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Can shingles cause GERD?

Posted , 5 users are following.

dan36959
dan36959

I had shingles for 6 weeks and thankfully seems to be clearing up with only some PHN remaining.

However on about week 3 I started getting shortness of breath and a hacking cough, especially right after I applied Fucidin H cream - a mix of hydrocortisone and antibiotics - to the rash. 

In the last few weeks the hacking cough would not go away, and when I went to see the doctor he diagnosed it as GERD (acid reflux)

Even now that the shingles is about gone, the GERD has got much worse. Even when taking a strong dose of PPIs, the GERD symptoms remain and have possibly even gotten worse. 

Any idea how I got GERD / acid reflux? I'm wonidering if it's a known complication of shingles, or perhaps a side effect of the Fucidin H cream, or simply brought on by stress? 

Your advice would be much appreciated,

Didier

 

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • hope4cure
    hope4cure dan36959

    Posted

    Shingles is such a miserable disease. I hope you have all the anti fungal meds and take with food and milk. Then once the rash and symptoms have cleared up ask your doctor about the new vaccine for shingles. shingex two shots . It has helped lessen the breakouts and recovery is faster as well as reoccurrence of the rash is much less. I had breakouts every 4 months since vaccination very little rash mostly just itching one spot or two t the most at yearly intervals. 

    I never had GERD on a regular basis generally if I ate something too spicy to close to bed time. Meds have helped mostly take over the counter. But shingles never made it worse in my case. Of course everyone’s outbreak is different and effects differs areas of the body so I can say not all patients that have GERD that the symptoms are not made worse from shingles.

    keeping your GERD in check in very helpful. Take care and hopfully in time this will,get better.

     

  • r._f._09034
    r._f._09034 dan36959

    Posted

    Hey Dan. Never heard of GERD being caused by shingles but as Shingles and GERD can both be irritated by stress, I can certainly see a person having both conditions. Sorry you are going through this. Like hope4cure suggested, be sure to get the Shingrix vaccine when you can. Can't promise it will help and i'm only on my first vaccine but with shingles, ANY relief is a great relief. Take care, friend

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