Shingles?

[SillyMe]

Does anyone know anything about them? I just got back from taking dd14 to the ER. She has a pretty bad case of them. They said it's caused by stress, but she's not under any stress. How long does it last?

 

[barkley]

my mom has had them and says they are very painful. related to the same virus as chicken pox (her md and our pediatrician had us keep both our kids away from her when they had pox to prevent her from having an outbreak of shingles). not sure how long they last-but once you've had them they can reoccur anytime (unlike chicken pox it's not a once in a lifetime virus).

try aveno liquid (not as messY as the powdered) oatmeal bath-mom swears by it to relieve pain and moisturize the affected area skin.

p.s.-your body can be reacting to stress your brain is not aware exists (end of school year can be pretty emotional/taxing at that age).


best wishes

 

[Cindyluwho]

I'm sorry your DD is going through this. I haven't had them myself but I've seen my father and many others suffer through them. I understand they're incredibly painful and can last a short time or a long while depending on the stress level, immune system, etc. I assume they gave her a perscription of Zovirax or Acyclovir or something similar? I've heard that aloe vera gel with lidacaine can really help with the pain. Good Luck!!

 

[eowensby]

Oh No!! Poor Girl! I had Shingles this time last year, they lasted about 2-3 weeks. I took advil and couldn't hardly let anything touch that area. I was stressed, but no more than usual I thought.

 

[suzannen]

I had it last year. If the doctor gave her one of the anti-viral drug (like Zovirax), she'll probably continue to develop new blisters for an additional day or two, although the pain and existing scars won't go away for about 2 weeks. If they did not give her medication, she could continue to develop new blisters for several weeks to several months. That is why it is SO important to see a doctor and get on one of these drugs within 72 hours of the first outbreak. That's when it gets to be really painful and can do lasting nerve damage.

My dermatologist said they don't really know what suddenly triggers the virus. Stress or allergies have been thought to be triggers. He also told me that people were more apt to have shingles if they had only had mild cases of chicken pox when they were younger. If you had a very severe case of chicken pox, particularly if you had them as a teenager or young adult, you much are less likely to get shingles later on. Also according to him, 96% of people who get shingles, only get them once. An unfortunate 4%, will get repeat occurances.

I hope your DD is on the medication and feels better soons. Have her wear very loose clothing. Anything tight becomes torture.

 

[sweet angel]

Blech! Maybe the younger you are the milder the case? Keeping my fingers crossed that it works like that!!

Is mom contagious as well? Meaning can you pass them along to other unsuspecting people?

Not that I'm paranoid or anything....

 

[Pooh67_68]

for your dd.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I feel so bad for your dd, our ds had them 2 years ago around 14 too. I am assuming also you got the antiviral drugs. It didnt actually work for ds because he had them for a week before we took them to the dr. Did the dr. tell you your dd is contagious if any of the legions are not crusted and ooze etc. You can also request some sleeping meds for nightime if the pain is too much. Our ds was mostly around the trunk area. I know he was stressed but he also has a weakend immune system from all his asthma meds, the worst one I have since taken him off of. Also the dr. had him quaranteened at home for a week. He didnt mind missing school and I had all his homework. I also told the school nurse because a girl in his class had leukemia and a bone marrow transplant and I was also worried about her. The nurse sent a letter home to the parents to tell them what to look for just in case. It is very painful and I saw our ds in tears but he wanted to tough it out so to speak. I know he was really miserable for a few weeks. Worse, they told us they can come back again at any time. Sending prayers and pixie dust to your dd for a speedy recovery. Of course catering to their every whim helps. I just asked what foods he wanted etc. We also went to disney after the quarantine was over. That was planned so far in advance and since he was crusted over he was allowed to swim.

 

[lulugirl]

Poor kid, that's really young for shingles. I had them a few years ago, I was 28 and it was a very mild case. As others have mentioned anti viral medication can be very helpful.
I was diagnosed very early and started acyclovir right away. The blisters stopped forming as soon as I started the acyclovir. Did they give Dd any pain medication?
I feel for her, hope she gets through this w/ minimal discomfort.
Also, her Dr. probably told you this, but shingles can cause chicken pox in someone who has not had them.

 

[SillyMe]

Thanks for all the replies! She does have really bad allergies and they've been bothering her alot lately, so I'm wondering if that may have brought them out. The doctor gave her a shot. He also gave me prescriptions for tylenol with codeine, prednisone and Valtrex. He said she can go back to school on Wednesday already.

He also explained that they are easier to treat the sooner you find them. However, she had pain in her back last week, but figured it was from gym class. She didn't notice the rash until Saturday. I was out of state and she showed it to me last night when I came home. It looked like poison, but she woke me at 4:30 am this morning crying in severe pain, so I took her to the ER.

I have to watch my little one now and hope she doesn't get the chickenpox. She's had the vaccine, but they said she could still get them.

 

[luvwinnie]

My coworker had them and was out for about a week and was still in pain when she came back. I hope she recovers fast!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I had shingles when I was 17, a senior in high school. At the time, I had absolutely no clue what it was! To me, it was a huge hideous clusters of rashes and blisters all over my side. I never told my parents, since they were naive and probably would have told me something like to take showers more often - basically blaming me for not being "clean" enough or something like that. They wouldn't have taken me to a doctor anyways (but I digress!). And I was not comfortable going to the school nurse. So I never saw a doctor or anything - just put the largest bandaids I could find on the rashes, and just waited for it to get better on it's own. And it did - I don't remember it being very painful, just yucky!

Only years later, when I was flipping through a medical book, did I see a photo of shingles and finally knew what it was!

 

[SueM in MN]

Is mom contagious as well? Meaning can you pass them along to other unsuspecting people?

No.
In order to pass on the chickenpox virus, you have to have either chickenpox or shingles. Chickenpox is spread thru the air and by contact with the chickenpox lesions. Shingles is spread only by contact with the rash or the liquid from inside the lesions. If the shingles rash is totally covered, the person with shingles is not going to pass the virus on to anyone. (Occasionally, someone has shingles affecting their respiratory tract - if that happens, it can be spread thru the air as well as by contact.)

Here's shingles information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
What is shingles?
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the chickenpoxvirus that remains in the nerve roots of all persons who had chickenpox and can come out in your body again years later to cause illness.

Shingles is more common after the age of 50 and the risk increases with advancing age. Shingles causes numbness, itching or severe pain followed by clusters of blister-like lesions in a strip-like pattern on one side of your body. The pain can persist for weeks, months or years after the rash heals and is then known as post-herpetic neuralgia.

Is shingles contagious?
Yes, people with shingles are contagious to persons who have not had chickenpox. Therefore, people who have not had chickenpox can catch chickenpox if they have close contact with a person who has shingles. However, you can not catch shingles itself from someone else. Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus which has been dormant (staying quiet) in your body ever since you had chickenpox. So, you get shingles from your own chickenpox virus, not from someone else.

What should I do if I get shingles?
Contact your health care provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment with antiviral medications. These medications are most effective if given as soon as possible after rash onset.

Can someone who has been vaccinated for chickenpox develop shingles?
Yes. However, a study conducted among children with leukemia determined that after receiving the vaccine these children were much less likely to develop shingles than children who had prior natural chickenpox. Available information from healthy children and adults suggest that shingles is less common in vaccinated healthy persons compared with persons who have had natural chickenpox.

Is there a vaccine available to prevent or modify shingles?
No; however, a study is currently underway with a new formulation of the chickenpox vaccine to determine whether vaccination of persons older than 55 years of age will reduce the frequency and/or severity of shingles in adults. Results from this study will be available in about 5 years.

 

[SillyMe]

No.
In order to pass on the chickenpox virus, you have to have either chickenpox or shingles. Chickenpox is spread thru the air and by contact with the chickenpox lesions. Shingles is spread only by contact with the rash or the liquid from inside the lesions. If the shingles rash is totally covered, the person with shingles is not going to pass the virus on to anyone. (Occasionally, someone has shingles affecting their respiratory tract - if that happens, it can be spread thru the air as well as by contact.)

Here's shingles information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
What is shingles?
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the chickenpoxvirus that remains in the nerve roots of all persons who had chickenpox and can come out in your body again years later to cause illness.

Shingles is more common after the age of 50 and the risk increases with advancing age. Shingles causes numbness, itching or severe pain followed by clusters of blister-like lesions in a strip-like pattern on one side of your body. The pain can persist for weeks, months or years after the rash heals and is then known as post-herpetic neuralgia.

Is shingles contagious?
Yes, people with shingles are contagious to persons who have not had chickenpox. Therefore, people who have not had chickenpox can catch chickenpox if they have close contact with a person who has shingles. However, you can not catch shingles itself from someone else. Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus which has been dormant (staying quiet) in your body ever since you had chickenpox. So, you get shingles from your own chickenpox virus, not from someone else.

What should I do if I get shingles?
Contact your health care provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment with antiviral medications. These medications are most effective if given as soon as possible after rash onset.

Can someone who has been vaccinated for chickenpox develop shingles?
Yes. However, a study conducted among children with leukemia determined that after receiving the vaccine these children were much less likely to develop shingles than children who had prior natural chickenpox. Available information from healthy children and adults suggest that shingles is less common in vaccinated healthy persons compared with persons who have had natural chickenpox.

Is there a vaccine available to prevent or modify shingles?
No; however, a study is currently underway with a new formulation of the chickenpox vaccine to determine whether vaccination of persons older than 55 years of age will reduce the frequency and/or severity of shingles in adults. Results from this study will be available in about 5 years.

Thank you for posting that. I just came back on to search out some info. You saved me alot of time.

 

[MOMTOCUTESTDOGEVER]

I had shingles in May of 2004. The blisters and excruciating pain lasted about 2 weeks. During that time, I had to wear DH's shirts because the rubbing of mine on the blisters made me want to pass out. They were absolutely horrible. I was able to function on Vicodin, but I couldn't work.

I still have soreness from them. I guess it's not uncommon to have residual pain for months to years after the blisters are healed. I'll cross my fingers that your DD doesn't.

 

[Kitty 34]

I had shingles a couple of years ago and was in lots of pain. It came about a few weeks after I had a slipped disc in my back which the DR said probably brought on my shingles.

Good luck to your DD and hope she's not in half the pain I was.

 

[iggbees]

my best friend in college had them our senior year. she was in so much pain i felt so bad for her. she had a huge rash all over her chest and on her neck behind her ear and on her belly. she got over them in about a month, but i know she did not have a fun month with them she complained about being really itchy and sore.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Just wanted to say I hope your dd feels better soon and your family gets back to normal.