Post Shingles Virus

[Gone]

Hello. Awhile back I posted about having shingles virus and got some great advice. My shingles has been gone now for about maybe 5 weeks. Well I mean the rash and heavy pain is gone.

There remains a ligh scar or rash where it was (On my front and right side rib cage) but not a bad scar/rash. I can live with that.

The thing is that the scar/rash feels like it is raw skin if you know what I mean and I can't even rest my arm on it when I try to relax or sleep without if feeling like Im rubbing raw skin. It also itches quite a bit.

When I was taking the medication I was also using the cream as well on the rash spots so I am wondering if anyone knows what I am saying and has any reccomondation for some cream or pills or what to do to make this better? Or is this something I have to live with forever? I know that now I have had shingles that is can spring up again at any time but anyone know about the post-shingles treatment? I cannot find anything on Google really.

Thank you in advance folks and I hope everyone elses health is good.

[Langsuan Man]

It will eventually go a way, but you will have to be patient (no pun intended)

What has happened is that the Herpes Zoster virus (Shingles) is an unusual virus in that it is trying to get out of the body and travels along the nerves on its way to the outer skin and damages the nerves in the process. It takes a long time for the body to regenerate the damaged nerve tissue

I would recommend that you try and obtain the relatively new shingles vaccine that is available here in Thailand. Go back to the posts about shingles here at TV and it is mentioned where in Thailand the vaccine is available

See this for more information on the vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/v...c-need-know.htm

[Sheryl]

The vaccine is ineffective once you have had shingles, needs to be given before that... and is highly recommended for people aged say 60 and over, younger if immune system is weak, provided you had chicken pox as a child. Much younger people will have been vaccinated against chicken pox and thus never had it and not need the shingles vaccine.

For you, what you have is called post-herpetic neuralgia. It usually goes away over time but may take months to do so. A number of oral medications are used for this, including amitriptyline, gabapentin and pregabalin (Lyrica). It would be best to get the advice of a neurologist specializing in pain as these serious medications which can have significant side effects and are contraindicated in some persons.

Topical anesthetics containing lidocaine are also sometimes applied but must only be done on intact skin, not skin that is still raw or has breaks in it.

Topical applications of capsaicin also sometimes help, these too should be limited to skin that is intact and unbroken. It may burn when initially applied but then may help.(unless you make the mistake of applying it to broken skin in which case it will hurt like a b*tch for a long time!) If you are wanting something to try without consulting a doctor first this is probably the safest option. Brand names include Capsiucm Gel T and Capsika.

This is a good reference: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Postherpetic-Neuralgia.htm

[Langsuan Man]

The vaccine is ineffective once you have had shingles, needs to be given before that... and is highly recommended for people aged say 60 and over, younger if immune system is weak, provided you had chicken pox as a child. Much younger people will have been vaccinated against chicken pox and thus never had it and not need the shingles vaccine.

For you, what you have is called post-herpetic neuralgia. It usually goes away over time but may take months to do so. A number of oral medications are used for this, including amitriptyline, gabapentin and pregabalin (Lyrica). It would be best to get the advice of a neurologist specializing in pain as these serious medications which can have significant side effects and are contraindicated in some persons.

Topical anesthetics containing lidocaine are also sometimes applied but must only be done on intact skin, not skin that is still raw or has breaks in it.

Topical applications of capsaicin also sometimes help, these too should be limited to skin that is intact and unbroken. It may burn when initially applied but then may help.(unless you make the mistake of applying it to broken skin in which case it will hurt like a b*tch for a long time!) If you are wanting something to try without consulting a doctor first this is probably the safest option. Brand names include Capsiucm Gel T and Capsika.

This is a good reference: http://www.patient.c...c-Neuralgia.htm

" Even if you have had shingles, you can still receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. There is no specific time that you must wait after having shingles before receiving the shingles vaccine. The decision on when to get vaccinated should be made with your health care provider. Generally, a person should make sure that the shingles rash has disappeared before getting vaccinated."

Center for Disease Control

[Gone]

Thank you people and my skin is not broken. Like I say the rash is almost gone but it only feels like it is raw. I will look into the medication you reccomended Sheryl thank you.

As far as seeing me health care provider won't work because this is Thailand and I don't have one. When I'm sick etc. I just see a doctor or go to the hospital. PROPER health care here costs a lot of money and I don't have that kind of loot. I don't have health insurance neither.

Yes I had chicken pox when I was young and was vaccinated for it but still got shingles. I have studied several websites and think that the vaccine is a waste of time and money for me to be honest.

Thanks for saying that it takes a long time to heal and now at least I know it is just normal and I'm no different plus the fact that I have Diabetes probably will take longer to heal.

Would you reccommend that I keep taking the vitamin "B's" that I took while I has the worst of it as I read that it helps build up your imune system?

[Sheryl]

B Vits won't hurt, neither would Vit C and zinc, but none of these are going to relieve the pain. If it is severe medication is indicated.

[NanLaew]

OK... last year was dengue fever, this year I get shingles! Just diagnosed correctly (at the 2nd attempt) so on the usual meds and just canceled my job in Vietnam.

Anyone know the Thai name for shingles... in Thai? Also for Thai word for chickenpox as my lad just turned four last week and hasn't had it. I would like to know if any of the standard pediatric inoculations he has had growing up here relate to chickenpox. Otherwise for the next 7-10 days, he can park out on the farm with mum until dad 'scabs over'.

Thanks,

NL

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Something new in the U.S. Don't know if it's actually on the market now, but looks real interesting.

Mac

http://www.capitolcolumn.com/news/fda-okays-horizant-to-treat-shingles-related-nerve-pain/

FDA okays Horizant to treat shingles-related nerve pain

FDA approves drug, which treats restless leg syndrome, for new use.

The Capitol Column | Dave Burman | Friday, June 08, 2012

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Horizant to treat shingles-related nerve pain, Reuters reports. The drug is already approved to treat restless leg syndrome (RLS).

The drug’s makers, XenoPort Inc and GlaxoSmithKline Plc, are in no mood to celebrate Horizant”s approval as the partners are involved in a contractual dispute.

“GSK has more reason to market (Horizant) and keep it now and giving it back right away would seem awkward,” RBC Capital analyst Michael Yee said, according to Reuters.

XenoPort is slated to receive a milestone payment of $10 million from GlaxoSmithKline following the first sales of Horizant to treat shingles-related nerve pain.

The Wall Street Journal notes that the contractual dispute likely prevented the FDA’s approval from sending shares of XenoPort higher. XenoPort accused GlaxoSmithKline of breaching their contract in January. Shares of XenoPort finished the day down more than 9.5 percent.

According to NASDAQ, Horizant was approved for the treatment of shingles-related nerve pain after three clinical studies. The clinical studies involved nearly 600 adults from the U.S. and Canada. Drowsiness and dizziness were the most commonly reported side effects during the study.

Anybody who has had chicken pox has the shingles virus in his or her body. Each year, approximately 1 million cases of shingles are diagnosed in the U.S. and patients in 10 percent of these cases develop nerve pain.

In a press statement, GlaxoSmithKline recommended a dosage of 600 mg twice daily. The pharmaceutical company also said that dizziness was reported in 17 percent of patients taking 1,200 mg of Horizant per day as opposed to 15 percent of patients receiving placebo.

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[plahgat]

OK... last year was dengue fever, this year I get shingles! Just diagnosed correctly (at the 2nd attempt) so on the usual meds and just canceled my job in Vietnam.

Anyone know the Thai name for shingles... in Thai?

Thanks,

NL

It's called Roem or Reum by local Thais.

I also got it back in 2003 whilst on holiday in Samui.

I hade it on my head and upper left face including my eye and took Acyclovir for 10 days or so.

Luckily the eye nerve wasn't damaged.

The tingling feeling when touching my skin took a long time to completely disappear, a year or more in my case!

Plahgat

[NanLaew]

My shingles has gone save for the odd tender patch on the scalp but otherwise no pain whatsoever. The doc put me on 10 x acyclovir/day plus an antibiotic and some cream but the breakout was all under the hair line so didn't need it. Luckier than my dad who had a facial outbreak that took forever to go away and the pain was still there over a year after the initial healing up.