Shingles..........again!

fossillady

Can't believe it but I have got shingles again :x I had the first bout 18 months ago on my face and arm and still have the post shingle pain on my forehead to remind me. This time it is on my face, wrist and scalp and is really itchy and is burning like mad. I have to take anti-virals for a week and an anti-histamine for the itching and miss MTX and etanercept till the blisters have scabbed over and dried up. The doctor was perplexed as the blisters are on both sides of my face and shingles only usually affects one side. Because of my history, medication and the fact that it looks identical to the last bout (and my lymphocytes are raised which can indicate something viral), she's treating it as shingles. Looks like big sunglasses and a floppy sunhat will come in handy this week Bring on the calamine!

I should be an athlete with all these hurdles RA keeps throwing up

Anyone else had similar problems because of the dampened down immune system??

Marie x

woodbon

Hi, I have OA so don't have the immune lowering medication to cope with. I do feel sorry for you though, it a painful things, shigles, isn't it? As I read your post my back started itching in sympathy!! Hope you feel better soon. Love Sue

skezier

Hi Marie,

I'm sorry you have this again, calamine is good eh? I have 2 autoimmune things but as yet I don't think I have any form of RA. The inability of an immune system to fight bugs is something I m very familiar with but in my case I am lucky to not be on drugs that lower my white cells, they are always above normal on every blood test. I don't know about you but it gets hard to have yet another thing..... Bones are enough!

I hope you can make a speedy recovery and not reinfect (thats what I keep doing with this cold) and stay well soon. In the meantime go steady and give your body a chance to fight back for a min. Take care, Cris

colinone

Hi Marie,
Poor you your really coping for the lot I have RA and PA and know what your saying about the drugs. I've only been back on mine for four weeks and had them stopped again today because of problems with chest and throat. Hope your feeling better soon and its good that you can still be light hearted.
Take Care and keep your chin up
Colin

kathbee

HI Marie

Sorry to hear you are down with the shingles again.
To get it twice is awful.

I got it about 2 years ago but it was when my
grand-daughter was living with us and she caught
chicken pox from school.

I had the shingles on my neck and then up to my
left ear and into my hair and down the other side.
I knew what it was before I had it confirmed by the
pharmacist and then the GP.

I do take immune supressive drugs for RA but blame
it onto the chicken pox virus being brought in to the
house.

Hope you recover soon as its very painful and with
me the pain lasted well after the spots had gone.
But I'm sure you know all about that.

Kath

mistywillow

kathbee wrote:

HI Marie

Sorry to hear you are down with the shingles again.
To get it twice is awful.

I got it about 2 years ago but it was when my
grand-daughter was living with us and she caught
chicken pox from school.

I had the shingles on my neck and then up to my
left ear and into my hair and down the other side.
I knew what it was before I had it confirmed by the
pharmacist and then the GP.

I do take immune supressive drugs for RA but blame
it onto the chicken pox virus being brought in to the
house.

Hope you recover soon as its very painful and with
me the pain lasted well after the spots had gone.
But I'm sure you know all about that.

Kath

Hi Marie
Poor old thing! How horrible to have that on top of your arthritis!
I really feel for you.
Hope you feel better soon
Gillx

dogxtc

fossillady wrote:

Can't believe it but I have got shingles again :x I had the first bout 18 months ago on my face and arm and still have the post shingle pain on my forehead to remind me. This time it is on my face, wrist and scalp and is really itchy and is burning like mad. I have to take anti-virals for a week and an anti-histamine for the itching and miss MTX and etanercept till the blisters have scabbed over and dried up. The doctor was perplexed as the blisters are on both sides of my face and shingles only usually affects one side. Because of my history, medication and the fact that it looks identical to the last bout (and my lymphocytes are raised which can indicate something viral), she's treating it as shingles. Looks like big sunglasses and a floppy sunhat will come in handy this week Bring on the calamine!

I should be an athlete with all these hurdles RA keeps throwing up

Anyone else had similar problems because of the dampened down immune system??

Marie x

`

Hi. I used a facial solarium when I was eighteen and the next day my face was just a mass of blisters and felt like i had acid thrown at me. I saw the doctor who said i had activated the shingles virus and for years i have had repeat attacks, getting less severe now. i saw a doctor in my present surgery and she prescribed me some tablets which she said were like gold dust as they were eleven pounds each, at the time. I can't remember the life of me what they were called, but it was the most effective treatment i ever had for the condition and it has decreased to the extent that i now only have maybe two or three attacks a year, but i don't go out in the sun at all and use very high factor sun screen when i go out. it is a wicked condition and the pain is unbelievable. i may only get a couple of little blisters now but the pain is felt in my eye socket and i want to rip my skin off at times. hope you feel better soon.
mags Just a quick follow up but the name 'valtrex' rings a bell!