Shingles

[A_Traveller]

Have a friend upcountry who has described a condition which sounds like Shingles. Anyone able to recommend medication that might be available out of town, initially. All suggestions welcomed, even if it's get thee back to Bangkok.

Regards

[mr_hippo]

Have a friend upcountry who has described a condition which sounds like Shingles. Anyone able to recommend medication that might be available out of town, initially. All suggestions welcomed, even if it's get thee back to Bangkok.

Regards

Best advice - go to a hospital

I am just recovering from shingles and it's been 8 weeks now - hopefully your friend's case is not that bad!

[popshirt]

I got shingles last August and I am STILL in pain. Most of the early lesions still show but aren't painful, but one large spot on the top of my foot just won't go away, three of my toes are numb and the pain sometimes is pretty bad. I've been to see a neurologist and he maintains I just need to wait it out, it may eventually go away, but sometimes it does not. I suppose that means I will have to live with this indefinitely.

Best medication is Neuronton, 100 mg. . Available at Thai pharmacies without prescription and not expensive. This alleviates pain.

Too late for me, but there is a vaccine available in the US, it is relatively new and I recommend that anyone who had chicken pox as a child (and we all did in my grade school) get vaccinated. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what has happened to me.

It could be worse. Some people get it on their face and in their eye (it affects only one quadrant of the body for some reason) and may even cause blindness.

Most of my friends in the US have rushed off to get vaccinated; the vaccine is relatively new and the injection cost about $200 US.

I understand chicken pox is rare in Asia. The vaccine is not available here. Don't know about Europe.

Sorry to hear you have this and hope it is a relatively mild case.

[popshirt]

Sheryl, can you weigh in on this? I trust your advice more than most of the doctors I meet!

[onomataho]

There's another drug for the treatment of pain related to shingles called Lyrica. It is the next generation of Neurontin (gen: Gabapentin)...and, imho, much better.

I have taken both for peripheral neuropathy due to c-spine nerve damage. I have found that Lyrica is a lot easier on the brain. It was first recommended to me by a neurologist in Seattle, WA, US.

For a list of Neurontin side effects see: side effects