shingles

[Guest guest]

Dear - I'm sorry to hear you have shingles. Dont be surprised if you

feel unwell with it and need to rest. When I had them a few years ago my GP

gave me a short course of steroids to prevent on going pain from I think

the nerve endings after the blisters heal. I have not had any problems

since. You will need a good topical lotion to put on the blisters. I used

calamine with something else in it to soothe.

Take care.

luv and hugs,

Barbara

At 15:39 01-05-1999 -0400, you wrote:

>From: " Kellis & O'Connor " <docsol@...>

>

>Group,

> My underarm irritation is shingles:-(( This morning I discovered a

>line of patchy red, rough, raised and very sore blotches. I called the

>pharmacist who immediatedly said shingles. So, I spoke to the physician

>on call who said the same thing.

>

[Guest guest]

, My son had shingles when he was twelve. Most of his pain occurred

before the lesions broke out. The doctor said to keep the lesions dry. The

shingles would run its course. He was given a mild antibiotic = name of

which I no longer remember - he is now 28 years old. Anyway, at that time an

article in the Prevention Magazine said that doctor's were experimenting

with Vit C and Vot E in older people with shingles so that they would not

get hooked on pain killers. The dosages were as follows: 1000mg Vit C in a

6-oz glass of orange juice 4 times a day and 400 iu of Vitamin E twice a

day. I figured if this would work for old folks why not a twelve year old.

In about 2 - 3 days he no longer had any pain. His lesions became very dry

and itchy so to prevent scratching I put Vit E right out of the 400iu

capsule on them and to this day he has no scars from the shingles. He went

back to his doctor three weeks after diagnosis and the doctor was amazeed

that there was no longer any sign of the shingles. HTH CAROL/PINEY/CANADA

DM oct94 AP jun98

At 03:39 PM 99/5/1 -0400, you wrote:

>From: " Kellis & O'Connor " <docsol@...>

>

>Group,

> My underarm irritation is shingles:-(( This morning I discovered a

>line of patchy red, rough, raised and very sore blotches. I called the

>pharmacist who immediatedly said shingles. So, I spoke to the physician

>on call who said the same thing.

> Since this started Tues. or Wed., medication is a little late but he

>thinks I should take an antiviral for 7 days $155!!! He told me that

>the pain in my back is part of it.

> Anybody know if any supplements help? Didn't someone else recently

>develop shingles, too?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>What does Public Radio's " Ask Dr. Science Show " know that you don't...?

>

>...That ONElist hosts the largest free e-mail lists on the Internet today!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Shingles is a member of the Herpes virus family. Actually related to Chicken

Pox and per my MD it stays " dormant " in your body until such time it chooses

to come alive (flare up). It effects the nerve endings and surrounding

tissue. Almost always causes red rash/lessions on torso. Very painful and

itches. Mine was unique and in my head. They first thought I had viral

encephalitis, then some rare ear infection. My ear drum was destroyed. I

have minimal hearing left. Mine remains only on one side, in the innermost

ear. Sometimes the pain is in my head. My ear feels " blocked " all the time

and I have major tinitis (ringing, chirping, thumping - am awaiting the choir

to begin singing). I have gotten fairly used to the constant noise, although

sometimes I long for true quiet. There is no treatment. They had me on

viral medication (those meds used for HIV/AIDs), steroids and some other

topical goop, but nothing really works. I used to have " flare ups " ) almost

monthly for the first couple of years, but now only about 4-5 times a year,

usually lasting only a couple three weeks. I am sure it is different for

people who have the more normal, on the torso or extremities. Can't help you

with that kind.

[Guest guest]

Dear all

Can somebody please explain what shingles is, i.e. symptoms, possible

causes.

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

> Can somebody please explain what shingles is, i.e. symptoms,

> possible causes.

Hi .

It seems that Marcie brought up an interesting topic because this

is beginning to sound like quite a coincidence. I also had

Shingles once, although I was nineteen at the time and didn't

begin showing visible signs of arthritis until about 8 years later.

To answer your question, Shingles is a viral infection that stems

from the same virus as the Chicken Pox. I was told by my doctor

that after having Chicken Pox, the virus stays dormant in your

system until it is one day awakened and appears in the form of

Shingles. Apparently, although it is not known why some people get

Shingles and others do not, one common link is that they've all had

Chicken Pox.

Interestingly enough, I had the Chicken Pox three times as a child

and then I had Shingles once. However, I don't know that this means

anything other than I seemed to have had an unusually difficul time

working up an immunity to the virus. I'd certainly be interested in

knowing if there are others on this list who've had the Chicken Pox

multiple times.

I did a quick scan for you and came up with the following:

Dictionary definition:

An acute viral infection characterized by inflammation of the

sensory ganglia of certain spinal or cranial nerves and the

eruption of vesicles along the affected nerve path. It usually

strikes only one side of the body and is often accompanied

by severe neuralgia. Also called: herpes zoster

Medical definition:

An acute viral inflammation of the sensory ganglia of spinal and

cranial nerves associated with a vesicular eruption and

neuralgic pain and caused by reactivation of the herpesvirus

causing chicken pox called also herpes zoster ona oster

There's tons of stuff on the web but here's a good link to get you

started:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/shinglesherpeszoster.html

Take care,

Gayle

[Guest guest]

At 11:33 PM 1/4/01 +0100, you wrote:

Dear all

Can somebody please explain what shingles is, i.e. symptoms,

possible

causes.

Thanks.

shingles are caused by the herpes zoster virus...you cannot get shingles

if you have not had herpes varicella or as they are more commomly called,

chicken pox...shingles attack along a nerve and are very painful. watery

blisters erupt,, then dry out slowly forming purple scabs. my dad is in

the midst of an outbreak presently and the nerve chosen produced blisters

in his mouth,under his nose , up the left side of his nose , cheek, then

eye...there are meds available to alleviate some of the discomfort but

they are very painful and the downside is that the pain can linger long

after the outward disfigurement has vanished. hope this helps, mo

eGroups

Sponsor

[Guest guest]

Shingles is a form of the chicken pox.  Only people who have had the chicken pox before get shingles because the chicken pox virus lays dormant at your nerve roots along your spine from when you were a child.  Then when your immune system gets suppressed to much they erupt.  They usually occur on the back or sides or on the face near the eye.  They show up as a little patch of red, raised bumps that break open and have a clear fluid inside.  then they crust.  They are usually VERY painful and are contagious to anyone who has never had the chicken pox before.  i hope this helps.

Rae

Re: [ ] Re: shingles

At 11:33 PM 1/4/01 +0100, you wrote:

Dear allCan somebody please explain what shingles is, i.e. symptoms, possiblecauses.Thanks.shingles are caused by the herpes zoster virus...you cannot get shingles if you have not had herpes varicella or as they are more commomly called, chicken pox...shingles attack along a nerve and are very painful. watery blisters erupt,, then dry out slowly forming purple scabs. my dad is in the midst of an outbreak presently and the nerve chosen produced blisters in his mouth,under his nose , up the left side of his nose , cheek, then eye...there are meds available to alleviate some of the discomfort but they are very painful and the downside is that the pain can linger long after the outward disfigurement has vanished. hope this helps, moeGroups Sponsor

[Guest guest]

Re: shingles - was told by Dr. once you get shingles you are more prone to get it agian

Gayle Freeman <gfreeman@...> wrote:

> Can somebody please explain what shingles is, i.e. symptoms, > possible causes.Hi .It seems that Marcie brought up an interesting topic because thisis beginning to sound like quite a coincidence. I also had Shingles once, although I was nineteen at the time and didn'tbegin showing visible signs of arthritis until about 8 years later.To answer your question, Shingles is a viral infection that stemsfrom the same virus as the Chicken Pox. I was told by my doctorthat after having Chicken Pox, the virus stays dormant in yoursystem until it is one day awakened and appears in the form ofShingles. Apparently, although it is not known why some people getShingles and others do not, one common link is that they've all hadChicken Pox.Interestingly enough, I had the Chicken Pox three times as a childand then I had Shingles once. However, I don't know that this meansanything other than I seemed to have had an unusually difficul timeworking up an immunity to the virus. I'd certainly be interested inknowing if there are others on this list who've had the Chicken Pox multiple times.I did a quick scan for you and came up with the following:Dictionary definition: An acute viral infection characterized by inflammation of the sensory ganglia of certain spinal or cranial nerves and the eruption of vesicles along the affected nerve path. It usually strikes only one side of the body and is often accompanied by severe neuralgia. Also called: herpes zosterMedical definition: An acute viral inflammation of the sensory ganglia of spinal and cranial nerves associated with a vesicular eruption and neuralgic pain and caused by reactivation of the herpesvirus causing chicken pox called also herpes zoster ona osterThere's tons of stuff on the web but here's a good link to get you started: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/shinglesherpeszoster.htmlTake care,Gayle

[Guest guest]

Absolutely - per my MD, once you have had an "outbreak," the virus has awakened. I asked that since I only had it on one side (left inner ear and brain lining), was I more at risk of getting it elsewhere (like other ear which is of concern since left one has a major hearing loss due to shingles). And, the good news was a resounding "yes." Aint that grand!

[Guest guest]

I had seen shingles and knew I had P, but when it started on my

face I sure thought it was shingles. My son had just taken the

chicken pox vaccine and I thought I would be exposing him to more

of the virus. I rushed to the dr, only to be reassured (?) that it was

just P. I used to get it on my eyelids during high stress, but never

on so much of my face. It was the only time so far.

in KS

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who replied to me about Shingles. I can see now that

there is a big difference. I guess that positive way to look at this is

that if it's P, at least we've avoided one more " condition " . Have a good

day everyone! Take care, Pat

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[Guest guest]

in KS -

You mentioned P on your eyelids - can you tell me how you treated it? I also

have it and have not gotten to my derm.

thanks - in MA

[ ] Re: shingles

> I had seen shingles and knew I had P, but when it started on my

> face I sure thought it was shingles. My son had just taken the

> chicken pox vaccine and I thought I would be exposing him to more

> of the virus. I rushed to the dr, only to be reassured (?) that it was

> just P. I used to get it on my eyelids during high stress, but never

> on so much of my face. It was the only time so far.

>

> in KS

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry to reply so late. My father passed away and I have been

away from the computer all week. For the P on my eyelids, I just

used a cort. cream from the doctor. It has been 25 years, so I

don't remember what it was. I was concerned, because the

warning on the label said " not for opthalmic use. " I was very

careful not to get it in my eyes. It always stopped the itching

almost immediately and cleared up the rash in a few days. Hope

you can find some relief. in KS

[Guest guest]

--- In , " Tippe " <bctippe@t...>

wrote:

> Are there any suggestions for treating shingles? I know this is a

bit off

> topic, my sister in England has it for the second time.

> Thanks,

,

I do not have personal experience with treating shingles, but I

looked it up in the book, " Prescription for Nutritional Healing " and

here is some

info....

L-Lysine---500mg twice daily, on an empty stomach. Take with

water or juice. Do not take with milk. Take with 50mg vit. B6 and

100mg vit.C for better absorption. (DO NOT take this supplement for

longer than 6 mos. at a

time).

Vit.C with bioflavonoids---2000mg 4 times

daily.

Beta-1,3-D-Glucan---As directed on

label.

Vit.B complex---100mg of each major B vit. 3 times daily.

Plus EXTRA vit.B12 (1000mcg twice

daily).

Zinc---80mg daily for 1 week, then reduce to 50 mg daily. DO

NOT exceed a total of 100 mg daily from all

supplements.

Green tea---Has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant

properties. The polyphenols it contains have been found to fight

herpesviruses (shingles is a

herpesvirus).

I hope this helps. Hopefully, someone on the board will be able

to help

more.

Good luck to your

sister,

[Guest guest]

I heard on a radio show yesterday that a natural product called lupicare,

made to help lupus skin problems, helps shingles. They also recommended

thiamine

[ ] shingles

> Are there any suggestions for treating shingles? I know this is a bit off

> topic, my sister in England has it for the second time.

> Thanks,

>

>

>

> =======================================================

>

[Guest guest]

,

What seems to have helped my wife's shingles pretty rapidly is detox

using BioCleanse.

She also used Mannatech cream that has aloe vera and emu oil. She had a very

painful case.

Bernie

Bernard Windham

berniew1@...

[Guest guest]

Shingles is a herpes virus. Valtrex is a good antiviral treatment. But if she

can get the licorice, it is supposed to be a good antiviral for the herpes

virus.

Jennfer

Ruston, Louisiana

[ ] shingles

Are there any suggestions for treating shingles? I know this is a bit off

topic, my sister in England has it for the second time.

Thanks,

=======================================================

[Guest guest]

Kim,

Our son, , a longtime patient of Dr. G, did have the chickenpox

vaccine when he was approx. 2 yrs. old. He gets frequent rashes, especially on

his trunk (front and back) but they don't quite seem like pox of any kind so I

don't think they are related in his case. I had chickenpox the same time I

had mumps at approx. 10 yrs. old, then got shingles at age 21 with

long-lingering aftereffects (neuralgia). Another mom I know also had

shingles in

her twenties. From what I have read, shingles used to be an old person's

reactivation of chickenpox/herpes, but it is now happening to younger people

with

some frequency.

mary n

[Guest guest]

i was told by the nurse to take a pill in the morning, 2 days later i found

something that said i should take 3 a day. i called the dr's office to verify

this. after taking my 3rd pill last night i felt very wierd fluttering feeling

in my chest. i could not fall asleep. i called the dr. got in today. sat in

the office from 11:15-12:50. this dr did not think i have shingles. (neither did

i) everything seemed fine today. kathy in il

[Guest guest]

It seems that several people lately have mentioned having shingles. I

had it a few months after my arthritis symptoms began, but before I was

diagnosed with RA. I wonder how many others of you here have had

shingles. Does having an autoimmune disease make us more susceptible to

shingles? Sue

On Saturday, October 23, 2004, at 08:18 PM, elainho wrote:

> My pn (peripheral neuropathy) is considered severe with pretty

> widespread involvement made worse by post herpatic pain (very severe

> case of shingles that I continue to experience pain from 11 months

> after having shingles and doctor feels will likely be a lifelong

> challenge).

[Guest guest]

My wife has it right now, and it's very painful for her. As I understand it,

it's a form of 'Chicken Pox', and affects the nerve endings. That's about

all I think I know about it, but could be way off base.

Dennis

Re: [ ] Shingles

>

> It seems that several people lately have mentioned having shingles. I

> had it a few months after my arthritis symptoms began, but before I was

> diagnosed with RA. I wonder how many others of you here have had

> shingles. Does having an autoimmune disease make us more susceptible to

> shingles? Sue

>

> On Saturday, October 23, 2004, at 08:18 PM, elainho wrote:

>

>> My pn (peripheral neuropathy) is considered severe with pretty

>> widespread involvement made worse by post herpatic pain (very severe

>> case of shingles that I continue to experience pain from 11 months

>> after having shingles and doctor feels will likely be a lifelong

>> challenge).

[Guest guest]

no that is what it is. i couldn't understand why my dr thought i had it

because i had some pimple things behind my ear. no other pain or symtoms.i am so

glad i got off that medicine!! too bad i missed so much time at work. tuesday i

go to green bay for my concert!! kathy in il

[Guest guest]

Sue, after contracting chickenpox, the chickenpox virus, varicella

zoster, remains dormant in the body and may be reactivated due to immune

system changes, producing a herpes zoster (shingles) infection.

Shingles in a person with rheumatoid arthritis are thought to occur due

to the use of the drugs used to treat RA which suppress the immune

system - corticosteroids, MTX, and the biologics, for example.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Re: [ ] Shingles

>

> It seems that several people lately have mentioned having shingles. I

> had it a few months after my arthritis symptoms began, but before I

was

> diagnosed with RA. I wonder how many others of you here have had

> shingles. Does having an autoimmune disease make us more susceptible

to

> shingles? Sue

[Guest guest]

I had shingles before being diagnosed with RA, so I wasn't on any of

the drugs yet. But I guess with RA starting, my immune system was out

of whack. My breast cancer was diagnosed about a year after the RA

symptoms began, and I've always felt that there was a connection there,

too. Sue

On Sunday, October 24, 2004, at 11:24 AM, wrote:

>

> Sue, after contracting chickenpox, the chickenpox virus, varicella

> zoster, remains dormant in the body and may be reactivated due to

> immune

> system changes, producing a herpes zoster (shingles) infection.

>

> Shingles in a person with rheumatoid arthritis are thought to occur due

> to the use of the drugs used to treat RA which suppress the immune

> system - corticosteroids, MTX, and the biologics, for example.

[Guest guest]

Physical and/or psychological stress can precipitate a case of shingles. So I

imagine an immune-suppressed person in a flare would be a likely victim,

unfortunately..Cary