Well here we go again

[dwalt]

I was exposed to whooping cough a couple of weeks ago, got out lucky on that.  Now I have the shingles!!!  If it ain't one thing it's something else!  Ya'll ever had them?

[Mickchick]

I haven't, but my stefather, my grandmother, my uncle, and three of my friends have and they were all truly miserable.  Hope they clear up quickly for you.  I got the vaccine a couple of years ago even though my doctor at the time wasn't impressed with the stats on it's success rate.  My girlfriend has had them 2-3 times and another got it in her eye, the third has permanent nerve damage from it.  I'm hoping to prevent it all together of course, but at a minimum hoping that I won't get it as bad, and at the worst, knowing that if I do get it, I've done everything I possibly could to prevent it.

[dwalt]

I have had them before but nothing like this. I was fortunate enough for them to be on my back.

[Mickchick]

My grandmother's were on her neck and the back of her head, as were my dad's, but everyone else had it on their torso somewhere except the one friend who got it in her eye.  So sorry to hear you are going through them and not for the first time, either!  I have felt so sorry for everyone that I know who has had them.  They sound awful!

[Lifesighs]

Get treated early, I hear that can make a big difference. I broke down and got the shingles vaccination last Nov. because too many people I know had it, it is painful. My mother and my husband have both had it. 

I've heard stress will bring it on, take care of yourself and relax. Best wishes.

[dwalt]

I am on am antiviral med, hopefully it  starts woking fast!!

[crestofwaves]

I thought that once you got them, you couldn't get them again.  Ouch!

I had a very mild case.  It felt like bee stings.  But I have know others who were in excruciating pain.  Feel better.

[dwalt]

Believe me, you can get them again.  I had to have radiation a few years ago and I was told it weakens your immune system.  The pain is the worst part. I still work and wearing clothes is not fun..

[Kim]

My 27 year old son is just getting over it and waiting to get vaccine. A weak immune system is sometimes responsible or insufficient nutrition. Take high doses of vitamin C. DISEASE can't co-exist surrounded by VITAMIN C. The trick is finding the right dosage. THE recommended dosage is usually under 1, 000 and most people's ideal is at least 5, 000. Mine is 10,000 but I don't keep up with that anymore.
AFTER your bout with Shingles, ask your doctor if it's safe for u to get vaccine. DO NOT just go get it, theres a wwaiting period and it's not recommended for everyone. You could have a horrible outbreak because of it..good luckily hope it ends soon. My son was in agony.

[dwalt]

Thanks ya'll.  You have to have had the chicken pox to get  it.  It isn't contagious except if you haven't had chicken pox. Then there is a chance you could get chicken pox from a person with shingles.          

[ProblemAgain]

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful skin rash . It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster.

Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again.

What causes shingles?

Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. Some medicines may trigger the virus to wake up and cause a shingles rash. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.

You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But there is a small chance that a person with a shingles rash can spread the virus to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles...

[Kim]

Your article reminded me to mentiin something my son said his dictor told HIM. My sonhas very pad ASTHMA that likes to play "volleyball" with sinus infections so he is often on steroids. Apparently...Steroids is a big cause of SHINGLES.....EVEN a one time

 thing....

1

[Lifesighs]

I got my vaccine at Costco for $170. that was the least expensive quote I found anywhere. My Doctor would have charged $250 and another $40 for the nurse to administer. The Costco price included everything.

If you have Medicare part D it will cover the shot after you meet the deductible.