Shingles PSA

[new2ride]

OMG - shingles is by far the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. I continue to have post-herpectic neurolgia. My outbreak occurred Christmas of '09. It was across my back, along the bra line, under the insdie of my left arm going down towards my elbow and across my left breast. My doctor prescribed Valtrex, gave me some pain patches and Lyrica. I don't know if the Valtrex helped or not, my outbreak was very bad and I remember crying for three weeks.

My PCP states that the likelihood of getting shingles a second time is not that great. He also said that since I had the shingles I couldn't get the vaccine.

I see the advetising signs at Walgreens all the time offering the vaccine. I am so tempted to go in and get the vaccine. I don't care if I have to pay for it myself -- I don't ever want to experience that kind of pain again.

The post herpetic neurolgia (PHN) is bad, but no where near as bad as the shingles pain. The PHN seems to flare up when I'm under stress.

If you can avoid this horrible outbreak, do so by getting the vaccine.

[Bethany1]

I had shingles when I was 25. Didn't know it until I had a doc appt for something else and he said the rash was shingles and was surprised I hadn't come in 3 weeks earlier. I just felt flu sick for a couple of days and then had the lesions for about 3 weeks. I just figured the rash would go away and since I had been clearing the nasty weeds behind my house I thought they were bug bites.

I'm grateful it was a small outbreak and just stayed above my hips.

[withm]

I had shingles when I was 25. Didn't know it until I had a doc appt for something else and he said the rash was shingles and was surprised I hadn't come in 3 weeks earlier. I just felt flu sick for a couple of days and then had the lesions for about 3 weeks. I just figured the rash would go away and since I had been clearing the nasty weeds behind my house I thought they were bug bites.

I'm grateful it was a small outbreak and just stayed above my hips.

My first thought was I had a spider bite. Then when it grew, figured it was poison ivy, which I get pretty regularly. It didn't really look like PI, and was in a place that would be pretty difficult to get PI, not to mention that I had not done any gardening nor had I knowingly been near any PI recently. But when the nerve pain hit I knew something ain't right and went to the Dr. who readily diagnosed shingles. Now almost 4 weeks later, blisters are gone, but the nerve pain.... continues....

[Biciclista]

ah withm get well soon.
I'm getting my shot tomorrow. A coworker's mother just got Shingles and she is scared to death.. We are going together to get our shots!

[OakLeaf]

... the vaccine only has a 50-50 chance of working???

My dad had shingles and it was awful - I think he's still dealing with the pain, it's just dwarfed by the pain he has from other things right now. He's lucky that we were on vacation in Austria when it struck him and he was able to get great medical care to keep it from blinding him - even though changing his flight and going home early in that kind of pain can't have been much fun. But vaccines aren't without risk, and 50-50 just doesn't seem worth it to me.

[Biciclista]

what i read is if you get shingles after getting the shot it will be a much milder case. I'll hedge my bets!

[withm]

Anyone who has actually suffered through shingles would surely recommend getting the vaccine. It reduces the risk of getting the disease, reduces the severity if you do get it, and lessens the severity of the post herpetic neuralgia.

On the other hand, if you enjoy the sensation of ice picks periodically penetrating deep into large sections of your body, well then knock yourself out!

[itself]

Can shingles take a less severe form? For the last year, on and off, my right shoulder gets an outbreak. It's not painful, but feels like burning/electrical shocks. It seems worse at night for some reason.

Any insight would be nice...I hate going to doctors, mostly a waste of time I find..