why not? No complications, didn't even make my arm hurt like a flu shot does.

 

[audreyh1]

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

Only supposed to work for 50%, but hey why not? No complications, didn't even make my arm hurt like a flu shot does.

You can get it at 50 if you want.

I got the shot at 55 - didn't want to take any more chances.

 

[Choices]

My young (50 ish) Doc got shingles 3 times! He told me he was gonna go ahead and pay for the shot!! About time, I would say! Geeeesh

 

[homestead]

FYI, I have been researching water filters lately and have seen several accounts of drinking alkaline water curing shingles, no personal experience with that however.

 

[ERD50]

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

Only supposed to work for 50%, but hey why not? No complications, didn't even make my arm hurt like a flu shot does.

While it is more prevalent at 60+, it isn't any big threshold or anything. I forget the specifics, but it might be something like 2x more likely in your 60's as it is much younger. That's not a huge difference, especially when the sample size of one is all you really care about.

My son got it in his late 20's. Luckily, he was in pharmacy school at the time, so people around him were able to tell him what to do. I forget the details again, but there are shots you can get within something like 72 hours that will reduce the effects (I don't think it is the shingles vaccine itself, but some anti-inflammatory or something). Google knows

And while you can still get shingles after being vaccinated, they say that in most cases it will be a far milder case. I got my shingles shot last year, DW has been procrastinating, which is crazy because her Mother had shingles, and was really suffering, and she has a high tolerance for pain (no Novocaine for dental fillings!).

-ERD50

 

[Meadbh]

FYI, I have been researching water filters lately and have seen several accounts of drinking alkaline water curing shingles, no personal experience with that however.

Yeah, if you believe testimonials from a company that produces the product. Of course, they also claim it cures everything else, too.

Kangen Alkaline Water MN: Testimonials

I did a quick search on PubMed for scientific studies. Result: nada.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Shingles+and+"alkaline+water"

 

[ERD50]

FYI, I have been researching water filters lately and have seen several accounts of drinking alkaline water curing shingles, no personal experience with that however.

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

 

[euro]

FYI, I have been researching water filters lately and have seen several accounts of drinking alkaline water curing shingles, no personal experience with that however.

No, not possible. Shingles is a viral infection and will not respond to the pH of drinking water.

 

[braumeister]

I was extremely surprised when I got shingles, because I had never had chicken pox as a child, and I understood that was the essential first step.

The doc explained that many children get chicken pox with no symptoms at all, so that was obviously the case with me.

Excruciatingly painful, but only for a week or two. I guess I was lucky, because it was just my back and side.

I got the vaccine later, just to make sure any future episodes were mild. So far, so good.

 

[fh2000]

I trust my doctor. Over the past 15 years, he saved my pain a number of times and was always quick to prescribe the right remedy.

I am now 60. In my early 50s, he told me to get shots for Hep B (3), Hep A(2), shingles, rabies since I travel to Asia often. He said I am due for more shots at 65. I don't remember which, but I will take them when I am 65.

 

[AllDone]

The CDC says to wait 6-12 months after a shingles attack and then get the vaccine. I got shingles a month after I forgot to ask the doc for a shingles vaccine. Ick. Fortunately it was a very mild case on my forearm.

 

[Texas Proud]

Interesting on the post just above mine...


My sister got shingles and said she had waited too long to get the shot... from what she said, if you get in quickly they can give you the shot and it probably will not be as bad...


She did get it in her face... she still says that wind irritates her face and she had it maybe 8 or so years ago...