Reoccurring Shingles

Hi Caddy 

this is some useful info .. 

I have been fine since May and been having B12 and Vit C ..

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Dear Caddy82;

I have had reoccurring Shingles for 35 years. About 5 or 6 years ago, I went on Valtrex, daily, to prevent Shingles. Do you have any other doctors besides your primary? My neurologist has taken care of it. Also, infectious disease specialist are the real key to help. I have so many experiences, it would be best if you looked at my comments to other people on here. Just use my username to find them. Also, I still get occasional outbreaks,and for those, I double up on the Valtrex for 5 to 7 days. It's better than getting Shingles very 6 to 8 weeks. Been there done that!

Take care, and if you need to talk, just let me know.

1Roswell

Dear Caddy,

First of all, I am so sorry you are experiencing excruciating and debilitating pain that could be lessened if your physician were experienced in treating Herpes Zoster.

May I ask a few questions first? How old are you and do the blisters come out through the

ear canal to the outer ear and onto the Pinna or outer ear or do they show up more behind the Pinna?

Are you immunocompromised with autoimmune diseases such as SLE, RA, Psoriasis ITP, or taking Prednisone etc? Do you have Cancer?

Herpes Zoster starts with the predromal symptoms of flu like symptoms of fatigue, joint and muscle aches, low grade fever; if you have Herpes Zoster Oticus, you start with an excruciating headache that is often worse than a migraine, localizes to one side, and takes a week to ten to fourteen days before the blisters appear on the other side of the eardrum. The pain is agonizing.

Is this what you are experiencing?

My suggestion is changing your physician, of possible. I am an NP in the States, have Herpes Zoster Oticus in my right ear every three to five weeks for the last 19 years.

I take an antiviral at the first hint of pain. This ameliorates the pain immensely as the virus doesn't replicate to the enormous degree that waiting until it shows up on your Pinna. Most physicians are abysmally ignorant re disease processes and arrogant to their patients.

You need to find a physician willing to prescribe antivirals to take at the first hint of pain. You also need a supply of narcotics on hand to take. I find I only need narcotics three days if I catch the Herpes Zoster virus in the early stage. It is when the illness has dragged on that the disease is unforgiving, more painful, and the head is one of the most agonizing locations to have it.

I am also on

Topamax 100 mg 2x daily which helps and use Auralgon ear drops which has Benzocaine, a local anesthetic to soothe the excruciating pain.

Hopefully this will help.

Good luck.

Merry Juliana

Hi Caddy, I suggest you do see a diiferent GP as so many of them don't have much if any knowledge about shingles or PHN! (Neuralgia after shingles). Maybe phone your surgery and ask to see a doc who does understand and explain to doc what you have been reading on here. The NHS docs here where I live in the UK use Patient UK for reference, mine did when I was diagnosed to check before prescribing.  As Merry said, it's important to get a correct dignoses as soon as possible especially for the ear or eye. The NHS does operate in a different way to the US and other countries so best to find out what's what and get the correct treatment. Best wishes, Ellie

 

Dear Caddy;

Yes, about the Valtrex. It's main purpose, is normally used for genital herpes. I used to be embarrassed when I found out, and went to pick up my script at the pharmacy! I would say that I was there there to pick up my medication for reoccurring Shingles! It's an antiviral medication. I take 500mg a day. Odd, my husband and I were talking, and we were wondering if something besides stress might trigger these outbreaks sometimes. Because I have had more outbreaks than I have ever had since being on the Valtrex, this spring/summer. There's so much they don't know about Shingles,due to lack of research and studies. If you didn't read any of my past responses, I got in touch with the manufacturer of the Shingles immunization, and they said for people with reoccurring Shingles it will not prevent outbreaks, just POSSIBLY lessen the symptoms. Last year, I had my flu vaccination, and had a bout of Shingles, right afterwards. Oh, and Valtrex also helps with mouth cold sores. Sometimes I've gotten bouts of them and sometimes I have gotten them before, during, and after a bout of Shingles. Good luck with everything. I'm hear if you need an ear or a shoulder!

1Roswell

Hi thought I was going mad. I am immunosuppressed due to Lupus drugs. I got shingles 2 years ago, it was awful and painful, all over my bottom in my groin and down my left leg. It started with a huge blister at the bas of mine spine. I keep getting blisters and this last month have had about 10. I am away in Spain and do not know whether I should see a dr and try another dose of acyclovir or will it not do any good. I always know its coming I get a really bad headache and feel really tired. What does anyone else think please

I have been reading this thread and I would like to share my experience and ask for any adivice too as  am new to shingles.

On my trip back from Greece I came down with impetigo which I took antibiotics for but it was followed by shingles on my back and left hand palm. My guess was that impetigo (for which I was sick with fever for two weeks) my immune system became weak and then the shingles virus became active but that (which was in April, May of 2015) was not the end but just the beginning.

Since then I kept on coming down with shingles on my left hand palm very close to the same spot where I first had shingles immediately under my middle fingure. This weekend was the 4th time in a few months. Saw my doctor and he tested me for STDs as he thought my immune system has become weak because of some kind of STD but they were all negative. Other than that he could do nothing except giving me anti-viral oral and cream.

This weekend I started having failiar symptoms like pain in my left arm, tingling and burning skin on my left arm followed by small tiny blisters on my left arm (a few and in small area nothing like the pictures I have seen are horrible) which are now joining to form blisters likely tomorrow and then becoming red next week and falling a week after. I have had it so many times I can predict what will happen.

My question is that all the material on the internet saying that you can get it once and very very rare a second time but never again so why is that I have got it 4 times in 4 months???

Is it possible that it is not shingles but something else like herpes? Since I read that it is normal for herpes to return same spot but not shingles.

If it is shingles is it possible that I may have some hidden problem not manifested yet like cancer or something? though my blood count were all normal. My lymphocites at 2700. I am 55 male.

In advance thanks for any advice or sharing your experiences.