first, let me say a big huge thank you to all who responded. you know i would not have gone to the doctor without your help.
i called as soon as i read your responses and they said get here asap. the waiting room was full but they took me immediately it was in the room in 5 minutes. that's unusual.
he took one look at my hip and said uh oh, and i said not hives huh? he said uh no, it's shingles. i asked about the shot and he said too late, you have it.
he gave me something called valacyclovir three times a day for a week. the pills are huge!!!
my hip is really sore and hurts. plus the skin on the front of my leg is very sensitive to the touch and hurts.
he thinks we caught this early and says he's hoping i don't have any problems. if you catch it early then there's a chance you won't get it again.
he said maybe the diverticulitis, on top of selling my car, all the stress at home, and all just has completely deleted my immune system.
said showers, no baths, don't pick at it. what scared me was when he said "i won't lie to you. this is going to get worse before it gets better. it may spread, ooze pus and crust. don't panic, just keeping taking the meds. get plenty of rest, no travel."
i told mike to go to san antonio by himself. he's going don't touch my towels, don't use my sink, wash your hands. geez, you think i have the plague or something.
but again thank you,thank you, cause i would not have listened and stayed home.
but here's the question -- are people with lyme more prevalent to getting shingles?
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
I don't know, but I think it's from the usually dormant chicken pox virus.
I know Lyme and its treatment can make your body a hospitable place for usually dormant viruses to activate again, by lowering your immune system. I have had a couple of mine act up more than once since I got Lyme.
Your hubby could catch chickenpox from you if he hasn't had it, but not shingles. If he has had chickenpox, then he could get shingles at any time if his own immune system stopped keeping the virus dormant.
"You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But a person with a shingles rash can spread chickenpox to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine."
"After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever.
"In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox."
I think you can get shingles again, but you can only get chickenpox once.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
well it certainly is painful!!
and ya'll know i'm under constant stress.
oh yeah, forgot. he wants me to start on lexapro in one week after i finish the shingles meds. said i really needed it.
i have to go back in three weeks.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Randibear, LED light therapy can help reduce the pain and inflammation of shingles.
I started to get what I think is shingles. I slathered antibiotic ointment everywhere it hurt and all over the rash and it worked.
When it flares, I slather antibiotic ointment all over it and, yes, it's definitely a stress thing.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Stress can trigger it, yet since shingles is a viral infection, what about a topical anti-viral solution, in addition to anti-viral Rx?
An arnica cream might help decrease pain, too.
I also vote for the SOTO LIGHTWORKS, though, in your case. It has many great uses and would be a wonderful investment. (I'm saving up for one as I've read so many good things about pain relief from it.) -
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
what kind of antibiotic ointment? you mean just the general tube stuff from walmart or something?
how about just putting coconut oil on it?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Since shingles is a virus, antibiotics will not help. Coconut oil may cause it to burn (but since it is natural and absorbs, it may be fine).
I'd not put anything processed and oily on it, especially anything with a petroleum product in it as some general tube stuff from WalMart would likely contain. Many oily ointments from petrochemicals tend to hold in heat.
I had a friend who had shingles all around her hips a few years ago. It was an amazing site. Once one got over the shock and could manage the pain, she seemed mesmerized by "art work" - as she called it. -
[ 07-07-2010, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
You might also consider topical solution of Colloidal Silver or Nano Silver.
Internally, the valacyclovir is a Rx antiviral. When that runs out, you might consider Silver as a follow-up.
Is there a valacyclovir ointment?
ADRENAL Support would be very helpful, too, all along the way. -
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
I got shingles about 5 years ago, on my jawbone. I was 21 at the time.
I had been treating with an LLMD for awhile, then took time off to do lots of alternative stuff. I was doing some heavy-duty alternative treatments for the immune system and infections in general. Then I drank alcohol two nights in a row, and this shingles thing started.
I don't remember it being very painful. I think it developed for about a week, maybe more, before it became an open sore, so at that point I went to my GP doctor, having no clue what it was.
He told me it was shingles, but for some reason he didn't give me any treatment, can't remember why. We just let it run it's course.
I think since it wasn't painful, that's one reason why he didn't treat it? Or maybe by the time I got to him, it was already healing?
But anyways, it got better on it's own without me doing anything. From what I read about shingles, it seems like I was lucky and a lot of people have a much worse experience.
The only thing I remember is that it looked really nasty! But mine slowly healed on its own.
So yes, it seems like Lymies can get this sort of thing, especially when the body is stressed. Good luck!
PS--how long have you had this so far? For me, the whole process from beginning to completely healed was probably about 3 weeks or more.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Coconut oil is antiviral.
If you have some on hand, try a little on one spot and see if it helps.
Carol
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Honestly, I don't know if I would put anything in the sore that wasn't sterilized, for fear it would cause more infection, more oozing, more wetness, etc.
Mine healed on its own, but I rarely touched it, which I think helped. I think logically it makes sense to let the area breathe.
If you are gonna do coconut, I would take it orally. I am not a nurse like Carol though!
Posted by MDW005 (Member # 22706) on :
Randibear... My mother had shingles in her right arm; from fingers to her shoulder. She said it was very painful for six weeks.
To this day it left nerve damage in the right arm. Anyway she said the only thing that helped releive the pain was Lyrica. I don't know if you are chemical sensitive, but may be worth a try.
She did not use any topicals. She let it dry out on it's time.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
i have an area about the size of your palm on my lower back close to the spine.
now i also have an area on the inside of my left thigh which really hurts.
the skin on top of my left leg from hip to knee is really sore.
i'm hoping we caught it early. apparently it is nothing to mess with tho.
but yeah, i am in pain big time....
i think i'll not put anything on it as he said not to mess with it, not pick it, or anything.
he said "it's going to be a rough ride."
yuck.....
you know lately, my life just sucks...
Posted by kidsgotlyme (Member # 23691) on :
I'm so sorry you have something else to contend with. I wish I could just give you a big 'ol hug!!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
YUCK!! I'm so sorry to hear this! Shingles can be VERY painful.
How many days did it take for you to get to the doctor?? I took my mom the same day we found it (on her face!) and the dr gave her a shot and the anti-virals. It went away in about a week.
The bad news?? The shots are cortisone/steroids! So maybe it's just as well you didn't get the shot!
I would never wait to be treated for shingles. I have a friend who lost his eye to it. They literally had to remove the eye.
And unfortunately, I would think all of us are at higher risk of getting it. UGH!! Because I for one, do NOT want the vaccine!!
Posted by 2roads (Member # 4409) on :
Posted by Parisa (Member # 10526) on :
Randi,
My husband had shingles a couple of years ago around the holidays. I was afraid it was a staph infection and I spread Manuka honey with active factor on it for the day or so before we could get in to see a doctor. It turned out to be shingles and he had had the symtpoms long enough that they didn't think the antiviral would be effective.
The Manuka honey it turns out has antiviral properties and his symptoms resolved quickly without any lasting nerve issues.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Randibear so glad you went. If you try the coconut oil on a spot or two, please let us know what
happens. I have used it on herpes sore and it worked great. Get well soon.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
last night was bad. my left leg hurt so i couldn't lay on the sheet and it burned!
i finally got up at 4:30 and took 1/2 of a vicodin and it seems to have quieted it down.
so far i only have the palm size rash on my spine and that's all.
but man, the pain....
unfortunately i delayed going -- july 4th weekend so i had the rash probably 3-4 days before i got in, but he still seems to think i'll be ok.
i'm worried tho.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well, like I said.. maybe it was good that you avoided the steroid shot.
I hope the pain goes away ASAP!!
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
For what it's worth, I have heard that HEEL sales a nasal spray product called Euphorbium and when applied directly to the skin it is an effective treatment for shingles.
My daughter developed shingles when she was 19. When we went to the Dr he said she's already on everything I would prescribe for shingles! I think he was talking about valcyte and lyrica. Sometimes she had to resort to narcotic pain meds. I had wondered about taking the shot to prevent future outbreaks, but I see someone here posted that it won't do any good now. Hear that some Drs treat lyme with IVIG. Wonder it that would help the body to beat these awful dormant viruses into submission!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Emla,
thanks so much for those links. I have been wanting to learn more and build a prevention / treatment kit just in case I ever need it. There's another link within that first post and that has even more information.
I see that Rife is mentioned.
Randi,
Do you have access to a rife? This might just be the time to go ahead and get one to help address this. -
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
no i don't. and i don't know anyone around me that has one.
i'm just worried about catching it in time. i didn't realize what it was and i have had the rash about 4-5 days before i went to the doctor.
here's hoping it will be ok.
we have a friend who did not get treated at all and she has horrible problems, permanent nerve damage, vision and balance problems. she's 100 percent disabled and her life is hell. she's on a ton of meds.
it's the pain right now that's getting me.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Please don't take this the wrong way, just trying to help the situation....but try to NOT envision the worst case scenario, try to imagine it healing and getting better with the help of the meds, and you moving on with your life.
I think that the mind can work for us or against us. It is powerful and it can effect your immune system. Just don't have too much negative imagery going on or you may not heal as quickly.
I'm not saying this will make it all better, and not saying if it's bad it's your fault....I'm saying don't spend your time picturing the worst case!!!!!
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
thanks. that's why i'm a classic type a.
mom always said i would worry if the sun was going to come up tomorrow!!!
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
