How often do your shingles come back?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I first got shingles at 21, they thought it was strange but I had them and they lasted 3 weeks. I just got them a second time at age 37. I've not been sick, yes somewhat stressed but not nearly like other times. This case is worse than the first. I have a large rash area on my lower right back and I have some smaller areas all the way around to my belly button. I was given the anti-virus pills this time and told that I may continue to get them as I get older. I can't figure out what triggered them and how to "avoid" the triggers in my future.
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Amy_in_agony amy98299
Posted
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. So for your curiousity 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 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'rein 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.
jana02303 Amy_in_agony
Posted
Thanks for your helpful information. Your triggers sound a lot like mine (I posted them in a different thread.) My diagnosis isn't shingles at this time, it's postherpetic neuralgia. I never saw any blisters, but based on the lingering pain and what I reported to my doctor, PHN seems the most likely explanation. I had shingles, I didn't realize it, it didn't get treated, and now I'm stuck with damaged nerves.
I'm curious about the dietary guidelines you mentioned. I've been following a super-strict healthy diet for the past week in hopes of calming down inflammation and providing my damaged nerves the right nutrients, but when I find lists of foods that are supposed to help nerves heal, many of them are on the list of things NOT to eat for shingles! Nuts and berries, specifically. So it seems like certain things are a no-no when the infection is active, but then afterwards it's OK? I just hope some day I can drink coffee again; I really miss it, but it's just not worth the spike in pain for the next day or two!
Merry19451 amy98299
Posted
I am so sorry for your suffering.
I first started having Herpes Zoster or Shingles at 44 years old. I get Herpes Zoster Oticus in my right ear every three to five weeks for the last 20 years. Needless to say, it is excruciating to have it in your head.
To lessen the intensity and duration of pain, I have learned to recognize the beginning symptoms of the viremia. I start with feeling more fatigued, irritable, ataxic or off-balance,
joint and muscle aches, headache generalized....as this is a disease process, not just the rash and pain.
When i know I have the very beginning of Zoster I immediately start the antivirals. I find Famvir the most efficacious antiviral, better than Acyclovir and Valtrex. I also have a prescription for an opioid that helps with the severe headache 10/10. I also am on Topamax for migraine prophylaxis, but I am certain that Topamax, an anticonvulsant, has lessened the severe headache, and prevented the dreaded post herpetic neuralgia. Lyrica is often prescribed for Zoster-Shingles, as well.
I tried taking the antiviral daily, but it did not thwart the frequency of the episodes one bit.
I also had Zostavax, the vaccine against Shingles, but that also did not help in the slightest.
I am immunocompromised with autoimmune diseases and cancer (recently diagnosed, treated, and with an excellent prognosis) which was not immediately apparent 20 years ago.
I try not to be stressed, and have a wonderful supportive family who understands, but I still get this agonizing disease. When I was a single mother and terribly stressed, I would
get it every 2-1/2 weeks and work, no matter what.
Try to rest and have your family take care of you. Hopefully, your physician is excellent, prescribes the correct medications, gives you a supply of antivirals to have on hand to start ASAP the minute you know that you are in for it, and gives you narcotics to relieve the pain.
I am an Nurse Practitioner in the States. Please let me know how you do. I am here to help you.
Best Wishes.
Merry Juliana