1. Community
  2. Infections
  3. Shingles

Am I normal?

Posted , 5 users are following.

amanda96405
amanda96405

I am 27 years old. The first time i got shingles was ab a year and a half ago which completely blew my mind because 1. I didn't know i had ever even had chicken pox and 2. Because i had never heard of someone my age getting shingles. My first outbreak was horrible.. Started on my back and ran down my right arm.. It lasted ab 2 weeks but i lived through it hoping i never had to go through it again as I've always heard you usually only get shingles once. Boy was i wrong! My second outbreak was ab 6months later.. The glands in my neck had become very sore and swollen.. I thought i had a stomach ulcer or severe indigestion because my stomach hurt every time i ate. Then my gums became swollen and the blisters appeared on my lips. Crap! Shingles AGAIN!. Somehow even worse than the first time. Now i have shingles again.. This time I have had severe fatigue and nerve pain in my left arm but the blisters have only appeared on one finger so far.. I just don't understand why it keeps reappearing?! My grandmother acts like i must have AIDS or some awful immune disease. Is that the case? Is something bad wrong with me? I don't want to get shingles every 6 months for the rest of my life. Advice appreciated.

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Puddenpop67
    Puddenpop67 amanda96405

    Posted

    I'm 48 almost 49 and life since I have had Shingles in December has been a nightmare that just doesn't seem to go away.  I've had so many medical issues myself due to them.  Two eye infections, issues regulating my body temp and now the new one. Vertigo caused by fluid in my ears.  I'm deathly afraid of getting shingles again as I will probably go out of my mind.   Do not let other bring you down and treat you like you have the plaque which I felt the same too.  I want to get the vaccine but I have to wait a year per doctors advice.  He has told me I could get this again and worry as I teach
    • amanda96405
      amanda96405 Puddenpop67

      Posted

      Thank you. Healthy people just don't understand. Do you know how long the vaccine last?
    • Puddenpop67
      Puddenpop67 amanda96405

      Posted

      I believe once you get them their good for remaining life, but don't quote me.  Need to be shingle free at least 13-14 months my doctor told me.  
  • steve_1
    steve_1 amanda96405

    Posted

    I never suffered with chicken pox either but boy have I made up for it since.After the 4th dose I think it was, I was tested for all the nasties (leukimia, HIV, etc. etc.) because it is obviously an immune system problem. I was all clear on all the blood tests.

    With a dickie immune system other things can happen like in my case I developed Polymyalgia Rheumatica and that isn't something I'd recommend, especially when they come together. 

    See the doctor 

     

    • amanda96405
      amanda96405 steve_1

      Posted

      No insurance rolleyes but i suppose i should go anyways. Thank you for your advice.
    • amanda96405
      amanda96405

      Posted

      Do you mind explaining to me what Polymyalgia Rheumatica is?
    • steve_1
      steve_1 amanda96405

      Posted

      Polymyalgia Pheumatica or PMR is an autoimmune problem that affects the large muscles in the arms , shoulders, hips etc. I think it's the body's defences fighting the body, but, the one thing I can say for certain is that it hurts, on a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say about 11. The symptoms (that is the pain) are controllable with prednisalone steroids,   the wonder tablet...worth it's weight in diamond and quite cheap
  • angie76698
    angie76698 amanda96405

    Posted

    Hi Amanda.....so sorry for what you are going through. You are so young and this stuff makes you feel old!!! I'm 62 and i have had shingles a lot 15 plus times. It js now called PHN (post herpatic neuralgia) or internal shingles. Right now i habe the rash on the aide of my face but not all times have breakouts. I have had the shot. The antivirus seems to help sometimes if you get it early. I have no advice.....no reasons as to why we have it more than others or how to avoid it. Just sympathy and to tell you that there is no normal with shingles. As for your grandmother .... An older person can catch shingles from someone with a flare up and is much harder for older people to endure. Hope you stay healthy and go see a doctor for your antivirus. Angie
    • amanda96405
      amanda96405 angie76698

      Posted

      Bless your heart! I don't want to image living through this 15 times. Thank you for your kind words. Its nice to hear from people who understand.
  • Amy_in_agony
    Amy_in_agony amanda96405

    Posted

    Hi Amanda... so sorry to hear you're going through this... This forum helped me understand what is going on in my own body. I have spent a tremendous time reading but what I got out of it was invaluable. Long story short I have found a few things that are the triggers and once I shaped my life around those things the repeat outbreaks ceased. At least when I'm strict about my protocol. Just this week I realized that I have been lax about my own rules and hence I am having an outbreak right now. But with my arsenal of knowlege I hope it to be short and mild. I will list my triggers in order of importance=

    foods high in Arginine (many are favorites and hard not to cheat)

    too much caffeine

    too little sleep

    drinking alcohol

    abrasions to the skin in areas of past outbreaks

    exposure to toxins like paint/fumes/new carpet/cleaning supplies, etc.

    Stress (physical or mental)

    Menstrual cycle pending

    So maybe this helps you understand a little... the dietary thing is mostly my problem.. I have a big family that loves to eat and avoiding certain foods are important and difficult. If you do an internet search on the dietary ratio of Arginine to Lysine you may find that your diet is making it very hard for your body to combat the virus. When I discovered this element of foods it changed my outbreaks in a huge way as I was eating all the wrong things and lots of them. My main favs that are bad for me are as follows= grapes and everything associated with them= raisins, wine, etc. I used to have a glass of wine every night and loved raisins as snacks, in foods, I really loaded them on... Nuts and seeds= they're in everything and peanut butter was my staple. Garlic and Onions... eesh I love those. Blueberries used to be my solution to not gorging on ice cream...

    See what I mean... ?

    ​

    So look those food ratios up and see if that isn't a big part of the problem...I wish you all the best in your search for answers and getting a handle on recurring issues.

    • Puddenpop67
      Puddenpop67 Amy_in_agony

      Posted

      I also try to avoid these foods, drinks and chemicals.  I have always tried to avoid many of these things as I have a autoimmune disease called intercystal cystitis which is a bladder disease.  There are foods to stay away from to prevent painful flare ups.  I will be honest before I got shingles my body was on overdrive and i was not taking care of myself or following the ICD diet, so I guess that's why I might have gotten them so bad.  It has been under 1 1/2 months and there are so many things I need to fix about my unhealthy lifestyle.. First thing to listen to my body when it's telling me to slow down.  I don't have to be the super mom or super wife 24/7. I'm down 14 pounds and have cut back on many of the unhealthy foods I was eating.  Good luck to you.  

       

    • amanda96405
      amanda96405 Amy_in_agony

      Posted

      Wow.. I had no idea all that played a part... I will look that up. Thank you so much.
  • angie76698
    angie76698 amanda96405

    Posted

    One thing that has gotten the best of me this go around is the fatigue. I am so tired. I keep my 3 yr old grandson and it has been hard. Anyone else dragging ass?
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.