Shingles

[Chupaca]

Sorry to hear....

Not one to recommend, like you I tend to wait things out and trust my body to fight a good fight. Too often you are given pills that require other pills to be able to cope with the first pills and it is never ending....The "Curandero" supplied me with cures while I live in Peru but you don't have them here....Hang in there with caution....you will heal or know when to give into the medical profession...ray: So did you try some XPS blend...:roflblack::roflblack:

 

[Peter Aawen]

Bob, really not wanting to scare you here, but honestly, you should listen to those who've already said it, but I'll say it again anyway, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!

I'm not a Doctor, but I've done the Ambo thing for many years, and I can tell you that there are potentially some pretty nasty side effects of shingles out there & even some that are permanently debilitating (like blindness, nerve damage, or even brain damage due to encephalitis!) that can sneak up on people trying to tough it out, ESPECIALLY if you are unlucky enough to be a Diabetic & already have somewhat compromised health!!

So please, do us & yourself a favour & go see your Doctor, even if it's just to shut us all up!! The Prayers & caring wishes we are all sending your way can only do so much, you've gotta give them & us a bit of a hand by letting the medics do their thing too!! :thumbup:

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: How would I know if eye head Drain Bamage? :shocked:

 

[Peter Aawen]

Trust me (or better yet, trust your Doctor!) if it gets a grip on you then even if you might not be all that aware of it, the people around you will have absolutely NO DOUBT if you get encephalitis due to shingles, but it's not really something you or anyone would wish upon another living being!! I still have nightmares about transporting patients with this from about 30 years back!! pps:

It can start with the sufferer being a little confused, maybe a tad aggressive or adamant about doing - or not doing something that most reasonable people would (you made that Dr's appt yet?) or even sudden changes in 'normal' behaviour; but it more often presents with just a slightly raised temperature, then a stiff neck & maybe a stiff back as well as a bit of a headache. Then by the time the stiffness gets worse & the headache starts to get really bad, the sufferer starts getting drowsy, double vision, & exhibits an aversion to bright lights et al & then it's pretty much too late for anything but an extended hospital stay & a whole lot of prayers that they'll survive in any recognisable way as the same person! :shocked:

Still, thankfully that complication is not all that commonplace, & it's probably more likely that a diabetic suffering from shingles complications would instead somewhat advance the rate of nerve damage that their diabetic condition already brings with it. Do your hands or feet get numb or get pins & needles often?? Do you have poor circulation in your peripheral appendages?? How attached to all those are you??

 

[wyliec]

does the shingle shot eliminate the chance of one getting shingles ??

osm

Like someone has already mentioned, it lessens the effects should you get shingles.

 

[SL Ken]

One of my employees had them. His started out kind of bad, but a tough man... His lasted almost 6 months and was in severe pain most of the time. He especially couldn't stand being in the sun which was bad since he works outside for me. He DID see his doctor because they were close to his head. Yes, they did spread and he did feel worse before better. About 9 months later now, he still says he feels bouts of it every now and then. No matter how much pain you can take/how tough you are, it can be debilitating.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

SHINGLES

I'm not going to pay him, for something that I already know...
I'm just looking for an idea of what fun is coming?

I apologize for my post to you about this ..:yikes:.. I'll try not to say anything intelligent to you again !!! :banghead: ........ It seems that it upset you .......Mike

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Silly boy!!! :lecturef_smilie: See a DOCTOR!!!!

 

[Deanna777]

Bob,



Go to a DOCTOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!:lecturef_smilie::lecturef_smilie::lecturef_smilie: Do not wait, get it taken care of.

I have not had the Shingles, ( and I hope that I don't get them). Keep us posted!

Deanna

 

[lizmcg]

Does the shot prevent shingles?

Like someone has already mentioned, it lessens the effects should you get shingles.

As I understand it, the vaccination makes it less likely you'll get shingles (I forget the percentage) and then if you DO get it, it's less severe and of shorter duration. I THINK Medicare covers it, and the usual big pharmacy chains give it, but I can't swear to that. I got mine at the VA hospital (eventually; had to make two trips, because they ran out before I got there and didn't bother to tell me:banghead.

 

[wyliec]

Bob,

You're a big boy. I'm sure you can make up your own mind. One parting shot, in the past couple of weeks I see where you try to base what you should do regarding a surgery (knee, I think) or illness based on how others have fared. My opinion, that's not good to do. I won't bore you with any hospital stories.

Mike,

If you read this, I agree with you. SL's is not the place for medical advice.

 

[Ron2andia]

It' great to see that so many care about you Bob.. Take the advice and get to the doctor...

 

[Gray Ghost]

So far, it's been felt to be an extremely mild case... :thumbup:
As I mentioned : I have an unusually effective way of coping with pain.
If I get any indication that it's ramping up to something epic, :shocked: I'll call in the Marines for support!

I had my first outbreak at 27 years old (35 years ago). It progressed rapidly to excruciating. I was working as an electronics technician in Germany and found myself acting like a horse rubbing on a fencepost using the corners of equipment racks trying to get some relief from the itching. Going to the emergency room on a military base after midnight got me some harassment until they actually looked at what was happening. In the years after that I have had outbreaks, none as serious as the first, but troublesome nonetheless. And since I am past the magic age the VA hooked me up with the vaccine.

Don't wait for it to get turned up to eleven. It may not be that bad now, but I would think since you are already fighting the diabetes waiting around might bring more serious issues. And for any others who have never had shingles, get the shot if at all possible. If you ever had chicken pox you are susceptible to shingles. And it being a herpes virus, lye soap ain't gonna wash it out.

 

[ruralgirl]

Bob, my husband and I don't go to doctors unless we're holding an appendage in a bag for reattachment. Bill had a very painful case of shingles a few years ago and, thinking back on when I had my forehead split open down to my skull by a shod horse's hoof and healed it with duct tape and 1000 IU Vitamin E capsules, he went out and found a $5 bottle of Vitamin E ointment by Natural Solutions. It healed him up amazingly quickly and well.

Since then, we've had friends who've gone to Drs for shingles and had shots and meds and voodoo and you name it, and got zero relief. Then they did the Vit E thing and were cleared up every time.

Good luck to you, whatever you do to get over this nasty thing!

 

[SpyderAnn01]

If you go to the doctor they will give you Lidocaine patches and an antibiotic. The doctor visit took less than a minute, it took longer to wait for the prescription to be filled. The doctor told me that the people you see in the Terry Bradshaw commercial are what happens if you don't go to the doctor when the bumps first appear.

 

[tobor9]

Thanks!
As far as treating the symptoms: this seems to be a non-issue for me.
The discomfort (pain is only felt at night...) is pretty easy to take.
I should mention that I've been a Type I Diabetic for over 51 years, and just don't seem to feel pain the way that most folks do.
I've also always been blessed with an unusually high tolerance for pain anyway. nojoke
The rash is on a relatively unimportant hunk of my hide, and I couldn't care less about scars; I've put enough of them on myself! :clap:
Most of the blisters (about a dozen) busted open overnight. We're just putting Calamine Lotion on it to make it look more serious! (And I suppose to reduce any swelling...)
I just wondered if the rash would spread, and how long this whole thing lasts... :dontknow:

Bob,like you i'm Diabetic(Double Diabetic) on a pump,with peripheral neuropathy so many nerves don't work or are numbed by pain pills i take for my back. i got the shot a few years ago,just in case! if i got it i would be seeing my doctor ASAP as i don't like pain,most of me is numb, so pain stands out.

 

[BoilerAnimal]

Food for thought and maybe a little motivation.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-treatment-overview#1

 

[Pandy]

Hi Bob,

Re: Shingles

I had them a few years ago. I went to the doctor. They prescribed some pills, told me to take 5 each day ( over the course of the day ). One week & 35 pills later, all gone. Has never come back.

Go see a doctor!!!!

Jerry Baumchen

Had an identical experience some years ago. Put off going to the doctor with the "pfft,what can they do it's viral" Well I took the antiviral he prescribed,and yep,it went away,no occurrence in 16 years.
Patrick

 

[currin20fan]

I too had the shingles a few years ago. Before I could get to the doctor a yeast infection settled on top of it and it did spread. I was in total misery. And yes it was very painful and I have a high tolerance for pain. Go to the doctor.

 

[Bob Denman]

I'll give the Doc a call tomorrow morning, and fill her in... :thumbup:
Since I don't want to bore anybody with needless details: it's not spreading, and the discomfort is easily managed by a couple of Tylenols at bedtime.

I was asking about this condition only because I was curious about what I should be expecting it to do to me... nojoke