Shingles????

[littlemyrn]

I developed Shingles that my GP thinks through me into that terrible flare last week. Has anyone out there ever had shingles? Did it cause your IC to be worse? Just wondering.

[lnseagraves]

I have never had them, but my grandfather developed the worse case of shingles his doctors had ever seen right after 9/11. He still has them. Needless to say the whole family educated ourselves about them

Shingles is a disease that runs up your entire nervous system. Thats why shingles are so painful. I know my doctors say that IC sometimes gets so bad because all the nerves down there get irritated by each other... kind of a snowball effect. Theyre all really close down there so thats easy to do so to speak. I would guess that shingles could easily cause a flare because shingles irritate your nerves, and flares often progress because all of your nerves there are irritated. Makes sense to me, anyway.

[ICNDonna]

There's now a vaccine for shingles. My husband and I both got ours last month; insurance doesn't cover and they are expensive, but shingles can be pretty horrible. My sister-in-law had it on her head and in one eye; it's better now, but she's had it since before Thanksgiving 2006.

Donna

[vm]

Ugh, I've heard that can be very awful to deal with. How are you? :kissing:

Seems like a lot of illnesses can trigger IC. I know just a bad cold used to flare me up.

[ihurttoo]

Bless your heart! It seems you just cant catch a break! It sounds positively excruciating! I have heard several people with them use the Lidocaine 5% patches on the painful areas to help with the pain, and have known several that Lyrica worked too. I hope they give you something to help. I cannot imagine dealing with that in addition to IC! I hope you feel better soon.

Hugs,
Amy

[stac7_8]

Hello there...I too have shingles. I was told that it first and formost if from Chixpox. That it is a herpers virs. There is no cure....BUT BUT BUT for me
Valtrex has helped wonderful!!!!!!

I take it on the onset when u can feel it starting. You kow that feeling when the wind blows and your skin hurts. I usually take 2 one in the am and then 1 in the pm and what do u know the next am no problems :woohoo:

So if u ever need to talk to someone about shingles....i'm ur girl. I have had the actual "SHINGLE" on the back of my thigh. That was when I was DX back in 05 and OMG did it ever hurt. It hurt all the way down to my toes and up my hip.

But like I said VALTREX is the best thing. It is a herpies drug and not just for the private parts lol Take care and I hope that u are able to get some meds for it.

Just a bit of advise.....when ur skin hurts whether it be in a new place or the same place take a valtrex. It won't cure it but it does surpress it. Sorry for the spelling. And just like IC.....stress will bring on a shingle really fast. So does getting a cold!!!

Take care

[tigger_gal]

my husband had them last year, he said they were so painful.. it looked like a huge blob of blisters. he too used the valtrex.. I told him to stay away from me lol.
I really hope you both feel better..

[stac7_8]

Just FYI u can not get shingles just by standing next to someone. The blister has to be there and has to be OPENED. That is what I have found anyways.....if someone knows different please let me know, cause I have 4 kids and so far so good.

I also hope that ur hubby does well when he has an outbreak!!!

[ICNDonna]

I was told that you get shingles from the chicken pox virus that stays in your body for life. The ER doctor who saw my sister in law told me I couldn't catch it from her.

Donna

[sami4]

I believe that a bout of Shingles, I had mine along the cranial nerve and in the left eye is what started my IC. I had always had a touchy bladder, but after the Shingles it developed into IC. I was very sick with it, high fever, lost sight in the eye for 30 days, it was a systemic virual infection.
Shingles is a disease that damages nerves, it is also systemic. Just because you got it on your hip, dont mean the nerves elsewhere are not effected.
Donna, I asked my Doc about the vaccine and he said if you once had Shingles he didnt think it would work and could precipitate another attack?
Have you ever heard that?
Sammi

[stac7_8]

What happens to someone if there are exposed to "shingles" is IF THEY HAVE NEVER HAD CHICKEN POX.....THEY WILL GET IT. And of course they will, like everyone else have the herpies virses.

If someone has been exposed and they HAVE HAD CHICKEN POX I believe it is just like being around someone with the pox. Not sure on that one.

But you won't get "shingles"!!! Just a few of us are blessed with that one!! lol :smile tee

[humpieumpumkin]

I am only 22, and have never had shingles. I just wanted to say I am very sorry that some many on these boards have to deal with this terrible and extremly painful condition. I have you guys on my heart, and will say some prayers for pain releif and remission.
Erika:bunny:

[jenleigh]

Hi

I got shingles after blood patch and my first or second shot of the steroid blocks for my back pain. I know in my heart that I got the shingles from this. The steroid and extreme stress and pain lowered my immunity. I took valtrex and that helped. I don't remember if bladder worse from shingles. I had chicken pox as a kid. It is reactivated in your spine from the lowered immunity stress, etc. I think the injection there itself may have activated my shingles too! Had a lot of pain, itching burning skin, sores. Weirdest patch of sores I have ever had in my life. I also had extreme breast/nipple pain ouch! . The dermatologist said this was the shingles. My skin below my neck on my back had been oversensitive and itchy sore for weeks before the shingle sores showed. This was the warning signal I was getting it! If any of you get the breast pain with the shingles, don't be afraid, it is part of it and will go away with treatment. Hope you rest and get better :bunny: