Shingles: I have a severe case of... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

22,373 members•28,136 posts

Shingles

I have a severe case of shingles. I didn't know what was going on at first. Now it's escalated to a severe condition. I was told 40% of cancer patients can contact this disease. Also it can start attacking other organs. Has anyone had this disease. And how was it treated after the fact?

Written by

RalphieJr64

To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .

16 Replies

•

erjlg35 years ago

I'm so sorry Ralphie. I hear it's very painful Sending exceptionally quick......healing thoughts.

Most sincere,

🌻Jackie

RalphieJr64• in reply toerjlg35 years ago

Thank you

Shooter15 years ago

Luckily I got two stage shingles vaccine through VA before disease hit me. Good luck with treatments for this painful malady.

RalphieJr64• in reply toShooter15 years ago

You’re smart. Thanks

greatjohn5 years ago

I had the shingles 20 plus years ago in my late thirties. They suck. I just finished the 2 part shingles vaccine hoping to not get them again. What you should be on if you have them currently is called valacyclovir. It helps shorten break out time and intensity.

John

P.S. so sorry...I know how painful they are.

RalphieJr64• in reply togreatjohn5 years ago

John it’s extremely painful. I have blisters on half of my bottom torso. Seeing a doctor tomorrow. Probably nothing can be done at this stage. Runs it’s course. Thanks John

greatjohn• in reply toRalphieJr645 years ago

The doctor will help. Hang in there.

• in reply toRalphieJr645 years ago

I M sorry that you’ve got the freaking shingles Ralphie , just what nobody needs..I ask my GP 6 months ago about the vaccine he told me to ask my MO ??? Now I’m going to press both cases! Hope you push it out ASAP ! 🥵

tango655 years ago

Discuss having the Shingrix vaccine (97% effective) even when your chances of getting shingles again is very low. One can have shingles more than once. Everybody in this forum should get the Shingrix vaccine.

health.harvard.edu/blog/shi...

• in reply totango655 years ago

I want it!

Escudilla5 years ago

Shingrix is wonderful. I had widespread shingles most of time since first starting treatment 2 years ago. I've had no issues since the the two part immunization. I felt flu-like for 24 hours after each shot. Well worth the wasted 2 days.

pjoshea135 years ago

Ralphie,

My wife had shingles in 2015-16. She was being treated for cancer. IMO, shingles is an oportunistic disease that emerges when the immune reponse is low. Those of us who have had chicken pox live with the varicella zoster virus for decades without a problem, but ...

It was my son who suggested astragalus. It is an immunomodulator. My wife had been hospitalized for 4 days at one point, for pain control. A month later, within 4 days of astragalus the severe pain subsided.

In the interim, Gabapentin was very useful (excellent for nerve pain) & hydromorphone for breakout pain.

Her oncologist said that over 50% of his patients get shingles, & one lady had it for 9 months.

I did a series of posts on medicinal fungi a few years ago. Might be useful:

healthunlocked.com/advanced...

-Patrick

RalphieJr64• in reply topjoshea135 years ago

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t had it checked yet. But it looks and feels horrible. There’s so many piles of blisters on me that it feels like I’m lying on another mattress not to mention the excruciating pain. The blisters are opening up now. My mo said if I was prescribed any drugs for this I would have to stop my clinical trial. Can I ask how your wife was treated? And is she ok now?

pjoshea13• in reply toRalphieJr645 years ago

I should mention that her regular doctor had her briefly on an antiviral [Acyclovir]. The protocol is to use it only for a few days, since it is felt to be useless unless used at the very start. However, her oncologist put her on a higher dose on a continuous basis. It seemed to have no effect at all.

When she switched oncologists, he switched to Valacyclovir.

While the antiviral may not stop the attack, it may inhibit a recurrence. She still takes it, but has been clear of shingles for almost 4 years.

If you cannot get Gabapentin, give astragalus a try. To hell with the rules.

Best, -Patrick

RalphieJr64• in reply topjoshea135 years ago

Thank you Patrick

j-o-h-n5 years ago

From Mayo Clinic on-line

Diagnosis

Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body, along with the telltale rash and blisters. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory.

Treatment

There's no cure for shingles, but prompt treatment with prescription antiviral drugs can speed healing and reduce your risk of complications. These medications include:

Acyclovir (Zovirax)

Valacyclovir (Valtrex)

Shingles can cause severe pain, so your doctor also may prescribe:

Capsaicin topical patch (Qutenza)

Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin)

Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline

Numbing agents, such as lidocaine, delivered via a cream, gel, spray or skin patch

Medications that contain narcotics, such as codeine

An injection including corticosteroids and local anesthetics

Shingles generally lasts between two and six weeks. Most people get shingles only once, but it is possible to get it two or more times.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 02/14/2020 7:07 PM EST