Shingles

[docrob]

Boys and girls, if you: (a) had chickenpox as a kid, (b) had a chickenpox immunization, or (c) are over 60, check with your doctor about a shingles shot.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, which apparently lies dormant in your spinal ganglia for years, then pops out in some people for some completely unknown reason. It's treated with steroids and an anti-viral, but basically, you just have to live longer than it does to get over it.

They say I have a mild case, but if this is mild, you don't want severe! The shot is not inexpensive, but insurance covers it in some cases. Talk to your doctor. You don't want this stuff.

Dr. Rob

 

[lanichol]

In some cases, it may be caused by stress. My wife's mother, sisters, and niece have all had shingles. And they had light cases of chicken pox as kids.

 

[Harry_S.]

Yep, I'm gettin' on the waiting list next week for the shot...thru the VA.

I don't want to take the chance of having it; it's downright misery.

It is expensive at just under $300. Medicare Part "D", if you have it, will cover it for you older guys. Eligible veterans can get it thru the VA. The serum is Zostavax.


Cheers

 

[jcarleto]

My wife has shingles RIGHT NOW. Someone please kill me! I mean it!

It is a horribly painful disease leading the infirmed to be even more uncivilized than a bad case of PMS.

My response to the availability of a preventative shot is: SURE! NOW THEY TELL ME!

Doc Rob...you have my deepest sympathy.

*JC*

 

[thesultanofscud]

I had it 3 years ago when I started college. If you're not eating well, not getting enough rest, stressed, and just generally run down...

...don't be shocked when you come down with the shingles.

 

[Mike Schallmann]

Medicare does not cover it --although your supplemental may cover it. Mine did--

 

[vista]

Per my April 2008 Southern Nevada Health District shot invoice . . Zostavax $165 . . Tdap booster $55 . . admin fee $25. They visit my rural hospital periodically. The process took 2 visits . . 1st to order the shots, and the 2nd to actually receive them. Paid cash.

 

[Sheldon]

True story try this ASAP!!

True story try this ASAP!!

I have a couple of friend one had the Shingles and it lasted for months and months, he was in misery. :flame:

His Aunt kept telling him to mix a poultice of Epsom Salts and apply it to the affected areas of the skin in a paste wrap it and leave it there. He kept blowing her off with her old home remedy's, and kept his faith in the doctor, but she persists. :whip:

More time goes by and he is in such misery that he no longer cares he will try anything, so he does as she directed. He mixed up a paste of Epsom Salts, applied it to the affected areas and wrapped it and went to bed for another miserable night....
Next morning he awoke refreshed and the shingles were almost completely gone!! He did a repeat when he got home from work and next day the shingles were completely gone!!!

Now you may say coincidence they were just due to go away, well let me tell you this.... He related this story to sever others all friends that has shingles in varying stages, and talked them all into trying this old cure.... Guess what within 5 days no one had any more shingles.... :hail:

Now several years later my Mother came down with a real bad case of them on her back and she was in mysery... I told the wife this story and she made the same Epsom Salts poultice and applied it to her back every day. By the end of the third day they were completely gone!!!:drum:

Go ahead and blow this story off if you want...:lalala:

But how much is it going to cost you to go to the store and drop a few bucks on a big box of Epsom salts and give it a try, no one will know except you N your other... or do you want to wait in misery until you are so desperate you like my friend will try anything, or just get well now.:spy:

 

[Harry_S.]

or just get well now.:spy:

Yep...anyone over 50 should get vacinated NOW.


Cheers

 

[Mike Schallmann]

My father in law -83 --got shingles and it got into his eyes--he nearly went BLIND --get the vaccine even if YOU have to pay for it!

 

[jcarleto]

I worry a little about new vaccines. Case in point...it was discovered in the late 80's that the vaccine given regularly to veterinarians for years to prevent rabies (the one for the Vet, not the pet) was found in the early 90's to cause MS in almost 1 of 5 cases. It took many years to accumulate enough data to prove this. Since 1991+/-, a new vaccine was introduced for veterinarians and other humans at high risk of rabies contact. There have been no such side effects associated with it......YET!

*JC*

 

[Tom Evans]

Been there and had that, just on my left side. I think it may have been a mild case compared to what some have gone through, but I ended up with some nerve damage nonetheless.

 

[giro5]

Had shingles once, convinced the cause was stress. My current doc says if you ever have them the vaccines doesnot do you any good.

 

[LuftCarl]

The same virus also pops up as Bell's Palsey. It is a temporary paralyzing of part of your face. I had it at the ripe old age of 36. Woke up one day and thought I'd had a stroke!! Scared the crap out of me! Did steroids, anti-virals, vitamins, minerals, anything else homeopathic, and did accupuncture with heat therapy. It was gone in three weeks. All my care givers were amazed! I was happy. Also drank some tea from the accupuncturist that smelled and tasted like crap, but extreme situations call for extreme measures.

 

[lanichol]

Try a paste of MSM which can be found at the local vet store in 1 lb cans. MSM is suppose to be like Aloe Vera.

Had a friend with a skin problem similar to shingles from Agent Orange when exposed in Vietnam. Tried all kinds of things for 20 years. I told him to try MSM. I left the company, but ran into him two years later at Sam's. The signs of rash & scaling from Agent Orange were completely gone and the guy could not stop talking.

I have used this on spider bites and they disappear in two days.

 

[Harry_S.]

I just copied this off the QandA from Google.


Can someone get shingles more than once?

Most people who get shingles develop immunity to the varicella zoster virus and will not get it again. Only about 4 percent of people will have another outbreak in the future. When shingles does recur, it is often in people with a compromised immune system (eg, they are infected with HIV or are undergoing chemotherapy treatments). A second outbreak of shingles may occur many years after the first outbreak. When shingles does recur, the rash usually does not appear in the same location as the first outbreak.


Cheers

 

[Sheldon]

Try a paste of MSM which can be found at the local vet store in 1 lb cans. MSM is suppose to be like Aloe Vera.



I have used this on spider bites and they disappear in two days.

So will the Epsom salts, on a side note any time you get a bite from a venomous insect here is a little secret that will get rid of the misery usually within in a few minutes...

When you get a bite from a spider, horsefly, Bee sting or some other nasty the little buggers leave a very small hole in the skin from where they injected the toxin. This hole is the last place to heal and can remain open for several days...

So ASAP use some clear fuel line or fish tank hose, BTY they make field poison kits for this that have a syringe WO a needle, but with a suction cup type of end... But the idea is to remove the venom by suction. Simply place the hose or syringe from the poison kit over the obvious wound and apply suction, and after a short while you will see a clear drop of liquid appear, immediately remove this and re apply the vacuum to the wound and continue until no more of the clear liquid appears, wipe the area with a clean paper towel, apply an antiseptic, many mouth washes such as Listerine can be good for field triage in this case, and then cover with a band-aid if available.

No more irritation, just be sure not to use so much suction that you cause the blood to form a bruise. Just remember the sooner you do this the more effective the treatment.

As an emergency method when none of the above are available you can simply grasp the skin a ways out from the wound, and grip tightly in a pinch and roll your fingers toward the center of the wound. This will also force majority of the venom out of the hole, again remove the clear drop of liquid and repeat, rotating your pressure 90 degrees each time.