Shingles

[midlifebear]

Mr. Bucko:

Yup, see what happens when you get Chicken Pox when you're a little kid? It comes back to break out in nasty infections around the nerve endings in our skin. It's a major bitch. However, Jason_of_the_Els is quite right. Get some of those incredibly tough, greenish black licorice sticks sold in round cans (same company has been making them since the middle of the 1800s) and chew your teeth black. Or buy some licorice oil at a health food store (or sometimes in the spice section of your local supermarket) and add a drop or two to your morning coffee. The drops of real licorice oil in coffee tastes much better than adding chicory, a beautiful flower but bitter, ass nasty plant folks in New Orleans and surrounding areas are famous for mixing in their coffee. It's supposed to taste somewhat like licorice, but really doesn't).

The licorice will definitely hasten your recovery and help keep out breaks to an absolute minimum. It also is used as a systemic cure for reducing the swelling of hemorrhoids. A two-fer, if you will.

If you don't get better in the next few days let me know. I'll dispatch a boojum healer from Georgia's low country to your door.

Your uncle Midlifebear

 

[Mem]

I saw Bucko today and he is much better.

I had a case of shingles once. From what I remember it was all over the body, but there was no specific rash that I can recall. I felt more discomfort than pain, some pain would flair up at times, but it was not unbearable.

 

[2322]

I saw Bucko today and he is much better.

I had a case of shingles once. From what I remember it was all over the body, but there was no specific rash that I can recall. I felt more discomfort than pain, some pain would flair up at times, but it was not unbearable.

Thanks for the update Mem. Glad to know he's under your watchful care.:smile:

 

[Mem]

Thanks for the update Mem. Glad to know he's under your watchful care.:smile:

We ran a few errands together, it was fun. He thinks he can put his contacts in soon.

 

[naughty]

Whew! You poor baby. I am so glad you got to the doctor before any major damage was done. I hope you dont have the residual pain that many people experience after the shingles are gone. I still have pain in my legs from the shingles I got when I fell down the basement stairs and messed up my tail bone. The doctor said it isnt uncommon to get them in places where you have had nerve damage. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Meniscus]

I've had it, too, fortunately not on my face or near my eye, but on my back below the shoulder blade. In addition to whatever meds are prescribed, it's important to take care of yourself: eat well, sleep well, and reduce stress as much as possible.

Currently I'm coping with an ulcer in my mouth which is an indirect consequence of stress. It's nothing serious, and obviously not as bad as shingles, but it's amazing how much mouth pain can ruin your mood and really get in the way or your ability to concentrate and work productively.

 

[AlteredEgo]

I'm glad to hear you're a bit better, Bbucko!

Even though the word herpes is in the technical name I thought it was caused by the dormant chickenpox virus in those that had chicken pox.

Chicken-pox is a type of herpes.

 

[Bbucko]

The nerve of those shingles invading your handsome face. Fuckers.

Good to know there's no damage to your eye. Keep your chin up, B. :hug:

Oh you know me: it takes more than a bout of the Shingles to rattle me :wink:

Nothing could possibly take away from it.

I've loved you from the day we met but my love isn't blind.

I'd never accuse you of willful blindness, dear.

I'm glad there was no damage to your eye. Feel better, I know it's a drag I have a friend who this happens to sometimes.

Thank you, NY.

Oh Big B, that's horrid for you ? Did you catch chicken pox as a kid ? I hope you get better very very soon

You know the worst part of this, Hilly? I had a date tonight that I was forced to postpone. And he was a real cutie :frown1:

I have felt your pain myself. Twice stricken with that horrid stuff. Not on my face. I cannot imagine how that must feel. Mine was on the back of my thigh, That area spread to about the size of a softball..shit was it hard to sit, and I was on vacation in Florida, and the drive home ...well!!!!!! and the others was on my lower back. Not as bad. I had no scaring and I hope the same for you.
Quick healing to you.

I cannot imagine getting an attack on vacation: talk about things not having turned out as expected!

I've had them twice. The first time went from behind my left ear and over the top of my head to just before the left eye, and it left a scar on my forehead that looks oddly like this. It has faded with time. The second time the lesions ran from my right elbow to the tips of my right thumb and index finger (including under the nails); it was unspeakably painful but has left no scar.

I have no way of predicting, but I bet there'll be some sort of residual mark below my eyebrow. At this stage of my life I'm not nearly as concerned about scarring as I would once have been, though if it went to my nose I might not feel so nonchalant.

Get better, UB!!

Barring some overnight catastrophe I expect to work tomorrow (Friday) night. My left eye has opened enough to insert my other contact lens, and my doc assured me that I would not be infectious through casual contact. I really don't care what it looks like as long as I can see enough to function.

I think I'm going to get the vaccine.
Dave

I'd highly recommend it, Dave.

at least now you can wear a sexy eye patch!

Someone beat me to it, but I was totally going to say I think you'd look hot and dangerous in an eye patch.

I'm sorry you're suffering, and hope you feel better very soon.

I've thought about checking them out at CVS. If I can get one on the ultra-cheap then that's what I'll do. There's nothing wrong with a little bit of menace, especially where I work.

Hopefully this helps:

A good friend of mine, big into herbs told me that Shingles are a form of herpes - but what makes them flare up - is a Lack of an essential Amino Acid - L-Arginine.

Valtrex and the other herpe's drugs only slowly work to reduce the outbreak - but take a long time to heal. (sometimes not at all)
By replacing the missing amino acid, the shingles dissapear quickly.

Give it a try - it can't hurt!

I don't take unregulated supplements unless specifically told to by a medical professional because of potential complications with my HIV meds, but thanks for the interest.

I had shingles only once, can't imagine it on my face. Even though the word herpes is in the technical name I thought it was caused by the dormant chickenpox virus in those that had chicken pox. When I had shingles it was on the inside of my arm and on my chest and even my shirt rubbing up against it felt like I was getting stuck by needles. It ran its course over about 6 weeks. I hear the blisters can get pretty bad but mine became more like a rash and scabbed over pretty quickly.

I have no problems with the word "herpes": it's the name for a whole spectrum of viruses. The Chicken Pox and Shingles are caused by the Herpes Zoster virus.

If this were the worst thing concerning my health I'd be a very happy man, indeed :wink:

I'm so sorry you feel like crap and that you've got this shit flare-up. :hug::kiss: to my Uncle Buckles.

:kiss: back to my Very Good Friend jason_els :kiss:

I couldn't sit, stand, lay down, or sleep w/o pain for about 2-3 weeks. It was shear misery and I can't imagine having that pain on my face.

This is a pretty limited outbreak, and while painful is handle-able, especially with the Percocets; the only downsides to the pain meds are that they make me [even more] dopey [than usual :biggrin1:], and make me itch all over, so I'm constantly washing my hands (another MRSA infection would so not be fun right now).

The licorice will definitely hasten your recovery and help keep out breaks to an absolute minimum. It also is used as a systemic cure for reducing the swelling of hemorrhoids. A two-fer, if you will.

If you don't get better in the next few days let me know. I'll dispatch a boojum healer from Georgia's low country to your door.

Your uncle Midlifebear

I used to work for a Danish couple who'd bring back these bricks and pebbles of andesite-hard, salty licorice: it was like chewing on tar :tongue:. I think I'll stick with the oil, which sounds intriguing (something else for the CVS shopping list).

If the boojum healer is any good at deep-tissue massage, don't wait for the invite: he can set up shop in my walk-in closet.

We ran a few errands together, it was fun. He thinks he can put his contacts in soon.

Thanks again for helping me with that, sweetheart. I really could not have done 1/10th of what we were able to accomplish if it were just me and my bike :kiss:

Whew! You poor baby. I am so glad you got to the doctor before any major damage was done. I hope you dont have the residual pain that many people experience after the shingles are gone. I still have pain in my legs from the shingles I got when I fell down the basement stairs and messed up my tail bone. The doctor said it isnt uncommon to get them in places where you have had nerve damage.

I have pretty bad arthritis in my neck, which causes migraine and TMJ, so I'm used to rather high daily pain levels. I have the feeling that any residual pain will probably be more tingling than throbbing, but I'm hoping that this will just clear in about another two weeks or so.

I've had it, too, fortunately not on my face or near my eye, but on my back below the shoulder blade. In addition to whatever meds are prescribed, it's important to take care of yourself: eat well, sleep well, and reduce stress as much as possible.

The errands Mem and I went on included a grocery shopping for basic staples, so I'm all set for about two weeks at least. If I'm going to work tomorrow night, I'm gonna need at least ten good hours of sleep, so when I unplug later I'll make sure that nothing will disturb me.

I'm glad to hear you're a bit better, Bbucko!

Thanks, sweetheart. My left eye is definitely open enough to put in both of my contacts; this has gone a long way toward allowing me to feel "normal" again.

 

[Lex]

...
Barring some overnight catastrophe I expect to work tomorrow (Friday) night. My left eye has opened enough to insert my other contact lens, and my doc assured me that I would not be infectious through casual contact. I really don't care what it looks like as long as I can see enough to function.
...

Well, its so dark at you job that most people won't notice it anyway. And the bruise will only add to your dark mystique.

 

[Bbucko]

Well, its so dark at you job that most people won't notice it anyway. And the bruise will only add to your dark mystique.

I woke up this afternoon after spending about 12 hours in bed and felt like I'd been through a meat grinder face first, and with a strange twinge in my lower back, so no working tonight

I'll continue with the enforced slow-down til Sunday, which I should be able to work without complications (but with that eyepatch, which is a great idea). Besides, the work on Sunday will be much less strenuous than barbacking on a Friday night.

 

[D_Portelay Porquesword]

YES IT CAN!!!
​

I hate to contradict you because I know you mean well, but l-Arginine is a herpes protagonist. You want to decrease your intake of it, in fact you want to take lysine to help counter the l-Arginine.

Check other sources for the relationship between arginine and shingles and you'll find the same advice.

Black licorice, real licorice you can buy in better candy shops, not the fake candies, are very helpful at mitigating outbreaks as well.

I'm so sorry you feel like crap and that you've got this shit flare-up. :hug::kiss: to my Uncle Buckles.

I have to agree with Jason, I was taking l-Arginine at the time of my first shingles outbreak.

I wise woman told me that Lysine was best of shingles so I took mega doses of it and eventually it subsided. It was so painful and sent shocking impulses down my left leg.

Take care of yourself B and I look forward to that conclusion you promised me. :wink:

 

[sdbg]

Good luck with your recovery Bbucko!

I had shingles on the left side of my head in September of 2008. I had no clue what was happening to me. The first doctor (an alternate) thought that it was a spider bite. As with you, Bbucko, it made my forehead and eyelid swell. I went back and saw my regular doctor 3 days later. He knew right away it was shingles, prescribed Valtrex, and ordered me to see an opthalmologist immediately after leaving the office. Fortunately, there was no damage to my eye. The opthalmologist ordered me to get to the pharmacy as quickly as possible to start taking the Valtrex. The experience cost me about $800 and left a scar from the scab an inch above my left eye. This happened just before the September 2008 Rosarito to Ensenada 50 Mile Bike Ride. The opthalmologist told me not to do the ride as it was not in my best interest. My regular doctor told me that I'd be fine if I didn't push it. I did the ride and enjoyed it despite being really wiped out at the end. I asked about the vaccine, but was told that they won't administer it until patients reach 60 years of age.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Bbucko, sorry to hear about this.
I've never had shingles, but have heard lots about how awful it is.
(I also know what it's like to have to leave a contact lens out ... can be very discombobulating. I'm glad you're seeing with two eyes again.)
Courage, my love.

 

[Bbucko]

Good luck with your recovery Bbucko!

I had shingles on the left side of my head in September of 2008. I had no clue what was happening to me. The first doctor (an alternate) thought that it was a spider bite. As with you, Bbucko, it made my forehead and eyelid swell. I went back and saw my regular doctor 3 days later. He knew right away it was shingles, prescribed Valtrex, and ordered me to see an opthalmologist immediately after leaving the office. Fortunately, there was no damage to my eye. The opthalmologist ordered me to get to the pharmacy as quickly as possible to start taking the Valtrex. The experience cost me about $800 and left a scar from the scab an inch above my left eye. This happened just before the September 2008 Rosarito to Ensenada 50 Mile Bike Ride. The opthalmologist told me not to do the ride as it was not in my best interest. My regular doctor told me that I'd be fine if I didn't push it. I did the ride and enjoyed it despite being really wiped out at the end. I asked about the vaccine, but was told that they won't administer it until patients reach 60 years of age.

Once you get past the painful stage, Shingles are just an incredible annoyance and (hopefully temporary) disfigurement. And any type of infection, bacterial or viral, slows your body way down. I'm glad you were able to do the ride as planned.

Bbucko, sorry to hear about this.
I've never had shingles, but have heard lots about how awful it is.
(I also know what it's like to have to leave a contact lens out ... can be very discombobulating. I'm glad you're seeing with two eyes again.)
Courage, my love.

I'll be back at work tonight, with an eye patch. Hopefully it won't detract and might even attract customers. I have a lot of catch-up between now and the end of the month.

 

[Smartalk]

The best thing for fast result is HOMOEOPATHIC Rhus Tox, which you can buy from any good chemist or pharmacy. I have recommended it to numorous people who have been amazed with the quick relief of pain.

 

[D_Portelay Porquesword]

Hope all is well on the BB front.

 

[Rikter8]

I have to agree with Jason

You guys are right.

I have both in my cabinets - I fucked up. Sorry about that.

 

[Bbucko]

Hope all is well on the BB front.

We'll see how work goes, baby.

You guys are right.

I have both in my cabinets - I fucked up. Sorry about that.

The best thing for fast result is HOMOEOPATHIC Rhus Tox, which you can buy from any good chemist or pharmacy. I have recommended it to numorous people who have been amazed with the quick relief of pain.

Thanks for your suggestions, guys, but I generally don't try anything that is unregulated because of possible side-effects and interactions with my HIV meds (not all of which are properly understood, due to the nature of how antiretrovirals come online). I've had serious issues in the past and now just avoid them.

I do appreciate your concern, though.

 

[B_cigarbabe]

I've had shingles more than a few times Uncle B. and they are painful and
quite annoying aren't they?
Thank God for pain meds!
I still think you are and look very sexy. :naughty:
Quite like a pirate eh Arrr! irate:
Can I make you a bejeweled patch oh sexy one?!!
C.B.:saevil:

 

[STYLYUNG]

You can be immunized against SHINGLES. There is a vaccine shot called ZOSTAFAX that will prevent shingles. The big pharmacy chains carry it. The vaccine has a very short storage life. It is given only by a prescription from a doctor. If you get a prescription from your doctor, call ahead to make sure that the pharmacy has the vaccine in stock. I was told that the vaccine would be administered at the pharmacy. The price is not cheap----somewhere between one-hundred and two-hundred dollars. BBucko would it be worth it considering what you are going through?

My doctor wants me to have the shot. I have been carrying a prescription for ZOSTAVAX in my wallet for several months. After reading this thread, I am going to get the needle, no matter what the price. Two members of my four-man coffee group had shingles at the same time which was a co-incidence. Shingles is not contageous. It comes from a childhood session with chicken pox.

If you have questions about ZOSTAVAX, ask your doctor or your local health department. My doctor said that it WILL prevent shingles.