Has anyone ever had shingles
 

I am seeing a Dr this afternoon, it may just be an allergic reaction to something

but it itches like crazy..it seems that i have heard of a lot of people having shingles lately, so i am not waiting around :eek:

My mom had them last year B..and My Father in law has them right now. They both started out with a lot of pain and burning before the redish purple lesions and blisters started.
I hope it isn't shingles:( My FIL is doing pretty good, but Mom had them for almost 7 months.

M are they on medicine for them

I had shingles of the scalp last year. Don't remember it being particularly itchy. It caused some lymph nodes to swell. One was extremely painful to the touch. One of the nerves in the area would cause a sort of shooting pain, esp when I turned my head a certain way. Incredily painful.

I was on ibuprofen 800mg three times a day, valcyclovir (sp?), and Zovirax
cream. Ended up being very, very tired for a month after.

I am not sure what my FIL is on but they did give him something.

Shingles can occur anywhere. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe to debilitating. Shingles should not be taken lightly.

Depending on your health and wether or not you have been recently exposed to chickenpox or are compromised in any way, your doctor may decide to give you gamma globulin.

Almost everyone I know has had shingles in different areas. In my early 20's I was afflicted with them, on a nerve in my brain. I actually had shingles on my brain. I presented with stroke like symptoms and today those who know me can still see the permanent damage it caused. My eye is still a little wider than the other and when nervous, hot or cold my left side still droops a bit, it also affects my speech at times. Again, if you did not know about my shingles episode you would probably not notice any of this.

Currently, there are two or three medications that seem to help some people. You need to talk to your doctor about that. Also depending on the location, cortisone injections may offer some additional relief, again this must be discussed with your doctor.

I also know people who have had them so mild it was barely noticable. I hope you check out ok. If it is shingles please make sure to take care of yourself! Good Luck

ps I had a bunch of sharp little pains behind my ear just prior to onset.

Betty, I am praying it isn't shingles and maybe just allergic reaction to something. Glad to hear you are not waiting and having a Doctor look at it and diagnose what it is for sure. Let us know what he/she says when you get the chance. Hugs, Dyan

I don't have any pain just like a rash or red sploches and a few blisters, hopefully it is an allergic reaction to something, but i haven't eat or took anything different

I am so glad you are better now, will they come back again?
Mine is mostly in the upper torso with a couple on my hip

Thank you i will, my appointment is at 2:15 today...

Is the rash on just one side of your body? Shingles normally is on one side or the other. I recently had a very weird rash and went to my doctor. It turned out to be pityriasis rosea and can last up to 8 weeks, but I went suntanning each day and mine seems to be gone after 3 weeks! Pityriasis rosea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This is something normally 35 and under get, but I'm old and got it anyway. Good luck and I hope whatever yours is, is easy to treat!

No it is on both sides waistline and upward ;) and i am older than cornbread :D

I have had it a few times and it is painful. :( It also makes me extremely tired. The doc always prescribes prednisone for me as it affects the facial nerve and the pain is from the edema to the nerve. They do give anti virals too.
Also, pain meds but honestly they don't totally relieve the pain.

So far i have not had any pain..and i am very anxious to find out what it is..just itches like crazy

Shingles itches, too. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. But...you may not have it. It usually is on one side like someone else said.

:( Sorry to hear this! I hope the Dr gives you answers soon! and I'm crossing my fingers its not shingles!

Finally got through the shingles about 2mo. ago. The rash was in the middle part of my back and the pain is horrible. You are so tired all the time its hard to do anything. I had back surgery in 07 and I can only equal the pain in my back before surgery with shingles. They can return too. The shot from what I understand is pretty expensive. You have to have it before you actually break out. I never knew there was a shot for it. I thought it was just a rash and probably itched alot. Shingles can be very dangerous and like I said the pain is horrible. Hope thats not what you have.

I've never had it but have heard you have to have had chicken pox in your lifetime to get it later on. I hope you don't really have shingles itself as everybody says it is so painful. I will be praying that it is something less severe & there is a quick cure, Betty! Jeanie

So hoping it is not shingles, Betty. Sounds like that could be miserable.

Hoping it's not shingles... and hope you are feeling better real soon!

Betty, hoping you are feeling better and that it isn't shingles.

I am back finally
 

Thank the Lord it was not shingles, he said that i was allergic to something
they gave me a cortisone shot and told me to take zyrtec everyday

Thank all of you for your well wishes...hugs

Phew! What good news! I hope the shot and zyrtec helps!!

I do to, i don't know how long it takes for the shot to work

Just seeing this. Glad your okay

Yippee! Awesome...so glad it was not shingles.

The Dr. said that they usually never find what you are allergic to if you go for testing, i would sure love to know...what if it were my babies

Glad to hear that it is an allergy and not shingles. Wishing you well!

Glad it's not shingles. It can be very painful. I had it about 15 years ago and the doctor put me on codiene and told me not to be brave and to take the meds.

Good news!

Oh my.. Glad you are ok and it's not shingles !