# Shingles



## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Just a reminder to anyone over 60, get your shingles shot, I didn't, now I have I on one whole side of my face, dammit, it sucks, very painful and doesn't look very good, of course my wife said it was an improvement, I think she was just trying to cheer me up.


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Hate that for you, that can cause nerve damage. I knew a lady who had shingles and they gave her an anti viral to make it clear up faster.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

My wife had a horrible reaction to the vaccination and had to go to the doctor. She had a very large red area and extreme swelling so
no thanks I'll rake my chances. Same for the flu shots I stopped years ago as I do not trust anything from the CEE DEE CEE!


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Friend had it hurt like heck for him. Wife and I both had the shot.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I just got mine earlier this week. The say one in three people (who had chicken pox) will get shingles. 
Reading the brochure from ZOSTAVAX, I find that is only 50% effective. Still better than getting shingles. 
Had a friend who unable to go to work and was in so much pain for weeks.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I did a lot of research of the pros and cons, then finally decided to get the shot. A coworker had it and believe me its not something anyone wants. 
rstanek, I hope you get better soon, sorry you're going through it.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Father inlaw had it, right side under arm down to waist, looked like a sever case of road rash, was laid up for a month.
My brother, (MD) said get it, the shot that is, I did, no problem yet.
It could show up in a real bad place, the shot is IMHO a safer bet.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

And maybe get chicken pox vaccine too.

My GF got shingles and I had had chicken pox as an infant (Mom remembered not me). GF had terrible pains in abdomen and later developed a rash, diagnosed as shingles, when the blisters are present she was contagious. She had pain for weeks and active bislters for two

3 weeks later I had a sore deep in my throat then some sores on my scalp, a day later a rash started to develop on my face neck chest and back; chicken pox. Doctor confirmed pox and gave me anti-virals, itch medicines, and something to help me sleep. It looked like my whole body was covered with bad poison ivy rash, more rash than skin, fever and blisters inside my mouth and throat. Took 3 weeks before blisters healed, and still not right a month later.

Get BOTH vaccines


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Get well soon rstanek.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Obama care ,medicade and Medicare had tried to hold off until 65 for the shot to save money. They were hoping you would just die before you got one. The shot is around $230.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Smitty901 said:


> Obama care ,medicade and Medicare had tried to hold off until 65 for the shot to save money. They were hoping you would just die before you got one. The shot is around $230.


It mostly effects the elderly, there for when policy makers dictate how this is to be handled by the health care system, most if any have never had the privilege of experiencing it first hand, for the most part I am managing it, it's just not a pleasant experience. I am home bound until it's no longer contagious, had to reschedule work accordingly.


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## PCH5150 (Jun 15, 2015)

I had a co worker get it a couple of years ago, and he's young (only in his late thirties/early forties)! It's not something you want that's for sure. Hope you have a speedy recovery.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

rstanek said:


> It mostly effects the elderly, there for when policy makers dictate how this is to be handled by the health care system, most if any have never had the privilege of experiencing it first hand, for the most part I am managing it, it's just not a pleasant experience. I am home bound until it's no longer contagious, had to reschedule work accordingly.


 Shot was recommended at age 60. But like so many other thing Obamacare decided to try and out it off.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Nasty business the shingles are. Hang in there Rstanek. I am getting close to 60 myself and should consider the shots I suppose. ( Almost 60! When and how the hell did that happen? )


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## 1895gunner (Sep 23, 2012)

I had shingles two years ago on the left side of my face - painful beyond belief. Get well quickly.......

1895gunner


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

1895gunner said:


> I had shingles two years ago on the left side of my face - painful beyond belief. Get well quickly.......
> 
> 1895gunner


I have it on my right side, do you have any lingering after effects


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## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

Once you have had shingles,you will always be prone to get relapses (so they say,and so far I have not had another outbreak).However,I had a case about 5 years ago,woke up feeling like I had broke several ribs on my left side and not knowing how or why,called off work and went to the ER,told them my symptoms,so they took xrays,seen nothing broke,told me it was probably pluracy (I know I butchered the spelling),but that is an inflammation of the rib cage lining muscles (also painful) so they gave me some anti inflammitory meds along with some pain killers,which did jack squat.

Went back to the ER 2 days later as I couldn't stand it,described my symptoms again and this Dr lifted up my shirt and said "wellll looky there".I had a nice sized "patch" of shingles on my left side ribs that I had not seen because I couldn't twist that far to look down my own side.Long story short,was one of the worst and most painful months of my life.I can only imagine having it on your face,I know it has to suck but hope you recover quickly with no relapses.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

rstanek said:


> I have it on my right side, do you have any lingering after effects


GF had it on left side, rash from there around to her back. Rash was like pox rash, she had pain for weeks later. Same problem with diagnosis, took 2-3 trips to get shingles diagnosis. She still had twinges of pain months later.

Be careful exposing people, I got adult pox from her shingles and it was more pox on me than I had skin: scalp, face, neck, chest, back, arms, legs covered. Some in my mouth/throat. I was contagious nearly a month and weeks more until the blisters all healed.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

My sister-in-law kept at me to get the shot like she did. She has shingles right now, I've been lucky so far. I don't know what to think.


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## Novis (Nov 15, 2015)

I am scared to death of getting shingles as I had chickenpox as a child. I really wish they had come out with a vaccine earlier. They had it available in the 1980s in Japan but did not have it until mid to late 90s in the US. I missed the shot by two years. Anyway, they say L-Lysine is good for it if you cannot get prescription antivirals. It seems like it is an epidemic among young folks now. It used to just seem like a disease of the elderly. Now, I hear about teens and people in their 20-40s getting it...weird...


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Just a reminder - everyone always get all of the available immunizations that a reputable doctor will give you. Yes there are risks. Yes there are side effects. Yep some people even have reactions and problems. But the odds don't lie. You are much more likely to have a serious illness and a much more serious problem from the disease than the shot. I think the problem is that in the 70's kids were told that the shots were safe and risk free and grew up believing that. But hell they were kids. You shouldn't tell them that there is a 1 in a Million shot they could get a chemical lobotomy and then expect them to man up and sit still. Now they are upset that the shot has risks. Yep - that's called life and it is fraught with risk. You never ever ever totally absolve yourself of risk, you can only hope to take more steps and better steps to minimize it.


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## Draq wraith (Oct 25, 2015)

I was in my 30s when I had my first bout with shingles.
What I did to help heal faster was. 
1 throw away the old pillows and get new ones. 
2 apply calamine motion treat it like chicken pox and poison ivy.
3 change and wash bed sheets daily.
4 apply cortaid intense healing formula and neosporin + pain.

It seemed to help it heal faster.
But still freaken annoying as can be.


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## Kara (May 26, 2016)

rstanek said:


> Just a reminder to anyone over 60, get your shingles shot, I didn't, now I have I on one whole side of my face, dammit, it sucks, very painful and doesn't look very good, of course my wife said it was an improvement, I think she was just trying to cheer me up.


I'm sorry to hear you got the shingles. When I got the shingles my naturopath informed me my kidneys were not filtering so I should get my kidneys filtering before I do any sort of internal body or lymph system cleanse or de-tox (which is what I was doing). He says if the kidneys are not filtering then the "third kidney" - the skin will erupt, and the nerves will become inflamed too. I'm now working on getting my kidneys to filter. Doc says a lot of people have this issue due to the SAD diet and they should not attempt a drastic body cleanse (which is what I did) until their kidneys are filtering. Even young people have this issue these days.


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