Shingles…

[Lame Duck]

I got it and poo is awful…. I thought it was old people thing so when I got it, I thought I had allergic reaction to muscle relaxer…

Went to a doctor too late and it spread and caused serious nerve inflammation.  The pain is absolutely fuging unbearable.  I can barely move around.

Found out folks in 20s-30s recently had a spike in shingles for no known reason.  Shots are only given to folks 50+ unless already had shingles.

Edited Tuesday at 12:58 AM by Lame Duck

[LinvilleGorge]

Damn, that sucks.

[Paa Langfart]

Sorry you got it, that really sucks- I have heard it can be very painful and uncomfortable.  Hopefully your doc put you on a good anti viral med that will shorten the course and severity and some good pain meds.

 

Related  story - I had a weird reaction to the shingrix vax which is a two course vax.  Last year about July or so I got the first shot- I have never had a vax hurt so badly for so long.  My shoulder felt like Mike Tyson had punched me in it every day for about two weeks. Even after that I had alternating pain and a weird weakness when lifting that arm into certain positions for several months.  Due to that,  I never went back to get the second shot.  Hearing about your experience I may reconsider it.

[Lame Duck]

I woke up at 3am this morning with a pain like I got hit by car.  Absolute agony. Wife woke up too to help me apply pain ointment.  
I finished all my antiviral med but nerve pain can last for about a month even after all shingles healed and gone. Just brutal.  I would definitely recommend getting a second shingles shot.  I’d rather be punched by Tyson right now.

[Anybodyhome]

I had shingles when I was 13 or 14 years old. Not nearly as painful when you're young. Matter of fact, because it's only contagious to those who haven't had chicken pox or the vaccine, I was still able to go to Boy Scout summer camp for 2 weeks. Of course, this was in the 60s when vaccines were commonplace and the idea of someone not being vaccinated for something like chicken pox was unheard of. 

Anyway, the most I remember of it was the blisters, mostly concentrated across the back of my shoulders. Hope you come through it okay and have no long-term effects. 

[LinvilleGorge]

4 hours ago, Anybodyhome said:

Matter of fact, because it's only contagious to those who haven't had chicken pox or the vaccine, I was still able to go to Boy Scout summer camp for 2 weeks. Of course, this was in the 60s when vaccines were commonplace and the idea of someone not being vaccinated for something like chicken pox was unheard of. 

Literally everything you just typed is completely incorrect. Shingles can only effect people who have previously had chicken pox because it's caused by the same virus that lies dormant in your system and can be reactivated later in life. The chicken pox vaccine wasn't available in the U.S. until 1995 and wasn't available anywhere until 1988 so no one was vaccinated for chicken pox in the 1960s. The shingles vaccine wasn't available until 2006.

[Lame Duck]

First day in 3 weeks my pain started to dwindle just a tiny bit.  Got switched from hydrocodone to post-shingles pain patches.  My insurance refused to pay for my patches as I’m too young for shingles per them.  I also need a prescription to get shingles shot and insurance also won’t pay for it even thought I just had shingles and in high risk to get it again.

[LinvilleGorge]

50 minutes ago, Lame Duck said:

First day in 3 weeks my pain started to dwindle just a tiny bit.  Got switched from hydrocodone to post-shingles pain patches.  My insurance refused to pay for my patches as I’m too young for shingles per them.  I also need a prescription to get shingles shot and insurance also won’t pay for it even thought I just had shingles and in high risk to get it again.

Better call Luigi.

[Lame Duck]

2 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Literally everything you just typed is completely incorrect. Shingles can only effect people who have previously had chicken pox because it's caused by the same virus that lies dormant in your system and can be reactivated later in life. The chicken pox vaccine wasn't available in the U.S. until 1995 and wasn't available anywhere until 1988 so no one was vaccinated for chicken pox in the 1960s. The shingles vaccine wasn't available until 2006.

Yep, all my kids had chicken pox vaccines.  I had chickenpox when I was 6 as there was no vaccine.  Once chickenpox was defeated, it hid in one of my nerves on my rib , laying dormant until stress and lack of sleep triggered it to wake up and attack my nervous system along that very rib.  I was prescribed antiviral which prevents virus from multiplying but not dying.  Virus then goes back into hiding in that very rib again, waiting to be triggered and attack again.

Shingles shot prevents virus from multiplying at rapid pace when it triggered again.  Still can get shingles but very very mild.

[Lame Duck]

3 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Better call Luigi.

The ironic part… it’s that very insurance company lol

[LinvilleGorge]

1 hour ago, Lame Duck said:

The ironic part… it’s that very insurance company lol

I guess they didn't get the message.