Mary asks…
3 people at my house got “Shingles” in a matter of a couple months. Could it be a misdiagnosis?
A couple months ago, my moms friend (45yo) came down from Dallas to visit, and ended up coming down with a bad case of shingles. Then a couple weeks ago, my moms boyfriend (53yo) got a case on his neck, And now my mom (40yo) is sitting here with sores all over her body that the doctors are calling shingles.
Is there something that looks like shingles that is contagious? Or is there something that commonly causes outbreaks of shingles?
Also, there are a whole lot of pigeons that hang out on the roof above my patio and when they start flapping, feathers and stuff fall all over us. Which is what I think may be causing this mini-epidemic. I looked all over for a relation between shingles and pigeons and the best I could find was something to do with pigeon mites. Any ideas?
admin answers:
Shingles are contagious…
Lisa asks…
My husband got the shingles vaccine two weeks ago?
And over the weekend, he got what I am almost sure is a case of the shingles.
Two questions – we will call the doctor when they open this morning, but is there any home remedy that will help in the meantime?
And is it possible that the vaccine caused the outbreak? He has never had shingles before now.
We saw the doctor yesterday and he does have shingles and the vaccine did cause it, according to the doctor. She said it’s not likely to happen, but this time it did. Now we know.
admin answers:
The only way to tell what caused the shingles would be to isolate the virus from the site and see if it was the vaccine strain of the virus or the wild strain (the strain circulating in the community or dormant in the body). This is typically not done in clinical practice but was done in the clinical studies of the vaccine before it was licensed. You may be interested to know that in the studies, a few people in the vaccine group and in the placebo group developed shingles shortly after the injection. There were actually a few more shingles rashes in the placebo group. The vaccine virus was not detected in any of these people, so the vaccine virus did not cause the shingles in those cases. It really doesn’t make sense that it would as shingles does not transmit from person to person, it is a reactivation of the virus from a previous infection.
In one study there were a few (2) people who developed a chickenpox-type rash that did have the vaccine virus isolated, suggesting that the vaccine strain was the source. So it is possible, though rare, to contract chickenpox from the vaccine.
Donna asks…
Shingles pain?
Does shingles always cause severe pain? I have a rash, and it burns and tingles but the pain is bearable. I mean clothing hurts etc. My husband doesn’t think it’s shingles because I’m not writhing in pain like our son did when he had it a few years ago.
I don’t remember having any of the other symptoms, just a painful, tingling and then the rash about a week later. It seems to me some cases could be milder than others. I’ve been under a lot emotional and mental stress which is what I think caused the outbreak.
admin answers:
Shingles does not always cause severe pain.
My Mum got shingles a few years back and her symptoms were very similar to what you are describing, though she was also quite itchy in the area that was affected.
Her description to me was that when it was itchy and she scratched, it felt like someone cutting her with a razor blade then pouring acid on it.
The best way to be sure if it is or isn’t is to make a trip to your family doctor or even your local pharmacist would be able to help you.
Shingles can be brought on my a lot of stress and can take quite a while to clear up.
Susan asks…
I’m a 20 year old female and I’ve come down with Shingles?
I’m a 20 year old female and earlier this week I was diagnosed with Shingles. I am a healthy college student with not very much stress at all- how did I come down with shingles? I was under the impression that not many people my age get this outbreak.. how can this be explained? I am really just wondering because the research I’ve been doing cites a weak immune system and stress as the main causes of a shingles outbreak.
Any input would be great! Thanks a bunch!
I know what shingles is- I am looking more for an explanation or guess as to why I have it.
AKA.- don’t copy and paste something about shingles. Thanks.
admin answers:
It could be hereditary…
And yes i do believe your a little young but people in their 20’s get arthritis….
Stranger things have happened.
And my family has them…
And i wish you luck with yours..
I know they suck..
Good luck and God bless.
Steven asks…
Should I worry about having shingles at this age?
Im going to the doctor this Friday, I have a trail of blisters developing from the spine on the back of my neck all around the right side of my torso. Feels like a sunburn. My dad says that it looks like shingles but it’s rare in younger people…usually middle aged and up are supposed to get them…. I am 22 years old.
Also I live in the house that my dad used to live in and when he lived here that’s when he got shingles…so is it contagious? Or maybe a virus in my home that is causing this outbreak?
admin answers:
Shingles are contagious, but are contracted from contact with oozing blisters.
You could have shingles, even though it’s rare.
Do some reading on the subject if you’re diagnosed with shingles. It’s my understanding that other auto-immune diseases can follow, such as arthritis. So study up and keep an eye out for symptoms in the future, so you can head off other problems before they do too much damage.
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