Anybody here ever had shingles? I was diagnosed yesterday by the online doctor. I'm on antivirals and Solpadeine (if needed but trying not to take it). Any advice or shared experience appreciated. The pain is not nice and I'm told it's gonna get worse. Somebody recommended dusting Caldesene (nappy rash powder!) onto the sores. I've bought it, but haven't tried it yet. Anyone done that?
came onto thread thinking this was a debate about a Kerry dating app :)
Nasty old dose it is Hardy. Meds only really any use if its in the first 72 hours according to my doc. Otherwise it was Calamine lotion to ease the irritation that helped.
I had a dose last year. Cream and exercise worked
I had them in 1986 when I was 9. I just remember two things about them:
1 - They were sore enough to make me cry; and
2 - I went to get the cure for them. Some man moved flames around my body
They eventually left me so I guess the good old fashioned Catholic cure worked ;)
Thanks all.
Seafoid - exercise doesn't seem intuitively recommended because it's hard enough to stir myself at all. Do you mean in recovery phase after the lesions have cleared up?
I had Shingles a number of years ago. It started with a very sore back, which I tried to jog off and I was putting an old tube of heat rub on it. Then a rash appeared which I put down to the heat rub. A week later I was showing the rash to my Mum and she said "you've got shingles".
Because I'd left it so long, it was too late to treat so I had about 2 or 3 weeks of agony. Pain killers reduce the pain for 3-4 hours. I'd wake up at night and have to take the pain killers.
On the positive side, exercise takes your mind of the pain. I could get 9 holes of golf in during those 3 hours and all that practice meant I was able to reduce my handicap from 18 to 12 during the summer. My handicap is now back up to 15, so I'm planning another bout of shingles around March.
Nasty thing. Follow all doctors directions. Remember it is Neurological in nature. I was on a Neuro ward earier this year and there was one patient who I thought had dementia. I asked one of the nurses what was wrong with him. She told me he'd had shingles and it travelled to his brain.
I sound like a Bill Hick's sketch there.
Quote from: Denn Forever on December 12, 2016, 05:41:53 PM
Nasty thing. Follow all doctors directions. Remember it is Neurological in nature. I was on a Neuro ward earier this year and there was one patient who I thought had dementia. I asked one of the nurses what was wrong with him. She told me he'd had shingles and it travelled to his brain.
I sound like a Bill Hick's sketch there.
I know a lad who got it on his head - affected his eye sight - it can be dodgy enough if not treated quickly and if it's located on the head especially
Quote from: Hardy on December 12, 2016, 05:04:51 PM
Thanks all.
Seafoid - exercise doesn't seem intuitively recommended because it's hard enough to stir myself at all. Do you mean in recovery phase after the lesions have cleared up?
The fresh air helped me but I couldn't do much at the start
If not exercise then movement if you can, because blood circulation, adrenals, all help with the overall healing.
What you are looking for is something to ease the extreme discomfort of the symptoms until the the shingles blows away. There's no medicine as such for the pathology.
I avoid applying stuff which contains steroids or heavy metals (zinc, mercury.) For other skin related issues issues but similar enough symptoms to shingles, I've used applications of Neem oil for scabies, impressive results, avoided a whole toxic prescription.
And for a chronic patch of psoriasis, painful burning, itching with the skin scratched off and healing scab not forming, I've used a mix of coconut oil and bicarbinate of soda (no aluminium), also very impressive results.
Both oils cold pressed for better effect and I see both these remedies are also indicated for easing the symptoms of shingles.
Had them a few years ago, combination of the cure , lots of rest and putting baby powder on them from memory helped clear them
It's getting a bit scary with those stories. I have it in and around my left eye and up into my head. No sign of dementia yet. And there's no sign of dementia yet either.
Thanks for the recommendations.
I have had a patch in the same place a couple of times. A good blast of high dosage aciclovir will kill it off. One of the times the pain went on for weeks after the rash disappeared. I personally wouldn't be putting powder on it. I also used a fairly strong hydrocortisone AFTER the scabs dried out
My wife suffers from it. She has been on tablets for the past 3 years to stop her getting it after she went through a bad time of getting it regularly including the day before we were due to travel to Paris to get engaged. She gets it on her face just below the left eye so she used to have to be very careful with it. She takes zovirax tablets and used the zarirax drops in her eye.
Her Doctor has just advised she has to come off the tablets as its not good to be on them this long. Being run down and stress as well are being out in the sun too long can cause it. She is very nervous about coming of the tablets. She recommend plenty of rest and just wait it out, nothing helps once you have it.
Her indoors has just come in. She met our doctor down the road and told him about me and my shingles around the eye. His words were, "Jesus Christ! He could go blind!" Bedside manner y'know. "Tell him to come in to me first thing in the morning - might have to hospitalise him." I'm consoling myself that he does tend to be a bit of an alarmist. I can't go to hospital - I have no pyjamas.
Still no sign of the dementia, thankfully. Oh look - a unicorn!
Neighbour had them. They moved down around his stomach area. Anyway to cut a long story short he was never fit to get a hard on again
Quote from: Hardy on December 12, 2016, 09:16:05 PM
Her indoors has just come in. She met our doctor down the road and told him about me and my shingles around the eye. His words were, "Jesus Christ! He could go blind!" Bedside manner y'know. "Tell him to come in to me first thing in the morning - might have to hospitalise him." I'm consoling myself that he does tend to be a bit of an alarmist. I can't go to hospital - I have no pyjamas.
Still no sign of the dementia, thankfully. Oh look - a unicorn!
Meant to say earlier, take care and get well soon. Up Meath.
Just be careful Hardy at your age. There'll be oul lads eyeing up the wife already.
I read this thread last night and again this morning. Both times I got itchy. I'm steering clear from now on.
(Good luck with it Hardy)
Had it when I was around 12yo. I don't recall it being overly painful or even painful at all, just a rash on my back and had to keep well away from my granny as its a lot more serious if an elderly person were to get it.
Quote from: Denn Forever on December 12, 2016, 05:41:53 PM
Nasty thing. Follow all doctors directions. Remember it is Neurological in nature. I was on a Neuro ward earier this year and there was one patient who I thought had dementia. I asked one of the nurses what was wrong with him. She told me he'd had shingles and it travelled to his brain.
I sound like a Bill Hick's sketch there.
What is the neurological angle?
Bad dose Hardy, hope you recover well and quickly.
Quote from: Hardy on December 12, 2016, 09:16:05 PM
I can't go to hospital - I have no pyjamas.
Sort that out Hardy. I got caught having to go into hospital with appendicitis years back. In the absence of pyjamas I was given one of them gowns with me hole sticking out the back.
A trip to Dunnes will spare your modesty in the long run.
/Jim.
Thanks lads. Just got the all clear from the eye specialist, so no need for the trip to Dunnes.
That's great news Hardy. Hopefully you didn't see the Irish news today - great pics of Peter Withnell tossing an aging Mick Lyons around Croke Park. Cracking pics.
Quote from: Hardy on December 13, 2016, 02:00:13 PM
Thanks lads. Just got the all clear from the eye specialist, so no need for the trip to Dunnes.
Good stuff,
/Jim.
I guess that means the obit thread will be deferred for another day, but if we were to write a passing tribute should we not start now and get into the flow while Hardy is (just about) alive seeing as we can't speak ill of the dead?
I'm sure there are many, come the day, who will say, "If we must speak good of the dead - that Meath b****x is dead. Good."
my ma rang some woman in Armagh and she burnt sticks or something and she woke up the next day completely cured. I'm honestly sceptical about this sort of stuff but my ma swears by it.
Quote from: Tony Baloney on December 12, 2016, 08:47:21 PM
I have had a patch in the same place a couple of times. A good blast of high dosage aciclovir will kill it off. One of the times the pain went on for weeks after the rash disappeared. I personally wouldn't be putting powder on it. I also used a fairly strong hydrocortisone AFTER the scabs dried out
Lovely!