Shingles and Lyrica

[Biker Jo]

Thanks to all for your thoughts and comments. I'm going to try to answer your questions in this one post.

Crankin, I'm not sure about Elavil. I've taken it in the past for moderate depression, but I don't know if it would work for pain.

Chicken Little, so far about the only thing the Lyrica is doing is helping me sleep. I haven't really noticed much of an improvement in the pain. I think I'm getting more relief from Extra-Strength Tylenol. And I don't have any underlying disease process. Just as Veronica said, I have no idea what caused the shingles to flair up.

Five one, I'm so sorry about your DH. I have the lesions on my torso, so hopefully when they clear up, I won't have any lasting problems.

Again thank you all for your warm and healing thoughts.

[salsabike]

From:

http://health.usnews.com/articles/he...ccination.html

"The CDC recommends that people ages 60 and older get the Zostavax shot. The illness can occur in people of any age, but happens most often in those older than 60. The risk of getting the illness increases as people age."

[Crankin]

I thought about Elavil because it is used for pain (IBS, Fibromyalgia) in small doses. Both a neurologist and 2 rheumatologists recommended it for me, so I decided to try it.
Good luck with the shingles.
Gee, now I have another shot to look forward to in 5 years.

[malkin]

I had shingles in my mid 30s.

Before I broke out in earnest, my back itched intensely, and I scratched it with a knitting needle.

Once things got going, I sat in Aveeno oatmeal baths, and I took opiates for the pain. Reports are that I was pretty much in a cloud, but still have plenty of memories of severe pain. I also slathered my back with aloe vera and wore cotton t-shirts and sort of loved the feeling of peeling the t-shirt off when it was stuck on and dried.

I didn't go to work at all because there were medically fragile kids and because one colleague was undergoing chemo at the time. I would have been completely useless anyway, because normal clothes were torture and I'd have screamed at anyone who touched me.

Happily, everything resolved and I have no residual pain---except for every now and then, when I am at maximum stress, that one little place on my back that I could only reach with the knitting needle gets a focused stingy itch. When that happens I know it's time to relax and pull out the big guns of stress management.

I wish you the best.