Recurring Shingles
Dec 6, 2008
I'm 21 and have had recurring shingles since I was 9... I used to get it about once a year but have had it 7 times in the last 2 years. It used to knock me for six for about 3 weeks but I'm getting better at recognising the early symptoms so that I can have my acyclovir prescription ready and waiting for when the spots come out! The first thing I notice is that I find it uncomfortable to wear my bra (I always get shingles on my side) and then I get that distinct "been hit by a bus" feeling... Absolutely knackered, deep muscle aches and a little nauseous. And then joy of joy, the shooting pains begin! This is the part I find most difficult to cope with, I get really sharp pains drilling down my side and a dull pins and needles like feeling that is continuous. I don't get alot of blisters, just one or two, but they are always inside a mottled rash about the size of a side plate.
I have seen numerous doctors about this who have all said that it's rare, esp for my age, but that's about it. I guess there's nothing that can be done.
The only advice I can give about recurring shingles is just try and get good at recognising it early! And then try and chill until it goes. Useless, I know, but that's all I've got.
If anyone's got some better advice it would be greatly appreciated!
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I took this disastrous trip to Greece (I was completely healthy before the trip) and upon my return last April within a few days I started having this sore growing larger everyday on my chin. Somewhat yellowish and had a 40 C temperature for a week and very sick for another week. I took Doxy for two weeks which apparently did not eradicate the bacteria.
Two weeks later while a big red spot remained on my chin I started having another sore on my back but the doctor diagnosed (by observation) that this sore was shingles (i had shingles on my leg 4 years ago) so prescribed me Valtrex.
Then I started having another yellowish sore on my lower back last month which is likely a return of impetigo since it itches a lot with no pain and the doctor prescribed me 250 mg twice a day erythromycin for 3 months. I have been taking it for 2 weeks now and the sore appears healing however as a result (of likely my immune system weaken by impetigo) I came down with a second shingle in less than a month!!!. Not to mention chest infection last week too on the top of everything else So it appears I am now in a cycle of impetigo and shingles. How I can get out of this vicious cycle I have no idea. I have never been in a similar situation. is returning impetigo (followed by returning shingles, third or fourth in 4 years and second or third in a month) a norm. I asked my doctor to give me higher dose of antibiotics or a stronger one but he refused. What are my options to end this vicious cycle.
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I have shingles, I am 33 years old, female, and shingles re occurs with me every 4-5 months. I do not have a lower immune system or anything else, my Doctor puts it down to stress related but I don't think I am stressed. It is really painful, and my skin is really sore to touch. It appears on my left side on my bum cheek and the pain is all down my left side. Each attack I get the pain gets worse. My doctor has now given me a repeat prescription for the antibiotics and I have codipar pain killers for the pain. I sympathise with anyone who has shingles. Roll on the day they find a cure.
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I'm 36 and had my first outbreak in early June. The rash appeared on my right front abdomen. This week I started feeling like I did last month -- very tired, very nauseous and yesterday two spots appeared on my rt. breast. The physician's assistant I saw today took one look at the spots and said it wasn't shingles because it wasn't in the same area as last time. Do reoccurring shingles have to appear in the same place? Can an outbreak only produce one or two spots?
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I'm a 35 year old female and have had recurring shingles for about 7 years which occurs anything from 3-7 times a year and occasionally back to back. It is always a small cluster of itchy/stinging spots at the base of my spine and thankfully, the only other symptom can be overly sensitive skin down the back of my thighs. It is the only 'illness' that I ever suffer from - I never get colds or other 'bugs' that seem to plague everyone around me. So, the main guidelines about shingles are very general and should not discount anyone who suffers from this if they fall outside the norm for the condition i.e. over 50, poor immune system, you only get it once, spots appear on the sides, chest or face etc. as I don't fit any of these but have had tests and confirmation.
My advice to anyone else who suffers from this is - do try to get antiviral medication like acyclovir as it will minimise the frequency of outbreaks, try the cold sore patches from the chemist (Compeed is the brand I use) - they can be costly but keep the area clean and covered to prevent spreading and definitely seem to clear it up more quickly and with less scarring and, finally, try not to touch the area at all outside of treating it. I have become good at recognising the early symptoms and the earlier I act on it, the less troublesome it is. I have also made a connection with using sunbeds as a couple of outbreaks have occurred shortly after using one so minimise UV exposure of the area (not usually a problem when it's on your bottom!).
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I am 40 years old and have been suffering from recurring shingles since I was 25. They are always a small patch on my forehead and the pain radiates down one side of my face. The nerve pain lingers for several weeks and sometimes months after the blisters are healed. I have been told the vaccine is only given to individuals over 50 and I have also been told that since I get shingles frequently the vaccine would not help me.
I typically get them several times a year and the sun is the worst trigger for me. Since I get them on my forehead it is a bit difficult to prevent.
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Hello! I am a 34 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with shingles. I have had them for about a week and am quite uncomfortable, but not miserable. I have had some stomach pains for a few days that I believe are associated.
One problem I have is in all the information on the net and from doctors they stress the point "you can NOT get shingles from someone with shingles"... well, I disagree. My mother is a non-hodgkin's lymphoma patient who was diagnosed with shingles about two weeks ago. I live by her and help her and I find it hard to believe my shingles didn't come from being exposed to her!
Just wanted to let others know.
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I've just been diagnosed with Shingles. I have been told you can't get Shingles from Shingles, only chicken pox from shingles. But I am the third person in work in a week to come down with Shingles. If you can't get Shingles from shingles, how come so many people in work have it?
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I had a cough for nearly four weeks, after which it suddenly got more painful. After one cough I collapsed on the floor and after that the pain was so bad I couldn't even push bowel movements (sorry to anyone who thinks that was one detail too many). I hobbled to my GP, who diagnosed pleurisy and gave me antibiotics and painkillers (codeine).
This seemed to help. Things were definitely improving after 3 or 4 days. A week later, I was feeling fine. The cough had stopped too. There was, however, a slight pain on coughing (and not-so-slight pain on sneezing) that did not go away.
That was three weeks ago. For the last 3 or 4 days, discomfort has been returning. It's not nearly as bad as it was, and is now mostly on the lower left side of my chest. I don't think it's bad enough to bother my GP with yet. Has anyone else had a similar experience? What happened next?
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I'm 17, and have been getting impetigo from the age of 5 years old, the doctor believed at the time that it was from face paint. I've been getting recurring outbreaks every year since then, normally up to three times a year. However, as I got older I believed I had "grew out of it" (if that's possible) yet I severely burnt my lips on holiday and I felt the tingling feeling straight away after not having an outburst for about a year and a half. One thing I can tell you all is that as soon as you think you can feel the first symptoms of having it use the antibiotic cream (fucidin cream) asap, this will reduce the spreading of impetigo immediately. I've recently just had another outbreak just for being run down and so I now know I definitely will still be getting it. But there is hope, I was given a leaflet about this when I last got the cream from the doctor and it stated that you can get a swab taken from the inside of your nose and sent off to the lab where they will find out if you have the bacteria that causes impetigo living up there. This doesn't mean it will appear around your nose but when you get impetigo due to whatever reasons- mine normally being from stress, being run down, change in the weather etc.- then it will trigger it and appear in the usual place. I researched it some more and it said that your whole family that live in the same house should be checked as they could have it and that's what could trigger you off even if they've never had an outburst of impetigo. I had a swab sent off yesterday and I'm hoping that this is true as they will then give me a cream to kill it from up my nose and supposedly it won't come back. However, when I had this done my doctor seemed to know very little about it and I've never heard of it until now, I don't know why this is so I shall see if it works out. I just wanted to share this all with you as I know how horrendous impetigo is, I hate going out with it and as soon as I feel it coming up I know I'll have it all over my lip for a while.
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Hi, everyone. I've been part of the community for a few weeks now but wanted to introduce myself and maybe ask for some help with a problem I'm having.
I'm 33 years old and I have a problem with chronic vaginal yeast infections. I used to get them all the time. I'm talking 1-2x per month, like clockwork. The more frequently I got them, the worse they became and the harder they were to treat.
I started working with an OBGYN who had given me a great list of things to do. I started washing my clothes differently. I switched to a natural lubricant (sweet almond oil). I changed some of my hygiene products. I also gave up soaking in the tub at the end of a long day at work (I have a pretty physical job). She also gave me a prescription for a cream similar to Monistat to use; but the instruction was to just use one tube immediately upon feeling symptoms (itching, etc). It got to the point where I could do one treatment and not have to do any others. The only time this didn't work was when I took antibiotics, which was a separate nightmare altogether, as I'm sure most of you know. Over time, I started to have my infections less frequently.
Last year, they started to come back more frequently. I also started to feel really tired and I had some dry patches on my arms and legs. I also developed an itchier fungal rash in my inner thigh. I saw another OBGYN and she had me use some topical antifungal creams. The rashes would clear up but then they'd come back a few weeks later.
I did some research online and found Dr Eric Bakker ND and his site on yeast infections. I started to follow a Candida diet protocol and I actually began to feel a LOT better. I followed the entire regime for about 9 months and I weeded out all of the glutenous and sugary foods my body has mild allergic reactions to.
My problem now is that I seem to have another yeast infection. I mean, that's normal, thanks to hormones. I didn't expect I'd never get a vaginal YI ever again in my life. The problem is that after a course of treatment, I don't have discharge or itching any longer (the itching lasted a while, though), but I do still have some irritation and redness.
Is it possible this time I don't have a yeast infection at all? Up until this point, it seemed exactly like the type of infection I've had in the past. I'm not 100% sure how to move forward at this point. I wonder if I should just use the topical cream that came in the kit for a while longer; start another treatment; see if it's BV instead? I ended the treatment about a week ago.
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I'm 30 years old, and for the past 6 or 7 years I've been having problems when urinating. It first manifested as recurring non-specific urinary tract infections (which I'm told were the early symptoms of a bladder neck obstruction, probably caused by an enlarged prostate) which eventually settled into a long standing problem where it basically takes a very long time to finish. I'll feel as though I've emptied my bladder but if I wait long enough, more comes out (despite having no real sensation of still needing to go). I've found a couple of ways of encouraging further flow but it's still long-winded. If I get up and leave the bathroom too early I get dribbling, sometimes quite bad. It makes being intimate with my girlfriend kind of awkward because immediately after going to the bathroom I don't really want to risk her feeling anything.
I've tried both alfuzosin. At first it worked great, but eventually the effectiveness wore off and all it did was give me massive headaches. I then moved over to tamsulosin which again...wasn't terribly effective and resulted in retrograde ejaculation. Now I'm on Saw Palmetto which is reasonably effective but seems to wear off quite quickly. I basically have to choose at which time of the day I can afford to be in the toilet for 30-60 minutes.
So I guess my question is if there are any foods I should stay away from, or any other triggers that I might be able to address to get this under control? I don't drink. I'm a social smoker. Maybe 5 days out of the month. Apart from being partial to a good cup of tea/coffee I don't partake in any other substances.
Really desperate for some advice here. I recently cancelled an operation that I was scheduled for on the grounds that I was quoted a 50% chance of success, and the possibility of incontinence and reconstructive surgery if it goes wrong. Not what I want to be putting up with at 30!
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I am a 17 y/o girl. I am looking for some insight regarding possible endometriosis. I am sexually active, but last time anything happened was in September, and we used protection. I have since had 2 relatively normal menstrual periods. But, I have since had some weird symptoms, including irregular spotting in September between periods, (about a week after the last time we had sex), painful, noticeable veins (in chest, right side of abdomen, etc) some that radiate down from my pelvic area to my right leg (same side cyst is typically on), cramping, slight constipation/gas, and nipples slightly bigger than usual. About 5 years ago, I began having pretty localized right sided pelvic pain. Thinking this pain was possible appendicitis, I went to the ER. They did both a CT and ultrasound, and determined I had an ovarian cyst on my right ovary. Over the past few years, I've had relatively heavy, painful periods, sometimes irregular depending on the month. In Between periods I am generally in some type of pain, typically menstrual type cramps on my right side, radiating to the left. I had regularly experienced nausea alongside these cramps, pressure in pelvic area, and back pain. Every single time I have gone to the ER & gyn in the past 5 years, I have had a cyst on my right ovary. This last time I had an ultrasound done in August, a cyst was found again, but slightly bigger this time. My gyno also informed me that she was slightly confused by the cyst, since it was located slightly to the left of the cyst, and did not appear to be directly attached to it. I am curious if I possible have endometriosis, or a pregnancy is possible? I know I've had two periods on time since having sex, and we were protected. But, I am curious if endometriosis seems possible regarding the recurring cysts and symptoms, or if I am possibly pregnant, since I have never really experienced the radiating pain from the right side down my leg before.
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I have a skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa. I had 3 abscesses come up in my groin that were the size of a fist and had 6 operations within a few months. I was clear around 3 years and was told that I had recurring abscesses. Jan 2012 I have a another large abscess come up and had another 10 or more. This resulted in a further 3 operations. I finally was told that I did infact have hidradenitis suppurativa. Recently I have a smaller abscess that keeps on coming up and leaking then going down and coming back up. I am also experiencing severe pain in my groin. its like a hot poker and it is constant and radiates down my thigh. I have also bumps under the skin that are very small but painful and hot to touch. I don't have any abscess now just this pain.
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I am a 21 year old girl who has struggled with recurring yeast infections for the past 3 years. They would come every 4-6 months and I'd treat them and they'd go away for the time and come back. Well I had to take penicillin for strep throat 2 months ago and guess who got a lovely yeast infection? Even taking a diflucan with the antibiotics it still came, so yes I've had a yeast infection for almost 3 months straight. I've give to planned parenthood several times, one doctor says it's yeast the next says it's BV and now this doctor says it's both! Of course they send me home with metrogel and a diflucan even though that hasn't helped. I'm going to do the treatment knowing it's not going to cure it, there's some type of hope right? I need some support from other ladies dealing with this. I've struggled with depression and this is intensifying it. I feel hopeless, I can't have sex and I'm a mess. My boyfriend is completely understanding, but ya no sex isn't the funnest thing. I've also been doing the yeast diet, cut sugars out, no bread, no alcohol, pretty much nothing. I'm taking probiotics, eating yogurt, wearing cotton undies, wearing nothing but dresses at night. I just really really need somebody to tell me what helps them get through this, I wanna cry plenty of times throughout the day because this is so miserable.
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When my doctor gave me medicine it was a one day pill i had relief for two days then it came back so i baught a three day treatment from walgreens and its worked for a week or so and now.my yeast infection is back,i switched to cotton panties and i started eating more yogurt but why am i having such a yeast problem im 25weeks pregnant.
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I have recurring yeast infections I have been to to different doctors they prescribe antibiotics and send me on my way. Intercourse is painful for me so that is not a factor on why I get these infections. I have been tested for every std and my drs say that these infections are caused by sex. I don't have diabetes I don't use feminine products.
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I have had the typical sciatica for years on and off nothing debilitating so I am familiar w/the pain in the buttocks and moved down the leg etc but this is different so if anyone has had this please let me know I'm so confused...a month ago I actually went to ER w/pain behind my thigh that felt like I was being stabbed...then it would stop and come back 10-12 seconds later lasting about 2-3 seconds and VERY painful did this consistently for 6 hrs and disappeared as fast as it came! GONE for 1 month until this past Sat started again altho not as constant ..until the past hr I have had it every 30 seconds and I cannot fig out what causes it ...or what it is ..the ER gave me Valium and my reg Dr said take magnesium altho my levels were within range. I almost feels like I was tasered or stabbed (have really never experienced either but seems like that's what it would feel like) so do you think this could be sciatica?
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Living with Recurring Glandular Fever
Many people who catch glandular fever (Epstein-Barr virus) recover completely, but for a significant minority, like me, the virus hides from the immune system. I believe that this ability was discovered in the late 1960s. I heard of it in a BBC science programme in the early 70s, and immediately recognised my situation.
I caught glandular fever (without complications) in spring 1967 when I was a youth. Those who are affected by recurring symptoms, will recognise my case, where the symptoms receded imperceptibly slowly. It took about 9 months from being infected before I felt more or less normal again - for a while.
I pass on my experience of coping with this condition. There is bad news and good news.
The bad news is that the symptoms recur throughout life - that is for those who have difficulty clearing the original infection. A cure might emerge, but I am assuming that this will not happen. The good news is that, in time, the symptoms become gradually less of a problem.
The bad news is that one needs to adapt one's lifestyle in order to deal with this. The good news is that one can live a normal life. There are many with other lifelong conditions, who are far worse off.
Any virus illness (cold, 'flu) will trigger the symptoms. Something as common as catching a cold runs as follows. One feels unwell (exhausted), with no symptoms. About 2 days later, the cold symptoms start, accompanied with swelling of the glands in the throat and/or cheeks. The swelling is not very noticeable to others. One has a slightly raised temperature, and feels quite ill. After 4 to 10 days, the cold symptoms and swelling subside, but the feeling of exhaustion remains. This can last 4 to 6 weeks, or 6 months after a bout of 'flu.
How can you cope? There are a number of measures.
1) Smoking exacerbates the symptoms. If you are a smoker, you will be one of those who find stopping smoking relatively easy. You will soon learn to avoid smoke-filled places.
2) Should the symptoms start, treat as for a cold, or 'flu. You will feel exhausted, and a good thing to do is to get a lot of sleep.
3) It is worth getting a 'flu vaccination, if you can.
4) Exercise - you won't feel like exercise, and it is wise to rest while the cold symptoms are there. Once they are gone, and the feeling of exhaustion remains, that is the time to resume vigorous exercise. I think it might be the raised body temperature which helps to fight off the symptoms. In the case where you go to the gym, you will have to force yourself against the feeling of exhaustion for the first time, and even the second time, but by the third time, you realise that you are much fitter. The exhaustion will go. Regular exercise helps ward off the problems, and the fitter you are, the better you will manage.
5) Avoid catching colds. You will find that you have become especially susceptible to colds. There are many things involved here, from a good, varied diet, a daily multivitamin/mineral tablet (don't overdose), cough sweets in the bus/train etc.
The best advice, and perhaps the most difficult and lifestyle threatening, is to follow what (great) grandmother told you, "Wrap up warm!" Think how she would say, "Put on your sweater/scarf/hat/woolly socks before you go out!" You think. "It is not cold outside". You know it isn't "Cool", and you don't want your friends to laugh at you.
If the summer weather is really hot, you can get away with fashionable wear. Otherwise, the bad news is that keeping warm maybe "uncool" but if you ignore this, you will suffer. Ideally, you should keep on the verge of perspiring, and if the surrounding air is fresh and cool, that is the ideal. Avoid stuffy environments. Avoid becoming too hot, sweaty and wet, and then getting chilled. However, if you can arrange to change into dry clothes and not become chilled (as when you go to the gym), all well and good!
I found these lifestyle adaptations very unwelcome. You will have to find your own way to cope. Thinking of these matters will help, and you can lead a normal life, with bouts of extreme exhaustion from time to time. Take comfort in that these will become less severe, and maybe less frequent as the years pass. Otherwise, you are quite normal. You can achieve what you are capable of intellectually, and physically. Face up to the occasional difficulties, and be determined to succeed with your life. Epstein-Barr will not prevent you.
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I'm really worried. I'm an 18 year old male. I'm studying for my final exams and I'm having some serious problems with my health.
I got a strep throat in October. It was treated with antibiotics and it passed and I was severely ill. In December I had appendicitis and they were removed. I then had 3 sore throat and serious fatigue episodes in January March and right now. At the moment my tonsils are inflamed and I'm seriously fatigued and feel run down. I'm waiting on my results of blood tests. My recent esr test was 70mm/ph. I'm getting the rest of the results Wednesday.
Has anyone had problems like this before ? I'm really worried and I have my finals in a few weeks.
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I have had silent migraines 24 years.. and recently had the first ocular one. With no warning, went blind for a few seconds, twice in ten minutes. The doctor confirmed it was not a stroke, ''just ocular migraine''. For most people, if the temporary blindness recurs, does the the time of the blindness usually last longer than a few seconds or for most people, does it stay at a few seconds? I am in my seventies.
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