Pain so bad I can barely stay on my feet.

Hi Colin. Have you had the new Shingrix vaccine yet? Unlike the old vaccine years ago, this new vaccine is ALSO helping people with the PHN, as well as stopping the shingles virus itself. After 8 years of shingles, over 140 outbreaks and daily sufferimg with PHN, this new vaccine worked for me. I have my life back. Take care

Hi r.f, I seen your post and I am making an appointment tomorrow to get the new vaccine. Does it matter if I had the old vaccine?

Hi Joseph. No, it doesn't matter if you had the old shingles vaccine. In fact, the CDC is encouraging people who had the old vaccine to also take this new vaccine. The old one was a live virus vaccine and this one is not live. Also, the old vaccine had an average 38% success rate, with NO relief for people suffering from PHN. This new vaccine has a 97% success rate, even for those suffering from recurring shingles. And it does help relieve the pain from PHN, which is huge. Glad you are getting the vaccine. Again, it is a new vaccine, so be sure to ask for it by name. Take care friend.

I see my Doctor this coming Thursday. Right now I need to concentrate on my Blood Pressure vs Losartan Potassium tablets, and I am rationed to a 10 minute NHS slot.  I will follow up re Shingrix in due course. Regards to all, Colin,England.

 

Thank you very much. I'm willing to try just about anything to help with the pain

Hi Colin. I understand you needing to get your blood pressure under control. Hoping your next doctor's visit goes well for you. I've been very blessed to not have any issues with blood pressure but i had an older sister who battled it nearly her entire life, starting at the young age of only 32 when she was diagnosed.

I am in the United States, so please forgive my ignorance on the subject but you said you are "rationed to a 10 minute NHS slot". What does that mean? Does this mean you can't even address the issue of your shingles during your next doctor's appt on Thursday? Or get the doctor to write you a prescription for the Shingrix vaccine during that same doctor's appt?

You are quite welcome Joseph. You hang in there, friend. Wishing for you to feel better very soon. Take care

Hi, r.f.

The UK healthcare system is called the National Health Service (NHS). It was introduced in about 1947 or 1948 to give the British population `free' Healthcare. Of course, `free' meant that all Taxpayers paid for it, via their Taxes. 

Right now, in 2018, we are tending to live longer, but that means that we become ever more complex and costly to treat. The United Kingdom - UK -has a bunch of Senior Medics who make up the advisory Government `National Institute for Clinical Excellence' aka NICE. They have the very difficult task of deciding what Medicines and Treatments should be `on the NHS', and they look for the cost effectiveness of drugs. eg a very costly cancer drug that only extends life by a few weeks. Right now, I do not think that Shingrix has been approved on the UK NHS. We also have a shortage of front line Medics, whom we call General Practitioner Doctors aka GPs. If I go `Private' I can see a Consultant via a medical  referral from my GP, but then the Patients Insurance picks up the tab, and the Insurers have their own restrictions. In my case I have been referred to a Specialist who diagnosed an allergy to Tree Pollen, but the Insurers would not pay for the further `shots', which cost about £450, plus the Clinical costs of administering the drug, as there is the possibility of deadly anaphalactic  shock. In practice the NHS is a political nightmare for any UK Government, and they try to limit the cost to the Taxpayer. Right now there is a big shortage of GPs, as they are under so much stress that they tend to retire early. Hence the rule that my GP Surgery appointments are for 10 minutes, and only cover two topics at a time. YMMV.  Colin, England.  (now what was that about Obamacare ??)

Wow, Colin! Bless your heart, i had no idea it was THAT complicated. That's enough to GIVE a person shingles. I truly did not know it worked like that in England. I am so sorry, friend. Thank you for the info.

Colin what is the deal with high blood pressure and Losartan? I also have high BP and take the same thing for it.

I was `maxed out' on 4 blood pressure tablets -

Losartan Potassium 100mg, Indapamide 2.5mg, Doxazosin 4 mg, and Lercanidipine Hydrochloride 20 mg - all per 24 hours

On impulse, I knocked off Losartan 6 days before a blood test, and my Creatinine level dropped from about 195 to 164. indicating improved kidney function. I much later had a minor stroke, my blood pressure being about 200/100 at that time :-(

Following lots of tests, It was found that both my  left and right Kidney arteries were 80% blocked. A stent in my left kidney artery dropped my BP to circa 147/72, This is with my Losartan at 25mg per 24 hours. Creatinine is currently 136.  Regards, Colin England.

 

Colin,

It would have been great if they had checked for renal artery stenosis as a cause for your hypertension in the beginning. I am glad they discovered the cause for you, however. I have essential hypertension and am on three medications.

FYI: Losartan can cause a dry cough, even years after you have been taking it. If you start coughing, inform your physician immediately, and tell them it is the Losartan and you need to change the medication.

Best Wishes

Merry Juliana

Dear Merry,

I agree with your comment re the stenosis, but I mainly had the same `general'  Doctor for 32 years; he has now retired, and  we now have a younger female doctor. Possibly she is a 2nd generation UK born Indian, as her English is very good. Also, I have tried the beta blocker Bisoprolol but that gave me excessive day time fatigue........so far coughing has not been a problem for me with Losartan 25mg,. Regards, Colin, England

Wow so are you doing better now?