shingles

hya,
im not sure if it makes a difference but anyone can carry the virus in their body and present with it yrs later

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/Mosb ... ngles.html

I think people are more prone to developing shingles if they are run down or very stressed or suffer from an auto-immune disease (diabetes is one of them).

I hope that you didnt ask because you have shingles because they are ever so painful.

All the best

Karen

I had a very quick search on Google Scholar, and it doesn't look as though there is any link. There have been some large studies of Herpes zoster (the shingles virus) which included diabetes in the analysis, and those didn't find any correlation.

Sadly, this doesn't mean that diabetics can't get shingles - they are just as likely to get it as anyone else, just no more so.

If you have ever had chicken pox then you are carrying the shingles virus,sleeping somewhere in your body.As another poster said,if you are run-down etc it can rear it's ugly head at any time!

I hope you have got some Zovirax or similar to help with it.

Shingles is awful. Both my mother and mother in law suffered from it and being elderly,were very poorly. Trouble is that the medication to treat it neds to be given early, before the symptoms have fully appeared. If you miss that opportunity, there's nothing much but painkillers and time. Since the virus lurks in the nerve sheaths, it might be worth taking some B vitamins or other supportive supplements.

OUCH!

It came on last Thursday & felt like a bruised rib. In the night pain was so intense (below the left ribs, so nowhere near my heart) I would have gone to A&E had it been daytime. It was relieved somewhat by parcetamol & was improving day by day, then this morning the red bumpy rash appeared. I'm seeing the Dr this afternoon.

I feel for you guys! This is without doubt the most painful condition I have had to endure in my life ...and I was lucky, in that it was fairly quick in passing. I know of some sufferers who have been out of action for several months with this. And one friend in particular has been pretty badly scarred with it.
For me, I couldn't understand what was wrong when I got it ...it just didn't make any sense to have an area of my body that was so sensitive to touch that I would scream in agony if it was touched in the slightest possible way. I had been 'tuned' to do the opposite ...if something is sore then you treat it very gently! I soon learned that if I had to touch it (in order to put cream on for example), then the HARDER I treated the area, the less pain there was.
When I went to the doctor, he took one look at me and laughed! I thought I was dying and he sits there and laughs, saying 'Oh Dear, that's a nasty looking case of Shingles you've got there!' I could have punched his lights out! Just joking ...I have a really good relationship with him, which is probably why he reacted in this way!
Good luck to all you sufferers out there!
Colin.

my mum had it at xmas and is still getting some nerve pain :? not nice

In a way I'm relieved it is shingles, as I was afraid of something more serious. I'm now taking 800 mgx5 of antiviral - Aciclovir.

Possible side effects:

Tell you dr or pharmacist if you notice any of the following effects - or any not listed.

stomach pain [yes]
skin rash with blisters [thats what shingles is all about!]
increase in blood levels of urea & creatinine [notice :?: ]
impaired kidney function [notice :?: Aciclovir seems to be a useful diuretic - I had to get up at midnight & 2:30, - I often sleep through the night]
coma [notice :?: I hope my wife would]
feeling of general discomfort & illness [yes - I've got shingles]
drowsiness [often]

Click to expand...

How am I going to notice things that need a blood test :?:

Just for info....an increase in the level of urea can make your pee smell quite strongly of...well, of WEE.

Sorry about the shingles mate, bloody painful as I recall.

Now its transmogrified into postherpetic neuralgia - & the chronic pain is nasty.

ouch ian,
hope the pain subsides soon