Can barely sit....

[OakLeaf]

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Hope today is better at least.

I was under the impression that antivirals will suppress any new recurrence, so in that sense it's not "too late" - but I don't really know too much about it. Shingles by definition is a recurrent manifestation of a latent chronic infection, right? Anyway, hope it all clears up ASAP.

[Biciclista]

oh geez no wonder it's so painful! sorry about your crummy day, get well soon.

[zoom-zoom]

Ugh, shingles...I had a bout of that on my belly maybe 3 years ago. Mine was VERY mild and caught early, so I got on anti-virals fast. My bumps never ruptured and I had no long-term, lingering pain.

Might you be a candidate for the vaccine? It's something I've wondered about for myself. Contrary to popular belief, one can develop shingles repeatedly. It sounds like you may be one of the chronic sufferers.

I think I was prone to shingles because I already have autoimmune issues (allergies, asthma, endometriosis) + the stress put on my body from running. Generally the vaccine is only given to older folks, but I wonder if exceptions would be made for younger, healthy people like us who have already shown a tendency to developing outbreaks.

[Crankin]

Ha, I am just below the age for giving the vaccine, but glad you think I am young.
I am pretty much like you, allergies, asthma (well under control, not an issue) and some subtle autoimmune things, mostly in my GI system. I have been getting these "flare ups" for almost 25 years. I remember the first one, when my younger son was 2, and coincidently, was at the same time I started teaching fitness classes. Hard exercise sets me off, but not always. I rested today, as much as I can at work, but no exercise. Funny, I ran, or ran-walked the past 2 days, because I couldn't sit on my bike saddle!
The bumps, except for this one, have been teeny teeny and never ruptured, either. But, I've had persistent burning and pain on my left side for years, mostly when I am getting better from an illness, cold, etc. I can feel the weakness on the bike, but I just deal with it.
Frankly, I am just glad I don't have MRSA. But, the bump is definitely not a boil, in terms of there's nothing there to drain. It's drying up today, can't feel it as badly. Now, I just have to fix the fricking blister on my left foot.

[Cataboo]

Crankin, I hope your bum gets better.

I took my 30 year old brother to the eye doctor a month or so ago, the doctor looked into his eyes and started talking about pupil atrophy consistent with a shingles outbreak and said she'd put him on anti-virals if it happened again.

Not that he or anyone had a clue that he'd had a shingles outbreak in his eye.

[zoom-zoom]

Crankin, I hope your bum gets better.

I took my 30 year old brother to the eye doctor a month or so ago, the doctor looked into his eyes and started talking about pupil atrophy consistent with a shingles outbreak and said she'd put him on anti-virals if it happened again.

Not that he or anyone had a clue that he'd had a shingles outbreak in his eye.

That is scary...shingles can cause blindness. I have a friend who had it on her face and has scarring--she's just glad it never spread to her eyes. My MIL's ex-bf was recently hospitalized for shingles all over his face and scalp. Scary stuff.

[OakLeaf]

yeah - my dad had an outbreak of shingles when we were all in Vienna. He had excellent care from an English-speaking doctor (and unbelievably inexpensive, to an American). They gave him some ointment for his eye and impressed on him how serious it could've been. He did cut the trip short because of the pain and sick feeling, but had no damage to his eye.



Zoom-zoom, is the vaccine any use for someone who's had multiple outbreaks?

[Possegal]

Zoom-zoom, is the vaccine any use for someone who's had multiple outbreaks?

From the FDA's Q and A on the herpes zoster vaccine.
The effectiveness of Zostavax in preventing repeated episodes of shingles has not been demonstrated in clinical studies.

Which sometimes just means it is an endpoint that wasn't looked at. But the Q and A also comments that having an outbreak of shingles boosts immunity to the virus and that most people who have an outbreak of shingles usually don't have another. So I'm thinking that maybe they didn't look at that as an endpoint under the assumption that people with multiple outbreaks don't seem to benefit (or have) the immunity boost from the outbreak that most people have, so they maybe won't have that from the vaccine either? Just wildly speculating there.

[emily_in_nc]

Crankin, hope you are better soon, and very glad you wasted no time in getting to the doc. Sure does sound like shingles, given your years of issues. Not fun. I don't know a whole lot about it except that a guy at work a couple of years ago had a pretty serious case and missed a lot of work. He eventually recovered, but it was nasty and painful for him.

[Crankin]

The "thing" is definitely drying up, getting darker and darker and scaly. Not smaller, though, but hurts less. The muscle aches, etc. are less. I am so used to feeling all of this, that it's not hard to ignore. I read a very little bit on line, just glad it's not near my eyes... while the rest of it is annoying and maybe painful, it's not life threatening. I just want it to feel better before next Friday, as we are flying to AZ, for a memorial gathering for my MIL.
On a different note, I had my 2nd appointment with the MacKenzie pt yesterday, and that is going great. My SI joints were also messed up, along with my hip, so he worked on that. And I was happy to hear him say my "form" while doing the exercises was perfect. It's nice to have a medical provider that's 1) in good shape 2) doesn't tell me to do less, and 3) I can talk to about his x country skiing last weekend.

[redrhodie]

Crankin, is the shingles diagnosis the one you've been looking for for all these years? Does this explain other symptoms you've had, that have been thought to be caused by fibromyalgia?

[Crankin]

It could be. I am thinking it is, mostly because the pain I have had is only on one side, which is consistent with shingles. They are both made worse by intense exercise... of course I don't hear that (hands over ears). Interestingly, both are treated with low doses of Amyltriptiline (sp), which I took for a couple of months in 2008. It worked, but when I started gaining weight, I went off of it. Plus, it makes you sleepy, so you have to take it at night, early enough to get enough time to sleep. I goto bed later now, so it would be hard. But, it broke the cycle.
We shall see. The only exercise i did today was a 12 minute warm up on the treadmill and the stuff the PT has me doing. I felt a little worse after getting off of the treadmill, but I often feel worse in the morning and then it disappears as the day goes on. I really want to go nordic skiing tomorrow, so I am headed off to finish the paper I am working on.