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GRRRR Shingles......

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 5/24/2012 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hey guys....Venting some of you may know me now rhuematoid, fibro, hypothyroid, anyway had the shingles 7 years ago minor case. Well last week I got three weird bumps on the left side of my neck thought they were just bad zits then yesterday morning woke up with 8 more running in a line frome neck to shoulder this morning woke up with tremendous pain around shoulder blade aching and burning and I am on the Butran patch, as well as loratab for BT, so the pain is bad if Im feeling that much with my patch, any way I also had three more spots, went to doctor, its shingles, and took my first valtrex tonight, but I am so miserable right now, pain, and now insane itching which I know you should try not to itch, just put calomine on it, slightly helped I may need to soak a wash clothe in it to get any relief. Thanks for listening to my vent I know you all understand and my husband is cranky tonight he has never had this nor any pain or surgery so all he had to say was am I going to catch it.....
Posted 5/24/2012 8:11 AM (GMT 0)
Shingles causes nerve pain which the narcotics won't have much effect on. When I had shingles I was already on Neurontin (generic is gabapentin) which is for nerve pain but my PM upped my dose for the shingle pain. Possibly you can talk to your doctor about something for nerve pain. Also, the calamine can be purchased with benedryl added which is called caladryl. This may help with the itching.

Sorry you got shingles because even with everything I tried they still hurt really bad. I was on oxycontin & oxycodone when I had mine and this didn't help at all. Not sure of your age but one thing to watch for when you get older is chronic shingle pain. My PM had me start using lidoderm patches on the shingles to try to avoid this. My mother in law who was in her 80's when she developed shingles has had pain for years now. Not something anyone would want to live with.

Hope you get some relief soon!
Posted 5/25/2012 5:01 AM (GMT 0)
Ryobi,

I'm so sorry you are dealing w/ this. I've heard how horribly painful this is.... and I hurt for you :( And I'm sorry your husband is being cranky on top of everything else.

My girls just got over chicken pox - and I used the caladryl (calamine w/ benadryl). There is also just a straight benedryl topical stuff that I used... but you have to watch how much you are using orally, too. Maybe getting something for the nerve pain.... Are your narcotic helping w/ the pain at all? I know narcotics won't necessarily help the nerve pain.... but maybe they will just take the edge off of things?

I also used cool compresses on the girls... maybe that would help. Stick a washrag in the freezer and put it on the lesions. Hopefully, the valtrex will kick in soon.

Again, I'm sorry you are dealing w/ this. Feel free to keep venting... and please let us know how you are doing. I hope this passes quickly for you :(

--Tina
Posted 5/28/2012 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys valtrex is finally helping luckily I caught it early, my normal pain meds do help but the rash is so gross its in my shoulder and left side of neck and it just keeps looking more gross and even with the caladryl I cannot help to itch it which I think is making new ones pop up. But I am feeling a little bit better so thats good.
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