Well, I've been optimistic, and telling myself that it will be a very short case, but I'm miserable. Left side, from my spine to my bellybutton, itches and hurts. I took ibuprofen for a couple of days, which ate my stomach so bad now I feel like I have ulcers. Today is day 8. This is really effecting my sleep. I guess I just needed to whine a little. Thanks for listening.

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), August 17, 2001

Answers

Cathy, Do you have access to some comfrey? A comfrey tea would help some, I'm sure. It really is wonderful stuff. Anyway, I hope you clear up and feel much better real soon. Kathie

-- Kathie in Western Washington (twinrosefarm@centurytel.net), August 18, 2001.

Cathy, let me know if you need comfrey.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 18, 2001.

Say, I don't know if this would help, but maybe mega dosing on L- Lysine? I'm sorry about your being in pain and I sure hope it clears up quickly.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), August 18, 2001.

When my husband had shingles, we used calamine lotion on them and this helped with itching. Good Luck!! DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), August 18, 2001.

I feel for you Cathy. I had my first and (knock wood) only case a few years ago. My remedy, which doesn't shorten the time, but makes it bearable, was ice packs and a rub with capsascin in it. I believe there are several rubs available, mine was ArthriCare. Got it at a chain drug store. Both the ice and the rub work to block the pain fromthe nerve endings. My research showed that shingles pop up when you are stressed, causing your immunity system to be down. Not the only reason, but a fairly common one. Good luck and God bless you.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), August 18, 2001.

Dear Cathy, Please , Please go to Doc. and get started on cycoveron, can"t spell it. I had shingles, and tryed all home remedys, and now I am left with damaged nerves, and terrible pain, just because I didn"t treat it. And now there is not much I can do. To late. If your not on this medicine within a few days it is to late. And Darling I do all the health food things too. and hate going to doc. But this one time you better go. Love Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), August 18, 2001.

"Shingles", medically known as "Herpes Zoster' is caused by the same virus which gives folks chickenpox. The virus hangs around your body from when you had chickenpox, resurfacing in some folks when they are older as shingles..Yes, stress, either physical or mental can help the virus to reactivate. Also, folks who are around little kids who either have chickenpox or were just recently vaccinated for it can pick up some live virus and come up with shingles...Anti-viral medications do help decrease the symptoms as well as the length of the episode, but they must be taken in the first 72 hours of symptoms, otherwise they are very expensive medications which will do nothing after 72 hours. In addition to the excellent suggestions already given, a paste made up of baking soda often helps discomfort from shingles. You have my sympathy..Zoster is quite painful..most patients of mine always asked and were given additional pain meds to help them at night, like darvocet, percocet, etc. God bless.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), August 18, 2001.

A few years back my daughter broke with a severe case of shingles, lesions the size of golf balls and larger. We did use one of the antiviral creams from the doctor, but the cream didn't dent the misery of the lesions. Our solution was to scrub the lesions gently with hydrogen peroxide until they stopped fizzing. Then scrubbed them with betadine surgical scrub gently. Then wiped them with betadine solution (no soap in it). Let them air dry. Killed the itch every time and allowed her to sleep pain free. Had to repeat daily, but the releif was worth it! They healed rapidly and the brown "scars" disappeared in about a year. Lotsa luck.

-- Sandra Nelson (Magin@starband.net), August 18, 2001.

Update.....I just got back from the Drs., last night was the worst!! This all started with a pulled muscle in my back (or so I thought). It still was achey after 3 days, which didn't fit the pattern for my typical mild back strains. Then I thought I had several mosquito bites on my mid-section due to sleeping with a fan in an open window. A numb spot on my belly was the thing that concerned me most. My sis is an RN, she took one look and the diagnosis was shingles. Told me to get to the Dr. and don't waste time fooling around with my herbal stuff. (Of course I spent the next few days treating myself with lysine, etc.) The Dr. gave me a prescription for generic vicoden (pain) and one for Famvir (anti-viral). I can't believe the Famvir was so exspensive-$268.20 for 42 pills!! I have insuranse so they cost me $20, but what if I didn't?? There is no generic form as of yet. Well, I really don't understand why I got this now, because I feel terrific otherwise, but I will make it a point to try and eat better, sleep more, etc. Thanks to all who responded, and Irene, I sure hope you feel better, too.

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), August 18, 2001.

Cathy, goats get a very similar to shingles infection brought on by hormones, staph and stress. Actually it starts as a staph infection that goes on to cause phempugus, which is like shingles in that the skin reproduces itself faster than the lower layers of skin slough off. We healed, and I am not talking some slow slow cure, but a true heal with the ID-1 that is sold on Goatworld. We used it first as a 12cc oral med for 5 days then put the powder in their food. It is a known immune booster which is made from colostrum (cows). We also used chlorhexiderm as a wash to slough off the top layers and heal and prevent infection. I do know that Ron Keener who also sells this has testimonials from folks who have used this on themselves. I have no idea what the dosage would be on using this, or if you can even using chlorhexiderm (nolvasan) which comes in the animal section of better farm stores and jefferslivestock.com catalog, on people, since many of the things we treat stock with have known carcinogens for people (well rats anyway) in them. But maybe using this known treatment in a varying form for yourself, like a colostrum based immune booster along with the nolvasan (which says nothing about not using it on humans on the tub) though I know when I used the chlorhexiderm wash my vet told me to make sure and where gloves. I am so sorry you aren't feeling well. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

Well if it were me, I would start taking Garlic immediately. Shingles is a recurring virus. Garlic is anti viral. With a virus I usually take three concentrated garlic pills, three times a day. I would also apply the garlic oil topically. People won't want to be near you for a while, but you need to rest and allow your body to fight the virus anyway. I know that your getting a lot of advice, but you can't fight a virus like a staph infection, because one is a bacteria and one is a virus.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littleBit@compworldnet.com), August 21, 2001.

The shingles are (is) the result of 1) the presence of the former chicken-pox virus lying in wait in your spine 2) your mind/body being in the proper (poor)condition, allowing it to reappear. I use my shingles at age 28 to explain how stressful my job is.

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), August 24, 2001.

I'm a 22 year old Mechanical Engineering student and after the loss of a friend to a drunk driver, my car being broken into and everything stolen, and 5 tests in Physics and Math all within 4 weeks, something had to go I guess. So now I'm stuck with this stupid rash and painful itching, so I believe it is definitely induced by stress. I think just taking it easy and taking the necessary meds will get me better, but ah, another test in three days and I just started taking the meds. I guess I needed to whine a little myself, take care and good luck to anyone with this awful problem.

-- Ryan in TX (trotter420@hotmail.com), October 23, 2002.

MY HUSBAND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SHINGLES AFTER HE TOOK A RIDE ON A 6- WHEELER AND JARRED HIS BACK, XRAYS SHOWED HE SLIPPED 2 DISCS, THE PAIN CAME FIRST THEN THE RASH, UNFORTUNATLY WE DIDNT KNOW THE RASH WAS SHINGLES UNTIL 11/2 WEEKS LATER,HE WAS PUT ON ACYCLOVIR 800MG.FOR THE VIRUS, NUMEROUS TESTS INCLUDING MRI-EMG, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE PAIN HE STILL HAS IS PHN, AND WILL SUFFER FROM IT FOR ABOUT 1 YEARS, WE HAVE MANY SLEEPLES NIGHTS, AND HE IS IN SEVERE PAIN ALL THE TIME,EVEN THE PAIN KILLERS PERSCRIBED,AND THE LIDODEN PATCH DONT SEEM TO HELP MUCH,AND NOW DEPRESSION HAS SET IN, SO MORE PILLS,AND THEY ARE NOT CHEAP!!!! I'M HOPING YOU ARE FEELING MUCH BETTER CATHY, I WOULDNT WISH THIS AWFUL THING ON MY WORST ENEMY.

DANA IN WISCONSIN

-- Dana Barnhardt (thenuthouse2002@mybluelight.com), November 26, 2002.

I WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH SHINGLES TODAY I BELEIVE IT ALLSTARTED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO IT SEEMED TO START AS A VERY SORE BACK THE AN ITCH ON MY SHOULDRER BLADE THEN IT GOT WORSE BUMPY AND SCABY NOW 1 AND A HALF WEEKS LATER THE DOC SAYS WAIT IT OUT I FOUND A HOT BATH HELPS STOP THE ITCH BUT ONLY AS LONG AS I,M IN YTHE TUB!! HOPE THIS HELPS AND I HOPE THIS AWFUL THING LEAVES SOON AND NEVER COMES BACK!!!

-- ANG VAND MEULE (KOOKOFEARL@YAHOO.COM), January 21, 2003.

Hi, I have a few questions for anyone who may be able to help. I have been prescribed Famvir for a shingles rash that appeared yesterday. My question is what to do about breast feeding? My son is three and a half. I am tempted to skip taking the drug but am worried about doing that, especially after some reading here. Will the drug hurt my boy, or must I cut him off (this will add stress to an already very hectic life).

If the pain and itching began two weeks ago, yet the rash only just appeared, does it mean that Famvir will be ineffective?

Thanks, Joan

-- J kearvell (j.kearvell@sympatico.ca), February 02, 2003.

Joan, That is a question you need to ask your doctor and/or the pharmacist. Good luck!

-- nursingmama (none@this.time), February 03, 2003.

hi cathy, I feel for you,I recently came down with shingles,I thought it was just a rash,but it just got worse,until I couldnt stand it any more, so I went to the doctor,and he gave me zovirax. it seemed to help alittle,but I waited to long to get help ,these meds usually work better if you catch it fast. they only advice that I could give you is to take 4000. mg of vit,c every day plus mega multi b vit. a day,it helps with the pain and helps heal, there is no cure,just to try to make your body stronger, I also take pain killer at night, I hope it goes away soon, I wish you the best, hold on,it will get better,john

-- john gonzalez (latininqueens@aol.com), April 05, 2003.

I have been putting up with a case of shingles for the past two and a half weeks. I got to the doctor as soon as the rash appeared and was placed on valtrex 3 times a day for seven days. When the itching and pain began, I was prescribed the topical ointment zovirax that helped alot. However, I have no refills and still have some pain and itching so I am alternating using calamine lotion with phenatol and maximum strength lanacane. I tried ibuprofen, but it didn't help with the shooting pains across the nerve endings. I also have scleroderma and CREST Syndrome (an auto-immune, connective tissue disease with no cause and no cure. So, I am certain the length of my shingles is lasting longer than I had anticipated. I contacted my rheumatologist about using BC powdered aspirin, but said to use it sparingly because of the damage the scleroderma has already done to my stomach. So, get to your family doctor as soon as possible and try other home remedies as the symptoms subside. I hope by next week, I am healthy again. 4-16-03

-- Donna from NC (Aguila@aol.com), April 26, 2003.

I was diagnosed with Shingles when I was 23, I had it off and on since I was 18 and never went to the dr. Once I was diagnosed they began to treat me with Zovirax cream and ointment, if caught early it helps. Im am now battling shingles once again they started last night on my forehead and hopefully they wont spread close to my eyes. They are a pain but I know that if I get stressed in any way I get them. Who can prevent stress, I cant. I will be glad when they find a cure! Good luck you guys with quick recovery's! Let me know if you find any quick cures :)

-- angela harris (angelamichelle@mail.com), May 30, 2003.

I am 53 y.o. and began having severe back pain and pressure on my sternum that wouldn't go away. After 4 days of pain I noticed a mild rash. I went to the doctor because of the chest pain. He diagnosed Shingles. I am taking Valtrex and Percocet. I have had a week off from work because I can't work while taking Percocet and can't stand the back and chest pain without it. The rash is no bigger than a silver dollar and doesn't itch. The best thing of all is having vinegar put on my back with a cotton ball. It is cooling, relieves tension and calms the burning.

-- Helen Foster (Hfoster2@cfl.rr.com), June 18, 2004.

HAS ANYONE HEARD OF MOSQUITO BITES CAUSING AN OUTBREAK OF SHINGLES? mY GRANDFATHER IS 82 YRS OLD AND STATED THAT HIS M.D. TOLD HIM THAT THIS IS HOW HE GOT SHINGLES. I HAVE BEEN A NURSE FOR 23 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT THIS WAS A POSSIBILITY. PLEASE REPLY.

-- VICKI WILLIAMS RN (VWSUPERNURSE@AOL.COM), August 28, 2004.