Anyone had shingles?

[doughty2000]

I had it a good few years ago, at the time I was learning to drive and had split up from my then missus and was adjusting to being a single dad. so yeah it's fair to say it's bought on by stress.I had a patch of it just above my arse cheek. felt proper rough for about 3 weeks, but I didn't have any treatment as I didn't go to the doctors.

I plastered the rash with savlon constantly which eased it a little.

 

hope you get better soon, tis nasty.

[oslac]

I had this a few weeks back. The doctor said that shingles is nothing to do with stress as it can flare up at any time. He went on to say that you will only have shingles if you have previously had chicken pox as the chicken pox virus and shingle virus are the same thing. After chicken pox, the virus retreats to inaccessible places in the nervous system but every now and again, the virus comes out to play and spreads out along the nerve line. Thats why you get inflamation or spots in a line following the underlying nerves. Its unplesant but new drugs can normally sort it out in a week or so providing you start taking them within 48 hours of the first symptom. Leaving it any longer or quite often with old folk, the virus can hang around for months or even years and cause all sorts of pains and aches. As soon as you feel any symptom, get yourself off to the doctor.

[will.morris]

I'd change your doctor if his diagnosis is done via a goodle search lol

 

We have a guy at work with it at the moment whos been put on meds and light duties, nasty looking blistery rash all over his body.

 

Hope it clears up soon mate

[Paulfreebury]

I'd change your doctor if his diagnosis is done via a goodle search lol

 

We have a guy at work with it at the moment whos been put on meds and light duties, nasty looking blistery rash all over his body.

 

Hope it clears up soon mate

 

Yes my local Gp is very modern, most of the time they diagnose your problem over the phone. It's frustrating trying to get an appointment to actually see someone! I've taken further advice from a Doctor that is also an arbtalk member regarding pain relief and will be calling my Gp again this morning.

[Treewolf]

Yes, I have had it, very unpleasant indeed.

 

It is the same virus as chicken pox, although I don't think you have to have had CP in order to get shingles but you are more likely to. Since it is an infection of the nerve system, one of the characteristic symptoms is that only one side of the body is affected, and there is a very clear cut-off along the centreline! Wierd.

 

Stress is a factor, but probably because if you're stressed your resistance to just about anything is reduced.

 

I had it about 10 years ago and was in very considerable discomfort (only someone who's had shingles will know how painful it is). It took nearly a fortnight to get a doctor's appointment (it was just after the idiot government had set targets to mean that GPs had to see all patients within 24 hrs, so the surgeries were only taking appointments for that day - you couldn't make appointments more than 24hrs in advance since they would cause the target to be missed. Result, everyone rank up at 0830 and it was impossible to get through). When I saw the doc and he said what it was, he said I could have had an appointment since it was considered an emergency since it can be spread, but how the **** was I to know that?? He then told me that is was nearly gone and there was nothing he could usefully do at this late stage! He also told me that for the last two weeks I shouldn't have been going to work! So I got through mine without any medical help at all, but I will know better if it happens again.

 

Anyway, you have my sympathy and I hope you recover quickly. It is very horrible!

[elwapo]

Been feeling rough for a few days,I woke up this morning with a burning feeling down the left side of my face and on the roof of my mouth. So popped to see the Doc and after 40 mins of him trawling the net and looking through medical books he said he was 99% sure it was shingles and put me on a course of antiviral meds, anyone got any remedies to stop the burning it's driving me mad!

 

my sister had it around her eyes !! she is a fighter and even she said it was painfull .

 

stress !!! is the thing you have to combat !! its like scrumpox once you have it you will always

 

all the best

[Paulfreebury]

Yes, I have had it, very unpleasant indeed.

 

It is the same virus as chicken pox, although I don't think you have to have had CP in order to get shingles but you are more likely to. Since it is an infection of the nerve system, one of the characteristic symptoms is that only one side of the body is affected, and there is a very clear cut-off along the centreline! Wierd.

 

Stress is a factor, but probably because if you're stressed your resistance to just about anything is reduced.

 

I had it about 10 years ago and was in very considerable discomfort (only someone who's had shingles will know how painful it is). It took nearly a fortnight to get a doctor's appointment (it was just after the idiot government had set targets to mean that GPs had to see all patients within 24 hrs, so the surgeries were only taking appointments for that day - you couldn't make appointments more than 24hrs in advance since they would cause the target to be missed. Result, everyone rank up at 0830 and it was impossible to get through). When I saw the doc and he said what it was, he said I could have had an appointment since it was considered an emergency since it can be spread, but how the **** was I to know that?? He then told me that is was nearly gone and there was nothing he could usefully do at this late stage! He also told me that for the last two weeks I shouldn't have been going to work! So I got through mine without any medical help at all, but I will know better if it happens again.

 

Anyway, you have my sympathy and I hope you recover quickly. It is very horrible!

 

Thanks treewolf I must admit I feel worse today, pain, tired, dizziness, I'm hoping the antiviral drugs will kick in soon, thanks for the kind words.

[Andy Collins]

I had shingles about 7 years ago, and like many others I didn't know what it was until it had gone, just thought it was flu or something.

[daveindales]

I had it when i was about 20, a long time ago. I started with a severe stabbing pain in my left ribs (Very painful). A few days later, I got the blisters on the right hand side of my back (not too painful). That stabbing pain was the worst thing about having shingles. I was very stressed at the time, and am convinced it was brought on by the stress.

 

I first got the pain, and rang the local doctor, who said don't come down just yet, I'm just watching the 3.15 at Kempton. This was in the days when you could just give them a ring and pop down to see them anytime, even weekends.

[DN22 Gardening]

yep..

 

had it 20 odd years ago

moved to a new, office based job..VERY stressful.

 

Blisters round the whole right side of my waist, burning, stabbing pains

 

Went to my Doc's who gave me some purple stuff to paint on, waste of time.

 

One of the secretaries at work said her mum had it in the eyes and the doc had given her some tablets that cleared it up in a couple of weeks.

 

Back to the docs who said that the tablets in question were very expensive so they only gave them to priority patients !!!!!!!!!

 

After a rant at him, and offers to pay for the medecine privately he relented, two weeks later, good as gold !!!!!

 

Hopefully the NHS has moved on from those days......but maybe not