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Just got diagnosed with shingles and have some questions

Posted , 5 users are following.

sandi149
sandi149

Last Monday and Tues I noticed that I had some pain around my left kidney area so I thought maybe I had pulled a muscle.  On Wed the pain got much worse and noticed a small rash.  So I figured I had shingles.  On Thurs I went to my doctor and he confirmed that it was and gave me Valtrex and Tramadol for the pain.  The pain seemed to be manageable and I only needed to take the Tramdol at night to help me sleep.  Last night the pain got really bad, lots of burning and felt like someone was breaking my ribs so I took the painkiller but unfortunately it didn't help too much like it did the previous days. This morning I have pain but it seems to have subsided a little bit.  Oh and the rash is about an inch in diameter so it's not very big at all.  It hasn't turned into blisters, just looks like a few mosquito bites clustered together (at first it looked like little red pimples).  When are the blisters supposed to come out? And do you think I caught this in time where the Valtrex will work?

Thanks for any help!

Sandi

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • Goodwater_Betty
    Goodwater_Betty sandi149

    Posted

    If you began the anti viral medication within 72 hours of the outbreak, it should help.  I did not get them in time, so they did no good for me.  The sharp, stabbing pain is excruciating and really/literally gets on your nerves.  There are others on this forum who can give you much better “clinical” advice than I can, but we all know how awful the pain can be.  The length of the episode can vary pretty widely.  In my case, I had about three weeks of agony and then it gradually subsided over the next three weeks or so.  Others suffer much longer but some, who get the anti viral medication in time, have a much, much milder case.  I have a friend who was suffering intensely and then used blue emu cream and said it was like a miracle—immediate relief.
  • Merry19451
    Merry19451 sandi149

    Posted

    Dear Sandi,

    I am sorry you are going through this.

    Yes, you started the Valtrex in time, as it is currently stopping the virus from replicating and doing more damage.

    Often, the pain increases as the first week continues into the second week. My advice would be to take the Tramadol, as prescribed, not once at night to help you sleep.

    Also, you need to rest and sleep as the pain worsens with any activity or motion. You cannot power through this and go about your duties as normal. Those who do, not knowing any better, live with a higher rate of recurrent Herpes Zoster-Shingles and or Post Herpetic Neuralgia PHN, like me. I was not diagnosed in a timely manner.

    Ice and or cold compresses help with the pain. Usually, heat exacerbates the pain in most people.

    Some individuals find creams with Lidocaine to be quite soothing.

    As to your question when should the blisters appear, anytime now. Your being on Valtrex right away may have slowed the process of the disease, and everyone is a little different. The rash (vesicle-blisters) occur in crops over a period over five days, then start to scab over. Not everyones rash looks like small blisters, but can look like pustules. If it is constant burning, lancinating or pain under the rash, it is shingles.

    Best Wishes

    Merry Juliana

  • sandi149
    sandi149

    Posted

    Thank you for your replies.

    Betty:  where can I get that cream?

    Merry Juliana: actually the pain is worse when I lay down at night to sleep.  During the day when I am active, it seems to subside a bit and is more bearable.  My rash just looks like pink mosquito bites clustered together.  Also, does the size of the rash determine the amount of pain?  My rash is small and it really hurts so I couldn't imagine how it would be, if it were bigger.

    I just hope this goes away soon.  Once it's gone, I am definitely going to get the shingles shot.  I never even knew there was a shot until I started reading up about shingles, otherwise I would have taken it.

    Thank you again for your help.

    Sandi

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 sandi149

      Posted

      Sandi,

      The size of the rash has nothing to do with the amount of pain. Again, if you are active during the day, you will feel it during the nighttime. I would try to go easy on yourself, take tramadol 6 hrs before bedtime, then at bedtime, combined with ibuprofen.

      I am not sure where you live, but get the Shingrex vaccination, as it is 93% efficacious, with no waning immunity. The old Zostavax shot is 53-37% efficacious with waning immunity. Shingrex is available in the US pharmacies, only with your physician's prescription.

      Best Wishes

      Merry Juliana

    • Goodwater_Betty
      Goodwater_Betty sandi149

      Posted

      I think you can get blue emu at any pharmacy and probably at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.  I didn’t use it but my friend said it made a huge difference in his degree of pain.

       

    • sandi149
      sandi149 Merry19451

      Posted

      In theory, does the pain go away when the rash disappears?  I have been trying to rest as much as I can.  I have a family so it's not so easy since I have things to take care of.

      My doctor told me about Shingrex and said when I am better I can take it which I definitely will.

      Even though I have bad pain at times, I think I might have a mild case because I don't always have pain.  From what I have been reading on here and other forums, some people can't even get out of bed and are in agony constantly.  Do you think that the antiviral has something to do with it?

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 sandi149

      Posted

      Sandi,

      In certain cases, the pain resolves in about a month, with the rash. I certainly understand having a family, and the need to care for them. However, I was a single mother who was not diagnosed properly for 3-1/2 weeks, was in excruciating pain, had to care for my son, and have recurrent Herpes Zoster-Shingles every 3-5 weeks for the past 21 years in my right ear. I did not receive the antiviral, nor any analgesic. The message is, take care of yourself now, or pay the price forever.

      If you have friends or family that can help, even driving the children home from school, so you can rest, for a day or two, is an idea. Call out for dinner delivery. Let your standards of housework slide or get the children to pitch in more. Ask your husband to help. You actually are sick! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I do not wish what happened to me or others to happen to you.

      Best Wishes

      Merry Juliana

      Best wishes

      Merry Juliana

    • sandi149
      sandi149 Merry19451

      Posted

      Oh gee, I'm really sorry to hear that! What about the vaccine?  Can you take that? My kids aren't young, they are in their 20s so I don't have to do much for them.  I am doing less housework this week but next week I am having my kitchen renovated.  So it's gonna be difficult to relax with all the demolition and noise but I will do the best I can.

      Thanks again for your advice! smile  Hopefully soon this will be a thing of the past for me!

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 sandi149

      Posted

      Sandi...

      I plan to get Shingrex, as soon as I meet my new internest next month.

      I also had my Vitamin D level checked, and it was 14, and have been taking 2000 IU D3 daily, which decreased the frequency this last 6 months to once every 6 months. I can handle that. Vit D is important for immunity, not just for bones.

      I hope you feel better soon

      Best Wishes

      Merry Juliana

    • georganna53373
      georganna53373 Merry19451

      Posted

      Hello Merry!  You are so much help to so many people with all of your knowledge and I thank you for taking your time with everyone!  I had the "older" vaccination about 6 years before I got shingles.  Would it be a good idea for me to get the "newer" vaccination?  I thought one time my doctor said getting another vaccination would not be helpful...but maybe the "newer" one might be?

    • sandi149
      sandi149 Merry19451

      Posted

      I hope you are able to take the Shingrex because from what I have been reading it prevents shingles in people 50-79 at 97%.  Once I'm better I am definitely getting it because I do not want this ever coming back.  I didn't even know there was a shot, otherwise I would have taken it.  Too bad, because this could have been prevented.

      I am feeling better.  Yesterday I had a day with hardly any pain, and the pain that I did have was mild.  Today I feel ok too. Maybe soon this thing will be a thing of the past!

      Hope you feel better soon too.

      Thanks,

      Sandi

    • sandi149
      sandi149 Merry19451

      Posted

      I also have another question.  Tomorrow morning will be my last pill of the Valtrex.  I still have the rash so do you think I need to get more pills?
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 sandi149

      Posted

      Hi Sandi,

      Unless more vesicle-blisters were cropping up, you wouldn't need more Valtrex. It takes 2-4 weeks for the vesicle-blisters to scab over. If individuals start the antiviral very early, sometimes it is a very short process, and the individuals do not form true blisters, and therefore do not scab. There is also less skin damage and redness to the area.

      Merry Juliana

    • julie89512
      julie89512 sandi149

      Posted

      Hi.

      im just getting over face shingles and I had 2 rounds of antivirals back to back because the first lot wasn’t enough. 

      2nd lot was a lower dose. 

      Im got a lot of nerve pain at the moment, iv been off work for 4 weeks and I’m not planning to go back until I feel fit enough 

      i totally agree we have to be kind to ourselves, I don’t want this again, it’s knocked me for six. 

      If your not sure phone your gp you may need more 

      good look 

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 georganna53373

      Posted

      Georganna,

      I would definitely recover this bout of shingles, first. Then I would get the Shingrex 2 part vaccination. I certainly plan on having Shingrex.

      Merry Juliana

    • sandi149
      sandi149 Merry19451

      Posted

      HI Merry,

      I don't think I have actual "blister" type things.  They look more like little pimples but there is nothing oozing out of them.  The area of my rash is so small compared to pictures that I have seen.  Less than 2 inches in diameter.  

      The pain has definitely lessened.  I didn't even need to take a pain killer last night.  So do you think maybe I am on my way to getting rid of this?

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 sandi149

      Posted

      Sandi,

      They are not supposed to ooze!

      It sounds as if you are being spared the worse, but still take it easy. If you overdo it, it can come back with a vengeance! The size of the rash has nothing to do with the level of pain. Remember, you started the Antivirals early! Not every rash looks like a textbook case, BTW.

      Best wishes

      Merry Juliana

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