Uh, help? Please?

[ShiroiHikari]

So...you know how the herpes zoster virus (aka chickenpox) can lie dormant in your body for a long time, and then re-emerge later?

Yeah, I think that might have happened to me. It's called shingles. Like, I was kind of sick last week and had lots of bad headaches and stuff. Well, a couple of days ago I broke out into this rash on my spine/back. And oh God, it hurts. Sometimes it itches but it mostly just feels like I'm getting stabbed in the back repeatedly. And it's ugly.

Well, anyway, the virus stays in your spinal cord. When the virus comes back, you feel sick, and then when you break out, you start to feel better...except for the occasional sharp, piercing pain and the itching.

Basically, I'm asking if anybody knows whether it's imperative that I go to the doctor right away, or can it wait for a few more days? See, I don't have health insurance, but I do get free health care at a Chickasaw facility (since I have Chickasaw heritage). Problem is, it's 60+ miles away and I don't really have anybody that can take me until probably the end of the week.

[Slater]

Wow, that sux dudette...

Some cases of that aren't too serious, some require temporary hospitalization... I'd call someone to drive you there, just to get it checked at least and maybe some medicine and ointment.

[Alice]

@_@ I'd suggest doing research, and trying to get someone to drive you there. I've never heard of anyone who had this, except of course I've heard that "chickenpox can be dangerous for adults."

Wow. I guess we should all be praying for you, huh? Eek.

[Mangafanatic]

If nothing else, you need to know that shingles is highly contagious for anyone who's living in close proximity to you who's had chicken pox before. Make sure you keep the area that's broken out covered.

Next, from what I understand, there are antibiotics that you can take to cause the break out to begin to go away. If nothing else, AT LEAST call you local clinic and ask what they suggest.

[Raiden no Kishi]

According to Wikipedia, you need to get an antiviral medication posthaste [it says that you should take it starting 2-3 days after the rash appears].

Also, it says,

"Since shingles is a reactivation of a virus contracted previously—often decades earlier—it cannot be induced by exposure to another person with shingles or chickenpox. Those with active blisters, however, can spread chickenpox to others who have never had that condition and who have not been vaccinated against it."

I'd drive you, but the commute's probably a killer and I haven't my own car XD.

I'll pray for a solution to present itself.

.rai//

[termyt]

If you can’t go until the end of the week, go at the end of the week, but it is my understanding that shingle will go away on there own in a month or so. Sometimes, though, the pain can linger for months or even longer.

Since you are young, you probably aren’t facing a worse-case scenario unless your immune system is being weakened by another condition. Shingles can apparently also lead to hearing loss and vision loss, but I assume those are associated with shingles on the face and head and not on the back.

Since I tend to not go to the doctors at all, I'd probably try to wait it out and see if they go away on their own. I don't think a doctor can do much about them except perscribe a pain killer or antibiotic that may not speed up the healing anyways.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Wikipedia also said that pain treatment for the rash is similar to treating a burn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles

Hope that helps.

.rai//

[ShiroiHikari]

Thanks guys. I did get to go to the doctor today and they gave me a whole bunch of different meds. One of them is an anti-viral, so I'm taking that. They also gave me a corticosteroid (prednizone) and a narcotic pain medication (propoxycyclene HCL), neither of which I'm really keen on taking. Finally, they gave me something called gabapentin which is used to treat seizures, but can also be used to help with the pain, since the virus damages your nerves some.

Hopefully I'll be getting better soon, 'cause this is pretty painful stuff. :\ Thanks to everybody for the concern and info and for any prayers that may have been offered up on my behalf. :]

[mitsuki lover]

This sounds rather unusual.I haven't heard of too many people in their 20s who have gotten shingles before.Most everyone I have ever heard of getting it were in their 60s or older.

[Slater]

I assume it's not too uncommon though... A couple of my sister's friends caught it in their early-teen years.

[ChristianKitsune]

O_O wow...there was a break out a couple weeks ago in my youth group. A girl got shingles, and then I think her friends, ( a good majority of the youth group) also go them...

I hear shingles can be caused by stress is this true? :/

[termyt]

To get shingles, as already mentioned, you need to first have chicken pox. The chicken pox virus remains dorment in your body and may resurface years later in the form of shingles.

Shingles can affect anyone who had chicken pox. If you have not had chicken pox before, you can contract chicken pox from someone with shingles. I don't think the shingles will cause shingles in others.

Can stress cause shingles? Shingles are more likely to surface when your immune system is weakened for some reason. Stress can cause a lot of problems for our bodies, including weakening hte immune system so, in a round about way, I'd say yes. It can contribute to shingles.

[JasonPratt]

Ow; sympathy from someone who also had a bad run of shingles in his 20s.

Aside from anti-viral medications (those were new back then), the doctor also prescribed lots of B-vitamins and gave me a B-vitamin shot. Fortunately we caught it after it had been only been going a couple of weeks, but it took a couple of _months_ (after treatment started) before it went back into dormancy entirely. They told me it could have been a lot worse, but it was still like being constantly hit with hornets in my side. Very distracting when trying to run a camera in a TV studio. {s}

I hope yours will clear up sooner, since the medicine should have advanced somewhat in the 10 years since I had mine. Meanwhile--yeah, burn-treatment stuff sounds good. I was told to use baking-soda packs: fold up a bunch of strong paper towels (Bounty! {g}), wet them (that's why they have to be strong), add plenty of baking soda, tape firmly to the infected area. (But it has to be lots bigger than the area, otherwise you'll end up taping _on_ the area. This Am Bad. {wry g})

God go with you.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Hmm . . . if it's B vitamins you're after, Rockstar energy drinks are LOADED with the things. The drinks themselves shouldn't be consumed a lot [duh], but the mention of B vitamins brought it to my mind.

.rai//

[Roy Mustang]

I know this has been talk about, but here is a better understanding about shingles.

After you have chickenpox (usually as a child), the virus that causes it stays in your body in certain nerve cells. Most of the time your immune system keeps the chickenpox virus in these cells. As you get older, or if your immune system gets weak, the chickenpox virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles.

Most people who get shingles are more than 50 years old or have a weak immune system. For example, you might get shingles if you have cancer, take medicines that weaken your immune system or have the virus that causes AIDS.

Since my immune was shot as a teen, I got shingles like three or four times a year.

I hear shingles can be caused by stress is this true?

Yes, stress can cause shingles, but the factors for this is, if your immune system is weak. Alot of times, this was the case for me as how I would end up getting shingles.

How is shingles treated?

Shingles is often treated with acyclovir (brand name: Zovirax), famciclovir (brand name: Famvir) or valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex). Your doctor will decide which of these medicines might work for you. These medicines work better if you start taking them in the first 3 days after you get the rash.

Your doctor might also have you take a steroid medicine to reduce your pain and swelling.

Shingles of the eye is treated with antiviral medicines and steroids.

Can I give shingles to others?

No one can catch shingles from you, but they can catch chickenpox if they haven't already had chickenpox or had the chickenpox vaccine. The chickenpox virus lives in the blisters from shingles, and the virus can be spread until the blisters are completely healed. If you have shingles, you should stay away from babies younger than 12 months and pregnant women.

Col. Roy Mustang

[ShiroiHikari]

Three or four times a year!? That's horrible. I feel for you.