What's Next?!?!?

[Wayne]

You know, it seems like something is always going wrong with we dialysis patients.  I am on a MWF shift, and last Tues night I got a wierd looking rash on my left butt cheek.  Didn't think much about except when I got up Wed to go to dialysis it was a lot bigger and was burning.  Luckily my neph was doing his rounds and took a look at it....well he said it was shingles.  He prescribed me a cream and said let's see how it works.  Well from Fri on, I have about 8 spots now, going from the top of my cheek down to the top of my foot....and they burn like @$%&!!!  And not to be too graphic, but I am starting to get a little burning on my left testicle.  It's not exactly where I can see it, so I had my wife look and she said it looked like what the other spots looked like initially.  I pray to God that's not what it is there...it burns bad enough in the other places!!  If anyone has any advice I am certainly willing to hear it.

[rose1999]

You poor soul it sounds awful.  All I can suggest it getting your Dr to prescribe an anti viral as that is supposed to help shingles, also for the burning try calamine cream if you can get it, it's like calamine lotion but in a tube and doesn't dry and drop off like the lotion does.  Another idea is to sit in a bath of warm water with bicarbonate of soda when the burning is bad.  Hope you can get some relief.

[Jean]

Ouch, poor baby. The good news is that shingles usually only stay on one side of the body. The bad news is it can come back. My stepson had it in his head and upper face, one eye was swollen shut. Anyways, his Dr. got him some Valtrex, and pain pills. Sorry you are suffering with this. You have my sympathy.

[Rerun]

Shingles are the same virus as Chicken Pox.  SAME!  But, if you have had chicken pox you can still get shingles.  AND if you have shingles you can give someone chicken pox.  I had shingles and I had to stay home from work because a lady there was pregnant and they didn't want to maybe give the baby in the womb chicken pox!  Weird.... but true. 

OK... you won't like this but it worked!  Acupuncture!   As much as I hate hate hate needles this Chinese Lady got rid of my shingles in no time!  I was so miserable with them I did it and it worked.  AND I've never done it again.  It wasn't bad, just kind of creepy with these needles sticking out and then she hooked up "electricity" to them at a very low volt.

                             

[Erin8607]

I had shingles a couple years ago under my right breast and around to my back.

Did you doc Rx you an anti-viral? It will help the healing.

Also a good topical prescription anti-itch cream is soothing.

[greco02]

Exposure to shingles to a pregnant woman can cause birth defects to the baby.  That is why you are expected to stay away from pregnant women.

[Hanify]

I can't help - but you've made me feel that much better about the anti viral pills I take.  I often maon about them (as we do) and I think, oh for goodness sake, I'm not going to get shingles....now I realise how awful it is, I'll take those pills a bit more happily.  Mine are called aciclovir if that's any help.

[Wayne]

Thanks Hanify....I am kinda surprised that he didn't give me any oral meds, just the cream.  I will see him tomorrow on rounds and will certainly ask for something.  The big ones have blistered and appear ready to pop.  But I have some new ones on my foot that burn to the high heaven.

[Wayne]

Well, I saw my neph on rounds...he saw my shingles and said that they were much more aggressive then he thought.  He wanted to admit me to the hospital so we could treat them with an iv.  So off I went...got out Friday night.  They did finally give me some anti-viral meds which are working.  They are healing up nicely.  The neph at the hospital came by to see me while I was on dialysis Fri.  He asked how the pain was and I told him it was much better.  He said it sounded like the pain meds were working.  I said what pain meds, I haven't had any pain meds...I have been sucking it up from the beginning!  He said oh.