I was diagnosed this week. Is there anyone else out there that has gone through this? I'm super lucky, The size of my "band" is about a fifty cent piece. But OUCH! The pain part is SO REAL. I had chicken pox as a child, at about 8 years of age. And it was a severe case. THIS might be worse. Any pain management secrets? Because it is both viral and "nerve pain", the doctor said there is not a lot I can do to try to manage the pain.
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Rachel: Did they not give you some meds for it? I had the Shingles when I was 28 about 22 years ago now, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. My band was huge though... almost two inches wide around my entire lower waist. I could wear clothes for almost a month, my boyfriend had to come to my house a couple times a week and bring me food and I had to take sick leave from my job for the 4 weeks. It's my understanding that some people suffer with the pain for even longer than I did. God I think I would have died IF it had lasted much longer! The really weird thing was to me was that it went away almost as fast as it came on. I'm saying a prayer for your and sending happy thoughts your way. {{{huuggggs}}} and FIND something to try to distract you from thinking about it. Also, I had some itching at the end as it healed and scabbed over and had to wear gloves to STOP myself from scratching. LoL I can't remember if the DR ok'd calamine at that point. (but remember, I had it 22 yrs ago). I'm sure they are more knowledgeable now about what helps and what doesn't.
It can come back over and over, and stress can bring it on. You may start to see some redness and feel what I call a "wanging" in the spot it's coming back on before the blisters form. Acyclovir is prescribed to help the blisters dry up ahead of time, and it can actually ward it off before it gets too bad if you start taking it when you feel the "wanging." 800mg dose is better than 200mg dose. Neurontin can be prescribed for the nerve pain, but it has side effects that may incapacitate you. Better to ward it off with Acyclovir at the "wanging" stage than have to take Neurontin at the super pain stage. The long standing original vaccine (shot) for shingles was only about 30% effective and you had to get it before you ever got shingles, and not everybody who has had chicken pox will get shingles. However, shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus that continues to live in your body after you've had it. In the last 2 years they've come out with a new 2-stage vaccine, also a shot, that has a much higher effectiveness, and may even help stop future breakouts for those who have already gotten shingles. Get your doctor to order the shots for you. The pharmacists at WalMart and other pharmacies can administer them. Also look into the above medications that your doctor can prescribe. Good luck to you!
I was lucky to only have a fifty cent piece sized area, and by the time I went to the doctor I was past the stage where meds can actually do anything. It's actually feeling a TON better today. She told me that in about a month, making sure I am completely healed, I can get a Shingles Vaccination.
My area was HUGE but the pain was not near as bad as I expected. The itching was horrible though (and lasted for almost a year). There's several medicines (anti-virals) that treat shingles and shorten the length of illness. There's also medicines for the pain and itching. Unfortunately, some doctors do not routinely prescribe treatment though. I was treated with acyclovir (anti-viral) but was not treated for the itching.
Later, I was treated with gabapentin for neuropathy in my feet - this also stopped the left over itching from the shingle. Every once in a while, that area will itch but I have not had another full break out.
ICE it .... wrap a soft tea towel around an icepack and it will dull the nerve pain ... it's only temporary but it works
And that's weird, because, The surges of almost "electric shock" pain, would make me squeal out loud uncontrollably. It hurt A LOT! Then I was embarrassed for yelling out, but it was knee-jerk, I couldn't stop it. I feel like I have a high pain tolerance. I've done natural birth. And yes the itching stage is where I am now, and it's so crazy annoying.
Thank you everyone for responding. I'm in the end stages, so it's just a tiny annoyance a few times a day. All scabbed up and healing. Sorry I used to be an STNA, so I'm not grossed out easily. LOL, also mother to 4 and daycare provider, I've seen a LOT of grossness in my life! LOLOLOLOLOL
@Rachel B'wahahaha I get in trouble all the time because I will talk about almost anything at the dinner table. Hubs has kicked my shins many a times under the table while eating with friends or extended family. ROFLOL
Just surfing through the forum, I'm late to the convo, but I had an 80 yr old coworker that swore by Capzasin cream, for her shingles. She was telling me, because my mom had it twice. I don't know if my mom bought any though.
Glad you are feeling better Rachel!
I'm so late to the party here...but I'm going to leave this here for anyone who finds/needs this thread in future, anyway. I got chicken pox at 20 years old, from my 1yo son; a friend of mine was an herbalist, and she made up this salve for me and gave me the recipe. I am so eternally grateful to her for making this for me that first time; I had chicken pox everywhere, even the back of my throat, and I'd gone through an entire canister of oatmeal in the previous 48 hours trying to control the itching. She brought plain goldenseal powder to mix with water for a gargle, as well--that had me eating toast when the 20-minute working period was up, when it had been too painful to eat anything but popsicles for the previous 2 days!
I keep this salve on hand--it's shelf-stable for about 3 years when made with beeswax and kept in an airtight non-metallic container. It takes a while to make, but it was the only thing that knocked the itching down for more than a few minutes at a time, and I'm unfortunately prone to shingles outbreaks with the immunosuppression from the meds for my chronic illnesses.
Green Salve
1 cup plain beeswax (vegetable shortening like Crisco will work, but must be refrigerated when done and will only have a shelf life of 2-3 weeks)
2 oz dried Comfrey root (herb used for healing wounds of all sorts, especially skin)
1 oz dried chicory root (slows down the comfrey so it doesn't heal the surface and leave infected pockets under the skin)
1/2 oz dried Comfrey leaf (as above)
3 Tbsp. goldenseal root powder (pricey stuff, but fantastic for healing wounds and mucous membranes)
1 Tbsp. powdered alum (like for canning) (helps to dry the sores into scabs faster)
Block out a few hours for making this--it takes a lot of heating and cooling! Start by melting the beeswax or shortening in a double boiler, then add the comfrey root to the melted wax, remove from heat, and let cool till the wax solidifies. Melt it in the double boiler again and add the chicory root, and repeat the allowing it to cool till the wax solidifies. Repeat steps, adding one ingredient per heating, until all herbs have been added; when you heat it up again for the alum, strain it through several layers of cheesecloth or a towel-lined wire mesh strainer. Discard the solids and stir the alum into the salve while it's still liquefied, then pour into container(s) for storage. Freezes well in 1/2-cup amounts with either base.
This salve may be used topically on chicken pox, shingles, and other skin issues up to 4 times a day, but should not be taken internally as comfrey can cause liver issues.
Hi Rachel, No experience, but I truly hope that you are on the mend soon and then do everything possible to get mental health days here and there so you don't get a stress related relapse. I am so sorry that you are going through this.