Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Sorry this is long, but it might help someone else. I recently had an unusual case of shingles which landed me in the hospital for two days of heavy duty IV antibiotics. I had an outbreak once before, three years ago, when I was undergoing chemo....one tiny patch, I knew exactly what it was and was on antibiotics within 24 hours and it cleared up quickly. This time there were three small dots in a row on my back that seemed like bug bites. Very itchy, but shingles never occurred to me. Almost a week later I broke out in spots all over my body....not just on one side. I showed it to my oncologist and he put me on an antibiotic, but didn't think it was shingles. I followed up with a visit to the dermatologist who was also stymied, but did two biopsies and put me on Valtrex. Within 24 hours an unofficial pathology report came back with a Herpes Simplex/Shingles diagnosis and I was ordered into the hospital immediately. Two days of IV Acylovir, which did the trick. I was released and put on high test Valtrex for about five days followed by a prophylactic dose of Valtrex for what they thought would be three months. In about two weeks I broke out in hives...all over my body. Extreme itchiness came in waves, but it was always in an isolated area. Crazy. More biopsies and a very strong oral anti-itch medication (a God send)....10 times stronger than Benadryl. Nothing was revealed as a result of the biopsies and they didn't think it was a reaction to the Valtrex, but I stopped taking it anyway under the direction of my oncologist. The hives went away, but it took weeks for the spots to fade. The moral of this story? If there is the remotest possibility that you have shingles, get thee to thy doctor! I am very lucky in that I don't seem to have any residual nerve pain and I hope that I haven't developed an allergy to Valtrex in case I need it down the road since I will be starting up with another round of chemo (Sub Q Campath) in the next week or two. Loralee Strauss, age 60 ton, SC Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 I don't mind at all. It's HydroxyZ HCL 25mg (1-2 tablets every 6 hours as needed) In a message dated 11/30/2008 4:46:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, e.diamond@... writes: What's the name of the "very strong oral anti-itch medication," If you don't mind sharing? Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hi Loralee, I hope your shingles episodes have now cleared up. I just want to clarify a small technical point which might help to avoid confusion. Shingles are caused by the herpes zoster virus. Acyclovir and Valtrex are antivirals not antibiotics. Antibiotics do not work for shingles. Good luck with your forthcoming chemo. Manfred H. Ogermann UK >> Sorry this is long, but it might help someone else.> > I recently had an unusual case of shingles which landed me in the hospital > for two days of heavy duty IV antibiotics. I had an outbreak once before, > three years ago, when I was undergoing chemo....one tiny patch, I knew exactly > what it was and was on antibiotics within 24 hours and it cleared up quickly.> > This time there were three small dots in a row on my back that seemed like > bug bites. Very itchy, but shingles never occurred to me. Almost a week > later I broke out in spots all over my body....not just on one side. I showed it > to my oncologist and he put me on an antibiotic, but didn't think it was > shingles. I followed up with a visit to the dermatologist who was also stymied, > but did two biopsies and put me on Valtrex. Within 24 hours an unofficial > pathology report came back with a Herpes Simplex/Shingles diagnosis and I was > ordered into the hospital immediately. Two days of IV Acylovir, which did > the trick. I was released and put on high test Valtrex for about five days > followed by a prophylactic dose of Valtrex for what they thought would be three > months.> > In about two weeks I broke out in hives...all over my body. Extreme > itchiness came in waves, but it was always in an isolated area. Crazy. More > biopsies and a very strong oral anti-itch medication (a God send)....10 times > stronger than Benadryl. Nothing was revealed as a result of the biopsies and they > didn't think it was a reaction to the Valtrex, but I stopped taking it > anyway under the direction of my oncologist. The hives went away, but it took > weeks for the spots to fade.> > The moral of this story? If there is the remotest possibility that you have > shingles, get thee to thy doctor! I am very lucky in that I don't seem to > have any residual nerve pain and I hope that I haven't developed an allergy to > Valtrex in case I need it down the road since I will be starting up with > another round of chemo (Sub Q Campath) in the next week or two. > > Loralee Strauss, age 60> ton, SC > > > > > **************Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW > AOL.com. > (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp & icid=aolcom40vanity & ncid=emlcntaolcom00000002)> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Thanks for sharing that. You certainly are right about shingles -- a couple of days can make all the difference! What's the name of the " very strong oral anti-itch medication, " If you don't mind sharing? Best of luck with the coming chemo. -Ellen D. On Nov 30, 2008, at 3:36 PM, LoraleeLLS@... wrote: > Sorry this is long, but it might help someone else. > > I recently had an unusual case of shingles which landed me in the > hospital for two days of heavy duty IV antibiotics. I had an outbreak > once before, three years ago, when I was undergoing chemo....one tiny > patch, I knew exactly what it was and was on antibiotics within 24 > hours and it cleared up quickly. > > This time there were three small dots in a row on my back that seemed > like bug bites. Very itchy, but shingles never occurred to me. > Almost a week later I broke out in spots all over my body....not just > on one side. I showed it to my oncologist and he put me on an > antibiotic, but didn't think it was shingles. I followed up with a > visit to the dermatologist who was also stymied, but did two biopsies > and put me on Valtrex. Within 24 hours an unofficial pathology report > came back with a Herpes Simplex/Shingles diagnosis and I was ordered > into the hospital immediately. Two days of IV Acylovir, which did the > trick. I was released and put on high test Valtrex for about five > days followed by a prophylactic dose of Valtrex for what they thought > would be three months. > > In about two weeks I broke out in hives...all over my body. Extreme > itchiness came in waves, but it was always in an isolated area. > Crazy. More biopsies and a very strong oral anti-itch medication (a > God send)....10 times stronger than Benadryl. Nothing was revealed as > a result of the biopsies and they didn't think it was a reaction to > the Valtrex, but I stopped taking it anyway under the direction of my > oncologist. The hives went away, but it took weeks for the spots to > fade. > > The moral of this story? If there is the remotest possibility that > you have shingles, get thee to thy doctor! I am very lucky in that I > don't seem to have any residual nerve pain and I hope that I haven't > developed an allergy to Valtrex in case I need it down the road since > I will be starting up with another round of chemo (Sub Q Campath) in > the next week or two. > > Loralee Strauss, age 60 > ton, SC > > > > > > Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 One thing that is very important is to take the antivirals [acyclovir, Valtrex (valacyclovir) or Famvir (famciclovir)] as prophylaxis. These antivirals work to prevent the outbreak as well as treat the outbreaks. Rick Furman, MD > > Sorry this is long, but it might help someone else. > > I recently had an unusual case of shingles which landed me in the hospital > for two days of heavy duty IV antibiotics. I had an outbreak once before, > three years ago, when I was undergoing chemo....one tiny patch, I knew exactly > what it was and was on antibiotics within 24 hours and it cleared up quickly. > > This time there were three small dots in a row on my back that seemed like > bug bites. Very itchy, but shingles never occurred to me. Almost a week > later I broke out in spots all over my body....not just on one side. I showed it > to my oncologist and he put me on an antibiotic, but didn't think it was > shingles. I followed up with a visit to the dermatologist who was also stymied, > but did two biopsies and put me on Valtrex. Within 24 hours an unofficial > pathology report came back with a Herpes Simplex/Shingles diagnosis and I was > ordered into the hospital immediately. Two days of IV Acylovir, which did > the trick. I was released and put on high test Valtrex for about five days > followed by a prophylactic dose of Valtrex for what they thought would be three > months. > > In about two weeks I broke out in hives...all over my body. Extreme > itchiness came in waves, but it was always in an isolated area. Crazy. More > biopsies and a very strong oral anti-itch medication (a God send)....10 times > stronger than Benadryl. Nothing was revealed as a result of the biopsies and they > didn't think it was a reaction to the Valtrex, but I stopped taking it > anyway under the direction of my oncologist. The hives went away, but it took > weeks for the spots to fade. > > The moral of this story? If there is the remotest possibility that you have > shingles, get thee to thy doctor! I am very lucky in that I don't seem to > have any residual nerve pain and I hope that I haven't developed an allergy to > Valtrex in case I need it down the road since I will be starting up with > another round of chemo (Sub Q Campath) in the next week or two. > > Loralee Strauss, age 60 > ton, SC > > > > > **************Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW > AOL.com. > (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new- dp & icid=aolcom40vanity & ncid=emlcntaolcom00000002) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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