Shingles and endo

[MalachiteAli]

Hi all. I have got shingles and endo pain at the same time! 😖 And I'm likely going to have to continue in work as I have appointments to keep and am responsible for patient care. I will call my line manager tomorrow to see if she wants me in or not. I'm on acyclovir for shingles and my usual cocktail of pain relief. Has anyone else had shingles with endo?

[Peenie123]

If you’re feeling wiped out I would seriously take time out- I had shingles really badly in 2009 due to whiplash neck injury/ a huge band of skin on my left trunk was affected and I have nerve pain still. Get some rest- stay away with no exposure of the rash especially if vulberable people around you xxx

[MalachiteAli in reply to Peenie123]

That sounds really rough. The nurse warned me about the possibility of nerve pain after the rash has cleared. I feel like my body is telling me my job is too stressful for me and have been speaking with my union about that. I'm shocked that yours was caused by the psychological trauma of an accident and mine seems to be caused by endo and work related stress.

[Ecorc]

Hey, are they sure it’s def shingles? I had very prickly nerve pain on my right side for a while and then later got diagnosed with diaphragmatic/ thoracic endo. Sorry if I’m completely off the mark and really hope you recover quickly. I work in healthcare too and it’s been so difficult juggling my work with everything. I get what you’re saying that you want to prioritise work as you feel like you’re completely messing around a service that can’t cover you when you’re off but they will find a way! And would never expect you to put your work before your own health!

[MalachiteAli in reply to Ecorc]

Yeh, it's definitely shingles. I have the rash on my leg and a band of painful skin around that leg. Thanks for your advice about work. I'm staying off today now.

[Avourneen]

Your poor thing that sounds awful. But if you have shingles you can pass the virus on to others as chickenpox from what I have just read on the internet. You can' t pass on shingles its self but you can pass on the virus which could give other people chickenpox.

If you are responsible for patient care you might pass that on to your patients. Even without this problem you shouldn't force yourself to go into work in you are in terrible pain. Mind you many of us do. No one is genuinely indespensible at work some of us just have an over developed feeling of responsibilty.

Just stay at home until the shingles has got better.

[MalachiteAli in reply to Avourneen]

Unfortunately it will harm my therapeutic relationships with patients if I stay off as I'm a mental health professional with people with serious mental illness. I could go into work with the shingles as I can cover it up, spoke with Occ Health, but they advised me to stay off and rest if I don't feel well. So I will have to do that today as endo pain kept me up most of the night.

[YummyBear in reply to MalachiteAli]

You will be putting vulnerable patients at risk, if they have not had chickenpox (a serious illness for adults). Also, young children if they haven't had chickenpox. Besides, how you can continue with work whilst coping with Shingles is not heroic. You should be resting.

[MalachiteAli in reply to YummyBear]

I'm not going in tomorrow now either as I'm really tired. Unfortunately both GP and Occ Health say that I can go in with shingles on my leg as long as it's covered up. The chicken pox virus can only be passed on through contact with the pus from the rash. My team is short staffed and alongside our existing patients we also need to assess people who present themselves to the NHS as having a new episode of serious mental illness. Our existing patients need to see their mental health professionals regularly or their mental health might deteriorate. My patients are adults with serious mental health conditions, I wouldn't expose them to unnecessary risks.

[Enilorac1984]

I have tingling, pain and numbness at the moment. No idea of shingles. Moves around my body. So horrid. Getting tested for MS. I really hope your pain passes but if it shingles I would stay away from patients for a while. x

[MalachiteAli in reply to Enilorac1984]

I'm sorry to hear you have symptoms that you don't yet know the cause of, apparently women with endo are at higher risk of loads of autoimmune conditions. I hope you get to the bottom of your symptoms and get some help soon. I think stress is a big factor in many health conditions.

[Ecorc in reply to MalachiteAli]

So true!

[Endokita]

I take shingles every couple of years, often wonder if its related to endo or treatment (currently decapeptyl) as my immune system seems low. The antiviral prescription acyclovir normally knock me for six, tiredness is awful zzz! I find that I can't function and need tons of rest for 3-5 days. Easier said than done. Hope it eases off soon x

[MalachiteAli in reply to Endokita]

Yep I'm really tired too. The endo pain increased overnight too and I ended up needing take all my meds naproxen, amitriptyline and co-codamol to get some sleep. Feel a bit better after a sleep but my belly doesn't feel right at all with all these meds knocking around in me! I missed the acyclovir this morning too as I fell asleep at 5ish then woke at 10am. I'll just keep taking them now though, nevermind that I missed a dose.

[YummyBear in reply to Endokita]

I've just taken 4+half weeks to get through Shingles, worst ever painful condition! Alas, this was the 2nd time in 3 years and 4 years since having the vaccine! Hoping to have the vaccine again in 2023. I feel that I was susceptible to this virus, due to low immunity.

[MalachiteAli in reply to YummyBear]

Sorry to hear you've had it multiple times. I think endo is an autoimmune condition. I hardly ever got I'll before developing painful endo. Hope you are clear of it now. I'm hopeful I've caught it early enough to prevent the worst of it with the antiviral medication.

[BloomingMarvellous]

I get repeated shingles with the endo which is a blast (not) so totally with you. Found for me it’s tied up with the immune system dysfunctioning as part of the endo game. Got away from it for a while when I was using higher dose of Quercetin and Bromelian for digestive endo stuff but when I reduced the dose it came back. Researched Protelytic enzymes and discovered they are useful for shingles ; upped my dose and they cleared up pretty fast again. Also found distilled witch hazel dabbed on the blisters remarkably soothing and reduced the tingling pains.

[MalachiteAli in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

Loads of new info for me in what you've written, which I will go away and research. Thanks. I think it's all immune system stuff caused by stress-related inflammatory response.