Lisa asks…
Shingles on the face (and impetaigo).?
I was at the doctors today with a nasty rash that erupted on my face within a two day period after flu like symptoms. Although I was told it is shingles (that evolved to impetaigo), my mother the “know better” in the family refuses to believe it and tells me it’s just my eczema, that my doctor doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that if I had shingles I’d be in agony and feel like I was dying. Surely there’s different varying degrees of shingles and not everyone suffers the same types of symptoms?
admin answers:
You are correct. As a rule, the older the person, the worse the pain. On the other hand, there is a condition called Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption, in which a spread of a cold sore can occur in someone with eczema, so perhaps you have only herpes simplex 1 on your face, instead of herpes varicella-zoster (shingles). Those two can look identical, and olny a culture or immunostaining can tell the difference. And, either one can become secondarily infected, once the blisters open up (become impetiginized). So, without further lab tests, it might be impossible to tell whether your doctor or your mother are correct.
Mark asks…
Medication follow up: regarding dosage on Lyrica?
I know–I can call my doctor, but this is just my wanting to see what others may have experienced with this drug.I was on it for 4 weeks, about 4 days on 75 mg. 2 x’s a day, then after 4 days, put on 150 mg. 2 times a day, that dosage for 4 weeks. I wanted to ‘wean off’ so the doctors reduced it to 150 once a day. After 3 days, the shingles symptoms on my face got worse again (over the weekend). I took another 150 mg. last night and slept well and no terrible itching. Today, I feel woozy and drugged, sort of. This drug does make one sleepy, at first anyway. I hope after tonight, it won’t be so bad tomorrow. Just wondering if it’s safe. I know you can’t go off or change dosage suddenly, but I’ve been on this 300 mg. dosage 4 wks. and only on the 150 3 days. Any comments? thanks–yanksgirl
ps: I hate to call my doctor again. I never get him anyway, just his ‘phone person’.
admin answers:
This drug is also called pregabalin… Lyrica pregabalin. Here is a link to an article about it that is better than I could type out. One has to be VERY careful with this drug. You can consult your pharmacist for general questions about it. This article also says that your doctor should keep careful watch on you while you are taking this, especially in the beginning if one is going to take it for a long time. So that is your doctor’s job and don’t hesitate to call him with questions and feedback about how it is affecting you.
Http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/500647.html
Helen asks…
SHINGLES? whats wrong with my arm?? PLEASE HELP!?
ok so today like 5 hours ago my arm started hurting. i thought it was my tricep but it followed the back of my arm from my arm pit to my mid forearm. i thought i pulled a muscle but it doesnt really feel like that since it follows a trail all the way down.
i hurts wen i move it or touch it and just regularly. it hurts most wen i bend my elbow or whole arm from my shoulder. i thought maybe i hyper extended it but i havent done any physical activities in the past few days…
the pain has just gotten worse and worse since it initially started hurting and i talked to my boyfriend and he sed the same EXACT thing happened to him last year and it was shingles. all the symptoms and feelings are the same- but i already had chicken pox.
what could this be?
ps: the pain is so bad im shaking and tears are streaming down my face– and i never cry about pain
the pain isnt as bad since iver taken motrin- but the motrin took 40 minutes to start working
admin answers:
If you really think it’s shingles call your dermatologist immediately and start taking an antiviral so it doesn’t get bad. I had shingles on my arm 3 weeks before my wedding and it was very painful. But taking the antiviral reduced the spreading and it was not that bad at all…and it was gone by my wedding 🙂 hope you feel better soon!
John asks…
last year i was diagnose with shingles.?
last year i was diagnose with shingles witch is more common of herpes zester. it is not a strasmiteded dease is do to chiken pox my ques tions is that they gave me some dication the symptoms went away. but lately i ve bee felling liwas felling the same time was feeling my but not with the rash. some of the symtoms are tingling feeling in the arms real bad neck pain and stifness in your face i am having dose same symptoms but not with the rash. ihave an appointment with my gynacologist tuesday and a doctors appointment december 18 with my regular doctor yould i go today to the emergency room or wait to see them. i am scared it might get worse iwas in the ermergency room thursday because of a bad headche they did a cast can and told them about this symtoms i was having . but i for got to tell them that i was diagnosed with this dease last year. they gave me some muscle relaxsers calledcarisoprodol, and an in flamatory medicine calledindomethacin. what can i do? help
admin answers:
I might probably go back to the emergency room if I was feeling particularly unwell, though it is not really an emergency situation. They may give you a prescription for an anti-viral medication which will be more effective than what you have in treating the shingles, if you are indeed coming down with an attack of shingles. Generally they will not prescribe these meds until they are sure it is shingles, and that is usually only after the rash develops. It is rare for a person to have more than one episode of shingles in their lifetime.
However, you are seeing a doc on Tuesday, and even though it is a gynecologist, you can certainly ask about these symptoms and she what he/she days.
The information at these links may help you decide what to do. Take care.
Richard asks…
Please help, I had an episode of shingles once and I am so worried that THAT could happen again to me?
Can a second “attac” of singles happen to me? I remember my symptoms and lately I had felt them again… My face feels numb and tingles
admin answers:
Are you aware that they have a vaccine for shingles now? If you already have symptoms, it won’t stop you from coming down with it, but it will greatly lessen the duration of the disease and the pain. Please contact your doctor and ask him about receiving this vaccine – shingles is a miserable thing, isn’t it?
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
