Has anyone ever had shingles? How did you tolerate it?

[mfcorey1]

[ohheckyeah]

1. I did. I had lidocaine patches and some vicodin.

I did pretty good.

[mfcorey1]

2. Were the patches by prescription?

[ohheckyeah]

3. Yes. They

Were. I don't think you should have troble gettng them.

[Punkingal]

4. I had shingles last September.

Worst thing EVER. I am still having nerve pain all these months later.

[PennyK]

5. Me also last fall

My doctor prescribed Acyclovir, but only once the rash showed (we were pretty sure before that). I also had a 'codone. The rash never got too bad, but the nerve pain was horrible.

[redstatebluegirl]

6. Really nasty! Had them last year was in bed for 2 days.

Doctor gave me patches, told me to take cool showers (they were on my scalp). I have never had anything like that before. I got a Shingles vaccine after they went away and have not had a recurrence. I had to wait until I was over 60 to get my insurance to pay for it but boy was it worth it!

[souledout2JC]

7. Yes, been there, done that..

There are only 2 people on the planet (well dick cheney makes it 3) that I would ever wish shingles on because it is sheer hell. The worst thing in my case is that I got the vaccination 2 months before getting the disease! NOT FAIR!! It is awful, cruel, mean, and excruciating pain. If someone you know gets it, pamper them, support them, go above and beyond to make their lives easier until the last blister is gone. They will need you very much. If it's dick cheney then just laugh your head off and offer to pop all of the blisters with a sharp rock.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. 2 years ago I got blisters, saw doctor same day, began anti-virus meds that night, gone in days.

If you get blisters or symptoms get it checked out ASAP.

I'm probably a bit lucky to have a light course of disease, no pain. All the same, it seems to me other people might be "a bit lucky" if they knock it down with prompt diagnosis and treatment.

[mfcorey1]

9. That is the same way mine ended. I immediately started meds and things never got really severe.

The infection was short term, so I now advise get medication immediately at the first sign of what you suspect might be shingles.

[Nay]

15. I also went screaming on down to my doc's office when the blisters appeared --

got put on acyclovir and had only a very mild case. I also had gotten the vaccination the day after I turned 60, mainly because I had seen so many people suffer ungodly pain after getting shingles.

My advice to anyone is to GET THE SHOT, for god's sakes, and GET TO THE DOC if you get symptoms.

Having said that, my own husband won't get the shot, despite my experience. Go figure.

[CTyankee]

10. I had a very bad case this past year and then developed post herpetic neuralgia. Nothing worked

on the nerve pain. So now I am starting a screening trial of Spinal Cord Stimulation, an electronic device that interrupts pain signals in the spinal cord. Can't shower during screening trial so I have to take sponge baths, since i have this electronic device hooked up to me. Hoping this works after everything else has failed.

Wish me luck. I'm going to try for a happy thanksgiving with my family.

[Vinca]

11. I had that after a bout of shingles, too. The worst pain I've ever experienced in my life.

This was several years ago. I landed in the ER because I couldn't walk without a lightning bolt running the length of my body. It was just horrible. They gave me Demerol and it barely touched the pain. I ended up going home with enough prescriptions to start a drug business and a pair of crutches. Fortunately, a neurologist was able to see me right away and she put me on Gabapentin in addition to pain killers. It took a few weeks, but it finally did the trick. I ended up getting off the pain meds but staying on the Gabapentin for a couple of years. To this day, I have mild bouts of that pain. More of a nuisance than anything, but if it ever seems to be escalating again I'll head back to the neurologist. Good luck to you.

[CTyankee]

12. Yeah, I had gabapinton but that was way back. Maybe it will work this year but my pain management

doc's APRN will see me in two days and try to help.

A couple of glasses of wine does help, but don't tell my doctor, shhh!

[CountAllVotes]

13. I had the shingles last year & they recurred not long after that

They mutated into another form of the shingles virus and yes, the pain is bad bad bad.

However, I have MS and the pain was not a lot different than what I LIVE WITH EVERY DAY of my stupid life.

Pure crap = shingles w/MS on top of it.

I went the the ER and was told it was an insect bite and never got the antivirals medications until it was too late. I turned the ER doctor in for incompetence and he apparently got in trouble as he lied! Fucker!!!

[Vinca]

14. Damn that chicken pox of our youth.

Sorry you're in such a bad situation with the MS. I can't imagine living with pain like that.