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Stress , shingles with a twist

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Posted 1/29/2013 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
So stressing over diagnoses, treatment, tests, etc. I developed shingles which caused a rare form of neuropathy, resulting a lower abdomen bulge, with groin pain. thought I had developed a hernia on top of everything else.

The shingles symptoms seemed to start after a gym workout, where I was using a machine that works the obliques, the pain started from that area later in the day, so I assumed I strained a muscle

4 days later the skin rash appeared. Really intense pain around the torso mid section around the back and down the right thigh, kicked my *** for over 3 weeks, what a way to start treatment..

the moral of my story, reduce stress with whatever means available, you don't want to activate this dormant virus. If you've had chicken pox you have this waiting for a trigger.. shocked
Posted 1/29/2013 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
My mother went to the ER twice last week with chest pains. Ended up being shingles.

Going to get a vaccination this week if its the last thing I do.

EDIT: Shingles Vaccination: What You Need to Know
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vacc-need-know.htm

Post Edited (Steve n Dallas) : 1/29/2013 4:34:47 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/29/2013 9:51 AM (GMT 0)
Ouch, I can sympathise totally having had shingles myself a few years ago – so, so painful and debilitating.
Take good care of yourself as you recover fully as it can easily flare up again given the right triggers.
Stay well!
Susan
x
Posted 1/29/2013 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
I had shingles last August. I got on Valtrex immediately and it stemmed the rash, which cleared in a few weeks. But the residual pain is something else. I understand it can last for more than a year.
Posted 1/29/2013 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone who has had RT in the past checked to see if it is OK to get the shingles vaccine?

According to the above link those who have had RT should not get vaccine. I checked with Rad. Dr. and was told it was ok as long as I was not undergoing RT at the time of vaccination.

Anybody else have any input?  Too much conflicting info.
Posted 1/29/2013 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
I was advised not to have the vacination due to the stress that the radiation and hormone therapy places on the immune system. Now that I have had the shingles, I believe there is some period of time that must pass before I could consider the vaccine.
Posted 1/29/2013 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
JNF,

Were you advised not to have vaccine during RT and HT or after the treatment.  I have not had HT.

Thanks,

Bill

Posted 1/29/2013 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
During. Docs said to wait until the treatment was done, but didn't tell me how long after. I fouled things up by getting them while on HT, but after RT. My dermatologist said I was probably doomed either way....the vaccine, coupled with the treatment effects, had a high probability of giving me the shingles...and without the vaccine I had a high probability of geting them.

Not all doctors agree as I have heard of some men getting the vaccine during or shortly after treatment.
Posted 1/29/2013 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Been almost two years since finished RT.  Will give it a shot (pun intended).
Posted 1/29/2013 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
Had shingles on one half of my head 10 years ago bad stuff! Had radiation close to 3 years ago and had shingle shot 2 months ago they said it was ok. and the old myth you can only get shingles once is not true!

 

Posted 1/29/2013 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
I know a person who seems to get them every few years and has had four outbreaks.
Posted 1/30/2013 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
JNF - for what it's worth, from the link I posted above:

"Even if you have had shingles, you can still receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. There is no specific time that you must wait after having shingles before receiving the shingles vaccine. The decision on when to get vaccinated should be made with your health care provider. Generally, a person should make sure that the shingles rash has disappeared before getting vaccinated."
Posted 1/30/2013 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Steve. My docs are mixed on whether I should get the shot while I am on HT. My uro doesn't want any more variables introduced as I have had one very significant reaction to the HT in the form of a rare type of gutate psoraisis that erupts when the immune system is comproised...my dermatologist agrees having treated the outbreak. My GP says to get the shot, my rad onc and med onc are staying out of the discussion at present. So I have decided not to have the shot at least until I have cleared the HT and am back to normal.
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