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Shingles and Diabetes ?

anna29

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
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4,789
Location
Preston Lancashire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Just been told today I have shingles .
Never ever had this before .

Just battled off an eye inflammation , then toothache now it is this !

My BG levels have been higher than normal .
Plus am 'off' my food been more thirsty than actually hungry .
Plenty of water with either vimto/blackcurrant (all sugar free)
Or I crumble a orange berrocca tablet in water bottle to mix and get
my vitamin c - down me .

Up to now been shaky via the nervous system and have rash all
following this .
Docs say its a worse case they have seen for a while .
Am covered in it .
Physical stress factor has been mentioned by my doctors nurse yesterday .

So far its unpleasant and is extremely PAINFUL .

How long am I expected to have this for ?
Never having this before - I am unsure of 'what' to expect ...
 
I hope the doc has given you anti-virals. They help a lot. I think you are probably experiencing the worst of it right now. I only had a mild case which was caught early as I had a babe in arms at the time and was at the doctors anyway. The anti-virals stopped it spreading and stopped the shooting pains too. In the old days before antivirals I remember relatives suffering from it for months and months and being in agony. I hope yours goes as quickly as mine (3 weeks). You do need to rest and not get stressed. Get someone to wait on you
 
Oh no so sorry to hear , anna29, sending you ((((( hugs))))) hope you get well soon
 
Take it easy and rest as much as you can, don't do more than you have too, and drink plenty if only to flush the excess sugar out. as to timing, shingles like diabetes is a person to person thing,
 
Have they given you Aciclovir? I get recurring shingles and after I'd had it a few times and been given a course of aciclovir each time they started giving me aciclovir to take every day and I've not had an outbreak since. Lots of people only get it once, but there is a vaccination for it now, worth asking about that.
You've reminded me that i was supposed to have the vaccination, really must remind doctor!
 
Gosh Anna, you're getting more than your fair share at the moment.

You've not been naughty and the health fairies are paying you back, have you?
 
Not sure if my advice can be relevant as I had it when I was 18, way before Type 2, when I was slim and healthy. It's thought mine came from the sun bed. My father and siblings had chickenpox when I was born. The virus could have been passed on to me then but lain dormant, brought out by ultraviolet light.
In any case, yes it was unbelievably painful. My lower regions were in agony, even my most intimate area. The only thing to soothe it was to lay in a bath of lukewarm water. Back then zovirax was prescription only. Once I was given that things improved. I was laid low for two weeks but then it cleared up and I had a few tingles shortly afterwards.
I'm sure you know this already but DON'T IRRITATE OR PICK AT THE SITE AT ALL! I disturbed a stray one up by my ear and stil have a little pock mark now.

Poor you, OP. Hope things get better for you soon
 
Seems chicken pox is also a major contributing factor where the virus remains dormant and then resurrects. Might be that the stress (if there is any) "wakes it up"?

From what I've read, doesn't appear to be long term but treatment is important and it can revive.

Get well

Mike
 
Hope you soon feeling better....hugzzzz
 
Morning anna, sorry to hear you are ill again, you are being hit left right and center. Years ago when my dad was of working age he caught Shingles. It was on one side of his face and he was not well for weeks!!. I have never known my dad to be ill and it really hit him hard as he couldn't work and it look a few weeks for him to be his old self again.He did however have a very tender feeling on that side for a while. Rest up and and please take care.
Sending you lots of good wishes for a speedy recovery.(((((( hugs ))))))))

RRB X

Found this anna X

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Shingles/Pages/causes.aspx

Edited to remove a sentence and to add a link.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've never heard of shingles and diabetes being connected, but I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong. The other symptoms you list are all stress related and indeed some of your responses here of late have indicated you might be under some pressure.

Nature has its own way of forcing us to slow down, take a break and address our own health. I hope you can take some sick leave and spend time regrouping and recovering from this nasty illness and return on top form again.

We don't just need to remember to be kind to others, but we need to be kind to ourselves too. Get well soon
 
anna29 said:
Just been told today I have shingles .
Click to expand...
Very sorry to hear that, as you know it's a stress related thing, usually. I know that in the elderly it really is nasty and I hope that you will have a hasty recovery. Both my parents were very ill with shingles to the point of hoping to die (both in their 80s), still here though.
In their case they were prescribed an anti-depressant, worked miracles for my dad but not so much for my mum, but poor old mum has vascular dementia to contend with and had developed the ability to get rid of tablets the same way that cats do, if you've ever seen a cat, get rid of tablets, no visible movement of the mouth and before you know it, it's on the floor out of sight.
All the very best, get well soon.
 
Hi,

So sorry to hear you are ill.
Rest and de stressing definitely sounds like the way to go.

Would it make sense to move this thread out of Diabetes Discussions and into Other Heath Conditions and Diabetes?

It would have a longer lifespan that way, before it drops off the end of the page.
I'll tag @Giverny @noblehead and @catherinecherub , in case they agree with me.
 
Hi @anna29

Sorry to hear you are having such an awful time ....shingles goodness that can be really awful and painful ...I feel sorry for you ...
Please look,after yourself , just rest and relax as much as you can ....no more bingo and parties for you for a little while ..
But the good news , you will get better ...it is just going to take some time .....


I think the sofa , tv ,,book and magazines are required ....and any treats you feel able to eat ..

Sending you hugs ((( x ))) and very best wishes that you get well soon, keep in touch with us , best wishes ...Kat x
 
I had shingles and I sympathise. You should be taking an antiviral. You can get them to take in tablet form and get a cream to rub on. My pain lasted a month or more and I had to use soluble Cocodamol to control it (not on an empty stomach) and heat pads on the actual infection ( the sort you heat in the microwave). I think you get shingles when run down and the the virus thinks it's a good time to attack you. It's the same virus as for cold sores. Anyway, look after yourself and get some rest. Nannajanis
 
Is there a connection between shingles and diabetes?! I hope not, it sounds awful.

Take care @anna29 and have a good rest
 
Oh @anna29, you have my sympathies. I have just recovered from shingles which came after I had the flu that wasn't prevented by the flu vaccine. I had shingles around my waist and had horrible back ache. It is 5 weeks now and the rash has dried up and is fading although my back still aches. I was told some people were getting it after the flu type virus that has been doing the rounds since Christmas.

Initially I blamed it on a reaction to my pump cannulas but it was obviously much worse and so painful. I hope you start to mend soon. It was a real eye opener to learn the hard way just how painful shingles is. Best Wishes, I hope you start to feel better soon.
 
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