Overcoming Shingles Symptoms

Sorry this is going to be long. One of my closest friends commited suicide on May 9th. Ever since I found out I have been having what the doctor calls tension migrains. I have pain from temple to temple and pain all the down my back. I also have shingles on the right side of my back. Even before I had the shingles I have had pain in the muscles closest to the spine. It hurts to walk, cough, or sneeze. The weird thing is that every time I stand up I get a migraine that lasts about 10 – 20 seconds. The thing I am worried about is my doctor only gave me sleeping pills and mecidine to cure the shingles. By the way this is the fourth time I have had shingles. Was my doctor correct in the prescription she gave me? Also is it normal to have a short migraine every time I stand?

There is a new development in migraine therapy:

http://www.neurologyreviews.com/feb04/nr_feb04_foramen.html

Why don’t you try asking a Doctor

Also, is shingles contagious only if the person has blisters on them?

Hi Will,
Yes, you can get chicken pox twice. Once vaccinated, this is essentially the same thing. It’s a rare occurrence, though. Patients w/shingles shed virus before & after eruptions. So yes, they can still be contagious. I’d advise you to get the Varicella vaccine. Chicken pox can be dangerous, & shingles are for life.

Treatment for Shingles

Antiviral Medication (such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir): For most patients with shingles, oral antiviral medication should be prescribed for 7 days. The earlier this medication is taken, the better the chance of stopping the virus from causing more damage to the nerves. Early treatment with antiviral medication can lessen the intensity and duration of shingles pain (but, as mentioned above, there is no definite proof that these medications will stop the patient from getting PHN). Once the rash has healed, the patient should stop taking antiviral medication.

Steroids(such as prednisone): Some studies have shown that early treatment with a short course (usually 1-2 weeks) of steroids can decrease the intensity and duration of pain associated with acute shingles.

Nerve Blocks: Pain specialists can inject numbing medications (called local anesthetics) directly into certain nerves to help with shingles pain. As mentioned above, these nerve blocks have not been proven to reduce the chances of developing PHN, but nerve blocks may provide good temporary pain relief for the shingles.

Opioid Medication (narcotics): Opioid medications, such as morphine, oxycodone, codeine, hydromorphone, and methadone, can provide good pain relief without side effects for many patients. In most cases, there should be no concern about developing "addiction" when these drugs are used to treat the severe pain of shingles. Patients can be safely taken off of the narcotic medication if it is no longer needed.

Tricyclic Antidepressants (such as amitriptyline [Elavil] and nortriptyline [Pamelor]): One study has shown that giving tricyclic antidepressants during the early shingles phase can help reduce the pain and help reduce the chance of developing chronic PHN pain. When used in this way, tricyclic antidepressants are not given to treat any kind of depression — they are prescribed for pain relief and perhaps to reduce the chance of getting PHN.

i have spots round my middle a nurse said they arent in right place for shingles but now i am itching on my stomach too.she said they were probably bites.

Shingles is a viral infection of the herpes family-Chicken pox actually. Chances are if you are a healthy person, especially if you had chicken pox when you were younger you have absolutely NOTHING to worry about. It usually affects people who are severely undernourished or immune compromised such as old age, HIV, Hep C, Tuberculosis, etc. Vulnerability also may be stress related. Yes it is communicable (passed on) by touching the open pustules and not washing your hands thoroughly. You should be wearing gloves and paper gown if you are going to be in contact with fluid from those pustules. If not, Use good hand-washing and avoid hugging your loved one-because they are painful as well as contagious.

Okay today I noticed a very uncomforitable pain on my left hip in one spot sort of, and I noticed what looks like the begging of blisters. So I’m assuming I’m getting shingles again for the third time. Anyway, my question is, is I know it’s contagiouse, but I have a 4 year old daughter who has never had chicken pox before but has had the vaccine. Can she still get chicken pox if I truely am getting shingles again?

Yes, she can. Children who have had the chickenpox vaccine can get chickenpox again. People can get chickenpox if they are exposed to the fluid from shingles blisters. But she can’t get chickenpox from you from you coughing, etc. There needs to be actual contact with the infectious fluid from the blisters.

My son is due for his 12 month shots today. That includes the varicella vaccine. It supposedly contains a live virus. A girl I know told me that this vaccine that he is about to take may affect his grandfather, who is on kidney dialysis and takes plenty of meds. She said something about it could give him Shingles if I take my son around him. Is this true? What are the risks of this shot towards other individuals?

If he’s had chicken pox he’s immune to getting chicken pox. If your son gets a rash from the vaccine he’d need to stay away from pregnant women and children who haven’t had chicken pox or people with compromised immune systems. Older people get shingles from the virus lying dormant in their body since they had the chicken pox. They don’t know why the virus reappears except it seems to do it in older people and people with compromised immune systems. They have a shingles vaccination available now recommended for people over 60.
Here’s a link to who shouldn’t get it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles-vaccine/AN01738

I mean if the virus can’t reach the skin, shouldn’t that stop it from breaking out? If the virus is not shedding you shouldn’t infect anyone. I was just curious. They say there is no cure but these medications don’t always inhibit breakouts or spreading the virus. There’s got to be a way to control it.

Okay, in theory this sounds like a plan; however, the virus does migrate to other nerves. The migration process is not completely understood, but it does tend to happen if an area (nerve) near the nerve that habors the virus is traumatized. Also, I have read of the virus traveling from the nerve into the lymph system and other organs. So, damaging the nerve may not be the anwer as far as finding a cure.

I’ve got flu like symptoms, but my lower back is killing me so is my legs but i’ve got a God awful rotten taste in my mouth. This may sound daft but it tastes like artificial spray snow, those cans of spray snow you use for frosting your windows at christmas time. Its horrible acrid and just nasty. If the flu symptoms and the rotten taste in your mouth indicative of Shingles?

Shingles can only occur if you’ve already had chicken pox. This is because it is the same virus which is reactivated (usually by stress, immunocompromised states).

Shingles is characterised by a dermatomal distribution of pain. This bascially means it affects a strip of your skin. There is usually pain in this area before you get the ’spots’. Shingles most commonly affects you chest area or a region of your face.

The only definitive thing I can say is that if you’ve never had chickenpox you can’t have shingles. My advice would be to visit your doctor/dermatologist who are most qualified to make a decision.

Hope that helps.

HERPES ZOSTER

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