tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Jebezus Crimeny. So I now have shingles. Just when my other skin issues have started to clear with antibiotics now this. It's baffling to me. I am SO having my tubes tied after this baby. I had no idea that growing a child in my 30s would be so different than in my 20s. So has anybody here had shingles before? How long did it take for the pain to go away? I'm just really whining here and feeling sory for myself. Somebody quick tell me to cheer up! Link to post Share on other sites
BenThereDunThat Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Wow. I had no idea you could get shingles while pregnant! That sucks. I've never had them but I've heard they're very painful. I'm so sorry you're going through that. I have, however, had my tubes 'tied' (plugged, really) so I can offer advice on that! Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Wow. I had no idea you could get shingles while pregnant! That sucks. I've never had them but I've heard they're very painful. I'm so sorry you're going through that. I have, however, had my tubes 'tied' (plugged, really) so I can offer advice on that! It does hurt. Yowch! Freaky! As to tubes tied, we had decided on the SO having a vasectomy but this preggie has been so silly stressful medically that I am pretty sure I'm getting myself fixed instead. Link to post Share on other sites
BenThereDunThat Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 It does hurt. Yowch! Freaky! As to tubes tied, we had decided on the SO having a vasectomy but this preggie has been so silly stressful medically that I am pretty sure I'm getting myself fixed instead. Ugh. You poor thing. Well, look at this way. More guilt to throw at baby years later when they're being a snotty teenager! "Do you know the PAIN you caused your mother?!" Having my tubes done was so easy, wish I had done it about 5 years ago. Only one day off work and very minimal pain. Like, almost non-existant pain. Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Ugh. You poor thing. Well, look at this way. More guilt to throw at baby years later when they're being a snotty teenager! "Do you know the PAIN you caused your mother?!" Having my tubes done was so easy, wish I had done it about 5 years ago. Only one day off work and very minimal pain. Like, almost non-existant pain. My docs have really pushed for tubal as they are going in for a c-sect anyway. I thought at first they were just pushing for the extra billing. :lmao: Now I think they may have a valid point. Link to post Share on other sites
Crusoe Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Had it a few years ago on my shoulder, it's not pleasant but not as bad as I thought it would be. Felt like a bunch of bee stings. Luckily I don't have to wear a shirt for work so it wasn't much of a problem. The worst was over in about a week. Only advice I can give is to avoid wearing clothes on the affected area, and whatever you do, don't scratch. If you have it on your backside, you have my sympathies. Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Had it a few years ago on my shoulder, it's not pleasant but not as bad as I thought it would be. Felt like a bunch of bee stings. Luckily I don't have to wear a shirt for work so it wasn't much of a problem. The worst was over in about a week. Only advice I can give is to avoid wearing clothes on the affected area, and whatever you do, don't scratch. If you have it on your backside, you have my sympathies. I actually have it wrapped around the right side of my abdomen, from my spine to my sternum on half of my body. It does feel like a bunch of bee stings, and it burns like heck. I'm not scratching at all as it just is too painful to touch. I'm wearing my SO's big floppy Ts and trying to stay off of my right side for the time being. The doc says the pain itself may sick around for a few months, yuck! UM, how do you get away with not wearing a shirt to work? Link to post Share on other sites
Crusoe Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I actually have it wrapped around the right side of my abdomen, from my spine to my sternum on half of my body. It does feel like a bunch of bee stings, and it burns like heck. I'm not scratching at all as it just is too painful to touch. I'm wearing my SO's big floppy Ts and trying to stay off of my right side for the time being. The doc says the pain itself may sick around for a few months, yuck! UM, how do you get away with not wearing a shirt to work? Because I spend most of my working life swinging around a scaffold. My doc told me it could last months too, and I did feel the odd twinge for quite some time but the worst was over quickly. I think a lot of it depends on how young and fit you are. You usually hear the horror stories of shingles from the old and weak. Can't be much fun around the ribs. Wish I had some good advice for you but it's one of those occupy your mind and wait it out things. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Because I spend most of my working life swinging around a scaffold. My doc told me it could last months too, and I did feel the odd twinge for quite some time but the worst was over quickly. I think a lot of it depends on how young and fit you are. You usually hear the horror stories of shingles from the old and weak. Can't be much fun around the ribs. Wish I had some good advice for you but it's one of those occupy your mind and wait it out things. Good luck. That makes sense. I find tylenol helps deaden the nerves a bit. I'm occupying myself pretty well, I think, working a lot. Fortunately I can run around completely naked and complain to hubby every 2 hours, complaint always seems to help somehow. Link to post Share on other sites
LucreziaBorgia Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 My daughter has gotten them from birth because of a chicken pox vac snafu when she was in neonatal. She uses Zovirax for them and if we get it on there at the very first signs of that 'tingle' it is mild and barely noticeable. Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 My daughter has gotten them from birth because of a chicken pox vac snafu when she was in neonatal. She uses Zovirax for them and if we get it on there at the very first signs of that 'tingle' it is mild and barely noticeable. You can get it recurrently? I'm glad you all have found something that helps her b/c this is truly pretty miserable. What kind of vaccination SNAFU can cause this? Link to post Share on other sites
EricaH329 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I apologize for my ignorance, but what is Shingles exactly? I looked up the images for it, and the results were pretty frightening. I am so sorry you have to endure this! Is it a form of herpes? Or just a skin infection? I hope you feel better hun!!! :bunny::bunny: Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I apologize for my ignorance, but what is Shingles exactly? I looked up the images for it, and the results were pretty frightening. I am so sorry you have to endure this! Is it a form of herpes? Or just a skin infection? I hope you feel better hun!!! :bunny::bunny: It is the residual your body carries from chicken pox being "reactivated". Chicken pox is a cousin to a herpes infection, once you have had chicken pox it never leaves your body completely. You carry it around and sometimes, with weakened immune systems or cancer or with age the residual becomes active again for a time. Shingles itself is not passable from one person to the next but you can infect others with chicken pox. Link to post Share on other sites
EricaH329 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 It is the residual your body carries from chicken pox being "reactivated". Chicken pox is a cousin to a herpes infection, once you have had chicken pox it never leaves your body completely. You carry it around and sometimes, with weakened immune systems or cancer or with age the residual becomes active again for a time. Shingles itself is not passable from one person to the next but you can infect others with chicken pox. Ohhh, ok, I see. Thank you. So basically all you can do is use creams and take antibiotics and wait it out? It must be miserable! Link to post Share on other sites
LucreziaBorgia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 You can get it recurrently? I'm glad you all have found something that helps her b/c this is truly pretty miserable. What kind of vaccination SNAFU can cause this? My D has a patch under one of her eyes, and one on her stomach. If she gets sunburned, even a tiny bit the patches flare up. She also gets flares around period times sometimes, or when she is under stress. When she was in neonatal, one of the neonatal techs had chicken pox and didn't know it and handled all of the babies in the unit. All of them had to be vaccinated. My D got her shingles really bad the first time when she was three and that is when the Dr. prescribed her Zovirax to apply at first signs (they look like tiny watery pimples and they go from that to big red scabby patches in literally hours if we don't get to them in time). I'd definitely look into getting an RX for Zovirax - once they scab like there there isn't much to do but ride them out but if you can catch them at that first tingle or 'tiny pimple/bump' stage it will zap it in a fraction of the time and with very little pain or itching. Otherwise, they are miserable to have and I wish you didn't have to go through that! Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 My D has a patch under one of her eyes, and one on her stomach. If she gets sunburned, even a tiny bit the patches flare up. She also gets flares around period times sometimes, or when she is under stress. When she was in neonatal, one of the neonatal techs had chicken pox and didn't know it and handled all of the babies in the unit. All of them had to be vaccinated. My D got her shingles really bad the first time when she was three and that is when the Dr. prescribed her Zovirax to apply at first signs (they look like tiny watery pimples and they go from that to big red scabby patches in literally hours if we don't get to them in time). I'd definitely look into getting an RX for Zovirax - once they scab like there there isn't much to do but ride them out but if you can catch them at that first tingle or 'tiny pimple/bump' stage it will zap it in a fraction of the time and with very little pain or itching. Otherwise, they are miserable to have and I wish you didn't have to go through that! Yeah. I missed the mark and it's too late for meds. So for now I'm at 10 days and still blistering and scabbing. How long does the rashyness typically last? Link to post Share on other sites
LucreziaBorgia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 About a week or two, give or take. Once they scab over and the tingle/itch stops it will be a couple of days before the scabs fall off. If they are oozing, they are still 'active'. When they look and feel dry you will be on the upswing from there. Link to post Share on other sites
Author tinktronik Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Oh my god, I hurt so bad today. My spine and back muscles have just given up. I feel like I've been stabbed in the side. I'm exhausted because I can't sleep. My doc gives out morphine patches for shingles but I can't have them due to allergy. She says she will figure out something else by Wed. when I see her again. The extra strength tylenol is just not hacking it. Must hold on..... Link to post Share on other sites
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