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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if you've had shingles.

29 replies

FuckingFabulous · 10/07/2021 10:57

And to ask you to sympathise with me!! My youngest DS has just had his school bubble closed AGAIN, so he misses his very first school trip, meeting his new teacher, sports day and the class party. His bubble only reopened a week ago! He's had four closures since March. So he's miserable, because he was looking forward to all of those things on a countdown chart and needs a lot of cuddles and playing with.

My oldest DD is still struggling with her neuro symptoms which have all ramped up massively this week and means I need to be very hands on.

And I've got shingles! Oh, my fucking GOD, the pain! It's horrific!! I've been given morphine in the past for lesser agony than this! So I've got to give all the cuddles, play all the games, provide all the care, and I can't even bear someone breathing on my skin. It's all down my right arm, over the shoulder and up my neck into my hair. Feels like my arm is both broken and being flayed 😭😭

Told a school mum whose DD was meant to be hanging out with DD here today that my youngest is isolating again and I've got shingles so unfortunately I'll have to cancel and she went, "shingles? Really? That's not really a bad thing to have. Just a bit spotty!" Yeah, if all the spots were full of scalding water and broken glass and fire ants!

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 10/07/2021 11:03

Shingles can be mild. When I had shingles I just had an itchy patch on my back. I only know it was shingles because I was at the doctor anyway so I just asked about it while I was there. If I hadn't known people who had been really ill with it, I might have reacted like your friend.
Have you got anything to put on the spots? The GP gave me some anti-itch cream (sorry can't remember what it was called) and also (I think-it was a long time ago) said piriton might help.

AmyDudley · 10/07/2021 11:37

I've had shingles 7 times. I've been left with residual nerve damage (post herpetic neuralgia), the pain was dreadful at times.
Have you seen the GP - it may be too late now for anti virals (think you have to get them within 72 hours of spots) but ask GP anyway.
You need a pain killer than deals with nerve pain - I get amytriptiline (sp?) and combine it with zapain or tramadol.
Where abouts do you have the shingles? If they are on your face you need to be careful, I mostly get them around my eye and on top of my head, and they can damage your vision if you aren't careful.

The pain is really hard to describe to someone who hasn't had them - I felt as if I was being repeatedly stung by wasps and they fire of so you get bursts of intense pain.

Since my first bout, I find I get them if I am either run down or very stressed - it's an opportunistic virus - attacks when you are vulnerable.

Things I use to calm the pain - have a fan on at night to keep cool, a cold flannels held on the spots can cool things a bit. The attacks can vary in intensity - usually I manage to keep going although in pain, but have had a couple of bouts where my temperature has gone up and I've felt so ill I had to go to bed.

You can pass chicken pox on to anyone who hasn't had it if they come into contact with your spots - so be careful if you are around children who haven't had CP.

Anyone who dismisses it as just a few spots, is too dim to bother with. I've known people need weeks off work with shingles, and people (like me) who have been left with residual pain for years - which can lead to depression etc.
(not wanting to scare you, - likely you will make a good recovery but just trying to show that it isn't trivial as some people seem to think)

In my case it seemed that once I'd had my first attack I was more susceptible to further attacks. But I do know people who only had an outbreak once, so you may never get it again. Try to keep as cool and comfortable as you can, get pain relief from the doc and rest up as much as you can. Flowers

Hadjab · 10/07/2021 11:46

I’ve had shingles twice. I suggest you run your spots with a cloth, take it round to school mum’s, and apply liberally! I jest, but seriously, having given birth to three ten pound babies, I’d rather do that every day for a week than have shingles again.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 10/07/2021 11:51

I have shingles too - not as bad as yours though. I developed it shortly after my second vaccination (AZ) and I'm interested to know whether you have recently been vaccinated?

I'm sure your GP warned you that you can spread chicken pox to people who haven't had it (or been vaccinated), so something to bear in mind re the painful bear hugs!

I'm going to see can I get the vaccine to avoid recurrence, but I'll probably have to wait until I'm 50.

Cheeserton · 10/07/2021 11:54

Horrible pain indeed. Tramadol and paracetamol is pretty effective, and I also was prescribed clonozepam for the nerve pain which was effectively (also helped distract from it all too, frankly). Every sympathy - it's a miserable condition.

Cheeserton · 10/07/2021 11:55

Effective*

LakieLady · 10/07/2021 11:55

It is incredibly painful. The first time I had it, I went to the GP because I had excruciating pain on my hip and down back of my thigh. I was gobsmacked when he said it was shingles, I thought I had the worst case of sciatica ever.

I was prescribed acyclovir, codeine and gabapentin.

I had several subsequent attacks, but it reduced in severity every time.

I get the occasional attack of post-herpetic neuralgia now, but it passes quickly and is nothing compared to that first shingles attack,

Original poster
FuckingFabulous · 10/07/2021 11:56

No, I received my second AZ vaccine in may.

Mine are across my right shoulder blade and down my arm, but also seem to be coming up on my neck and in my hairline.

I've got antivirals and amitryptiline now but the antivirals "probably won't make much difference" said the Dr.

OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 10/07/2021 12:00

I definitely think the antivirals help if the rash is still coming in. I could feel some blisters beginning around the lower eye socket but after I started the Acyclovir they didn't develop further and the skin feels even though still tender.

TiddyTidTwo · 10/07/2021 12:06

I've had it twice. I get it on the left side of the roof of my mouth.

Last time was March just as lockdown started. You have my sympathies OP.

TENDTOprocrastinate · 10/07/2021 12:11

I had shingles during a period of stress about 10 years ago. I had a 3 year old who was potty training at the time. She didn’t catch chicken pox from me thankfully. It was tough entertaining her whilst I felt so rough, I vividly remember letting her watch the same Disney movie over and over and over.

God it (the shingles- not the movie!) was painful! I had the blisters on my torso (on one side). I couldn’t wear a bra for 3 weeks which was awkward! It felt like needles piercing my skin from the inside- I’ll never forget that pain. It took about 2 years for the scars left behind to fully disappear.

I really feel for you. Flowers

TheYearOfSmallThings · 10/07/2021 12:17

It took about 2 years for the scars left behind to fully disappear.

Don't say that! Mine are across my face!

osbertthesyrianhamster · 10/07/2021 12:20

I had it but it was mild. I didn't know what it was. I got a rash on my neck that started to itch, then it started to burn and go bubbly. I was trying all sorts of creams on it, went to the chemist and she told me it was shingles and rang my GP surgery herself. Took acyclovir and it stopped and went away. Was not ill at all, just that the rash was painful and burny for a while. Nothing that codeine didn't sort.

AmyDudley · 10/07/2021 12:46

I don't know if there's anything you can do to stop scarring - I've got two quite deep scars from mine on my forehead which I've had since the first bout 12 years ago. Maybe bio oil or something once the blisters have gone if there is any scarring ?

Gilead · 10/07/2021 13:14

I feel for you. I always have acyclovir in the house as I seem to get it every time I’m run down. You tend to get it on opposite sides each time and I have learnt the signs.to catch it early.
Calomine is good with the itch as is any cream with an added analgesic, germolene and the like.
Hope you feel better soon. 💐

FayeFayeFayeFayeFaye · 10/07/2021 13:18

Yes I had shingles during the first lockdown! It was quite painful.

Thankfully work let me stay off as it wiped me out and I kept getting shooting pains. But apparently if you can cover it you can still work.

rainbowmash · 10/07/2021 13:24

I've had it, it's awful, and quite scary! It sprung up while I was very stressed. I hope yours goes away quickly!

RubyGoat · 10/07/2021 13:25

I've had shingles too. Didn't realise at first as I have a neurological condition that causes pain & itching similar to the early stage, it wasn't until I started to blister that I realised something was wrong. Had to work through it as it was "only" on my torso & I'd already had lots of time off sick. Horrendous pain, like being stuck with hot needles.

People who say shingles isn't painful... they're like childless people giving parenting advice.

HoldingTheDoor · 10/07/2021 13:27

Take anti histamines if you can take them. They help. At least they helped my Mother when she had Shingles. I hope that you feel better soon. That sounds awful.

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 10/07/2021 13:27

I've had it. I remember rocking back and forth on my bed because it was so painful. All the sympathy for you!

5zeds · 10/07/2021 13:32

I’ve had it three times, including while giving birth to a very large baby. Baby hurt more but only for a bit…the shingles hurt for aaaaaaages and left a weird prickly feeling for even longer. Take some antivirals and lots of pain killers.

mistermagpie · 10/07/2021 13:38

I've had shingles, I likened the pain to being stabbed with a red hot poker. You have my every sympathy.

Musication · 10/07/2021 13:53

I've had it on the RH side of the roof of my mouth and the gums on that side. It was an unbelievable pain and I never felt so ill in all my life. I have residual nerve damage too. All in all a pretty horrific experience. Sympathies.
I took the antivirals and also had acupuncture to help with the pain.

Hellocatshome · 10/07/2021 14:31

I had shingles and got a lot of sympathy but to be honest it didn't really hurt I just felt a bit tired.

KnightKnurse · 10/07/2021 15:23

Yes, it happened during a period of intense work, stress, travel. Mine was painful, but not as bad as yours, I was "lucky". But in general, people don't realize how bad it can be.