Shingles

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. 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 a person with a shingles rash can spread chickenpox to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine.

How is shingles treated?

There is no cure for shingles, but treatment may help you get well sooner and prevent other problems. Call your doctor as soon as you think you may have shingles. The sooner you start treatment, the better it works. Treatment may include:

* Antiviral medicines to help you get well sooner and feel less pain.
* Medicines to help long-term pain. These include antidepressants, pain medicines, and skin creams.

Good home care can help you feel better faster. Take care of any skin sores, and keep them clean. Take your medicines as directed. And use over-the-counter pain medicines to relieve pain.

On August 17 2010 04:44 Roffles wrote:
Couple days ago, I found a little red spot on the side of my body and perceived it to be just a tiny little rash. Not a really big spot, but just a tiny little speck about the size of a dime.

Two days later, the entire right side of my body is filled with like a band of this red rash shit and after seeing the doc earlier today, I've learned that I've apparently got Shingles, which is like Adult Chicken Pox, but worse.

Apparently, it's supposed to hurt like hell, but I haven't noticed any of that yet, just a lot of itching and irritation. I'm feeling tired every single day, no matter how long I sleep for. Just wondering if anyone here has had Shingles before and what their experiences were, cause I heard it's supposed to really suck.

On August 17 2010 05:05 Hawk wrote:
Congrats on being TL's first lepper!!

Godspeed sir, haven't heard anything good about that crap.

On August 17 2010 05:11 cowman wrote:
I had shingles in the 6th grade. Be glad that you got it while you're young. The older you get, the more painful it is in general. My dad had shingles when he was like 30 around his hip and he said it was terrible. I actually still have a scar from one of the bigger rashes (it was like a fucking bubble 1.5 inches wide. I swear to god it was so nasty. my sister fucking popped it while i was sleeping and i've had the scar ever since. fucking asshole D: ) I think as long as you don't pop the blisters, you won't get any long-term scars. Just try not to scratch it.

I think you'll be fine, but get treatment from your doctor. I don't actually remember what my doctor gave me, but it did help. I was back in school in like a week or two. I don't recall being in a lot of pain, all I remember is being itchy all the time and my mom telling me not to scratch it. try not to put pressure on your rash, obviously.

edit: i had it along my ribcage which went around my body.

On August 17 2010 05:15 Roffles wrote:

Yeah thanks. Mine's also along my ribcage and it wraps around my body. I feel alright. I just wanted to see if others had it as well and what to expect from it, whether or not I should expect a ton of pain, or if there were other complications and side-effects.