Shingles?!?

ceaves · Regular Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 36

I found a red place on my back this past friday, and I went to the doctor this morning. They said that it is shingles. Shingles? Shocked

I thought only old people get that. He said it can be related to lymphoma, but we obviously wont know until the information is reviewed about the CAT scan which I get tomorrow. Has anyone else experienced this?
-Chelsea

Orange Agent · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:06 am Post subject: Re: Shingles?!?

Hi again Ceaves,

Yes, unfortunately I have experienced shingles, and you are right .... most people who experience it are over 50 and experienced chicken pox as a youngster.

I got mine half way thru chemo, just when my immune system was lowest. It can be treated with biotics, but still can be very unpleasant. How unpleasant depends on where it is. I have been told by doctors that it will normally be on either the right or left side of your body. Mine was behind my right ear and it did smart. Mine at least, was also very slow about going away, and even when its gone, sometimes you can still feel it.

It scared me enough to go to a separate dermatologist (who just told me to continue taking the antibotics) and gave me a pamphlet on it. As I remember (?????) the official name was something like Rouster Herbes (no, not the genital type). It can in a way be contageous, i.e. - if you come in contact with a person who has never had chicken pox, they can get it (but not Shingles).

I may have misinterpreted this info so be sure to check with your doctor.

I send you strength and love.
_________________
Burt

vanessa · Regular Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 21

Hi Chelsea
Im sorry to hear about your shingles i never personally had them but i know they are gross and not fun. I never knew young people could get it either but a few days ago my nurse was telling me to be careful because i recently started chemo and when your immune system is low you can get shingles and if you hadnt had chicken pox yet. My nurse told me its best to stay away from young children because thats how you can get shinggles?( i dont know why young because i thought it was more common in older people). I dont know if this was any help or not but good luck and just try to stay away from alot of public places while your immune sytem could be low. Good luck and best wishes
-vanessa

SHANELLE85 · Regular Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 31

HI Chelsea,
I just finished 6 months of doing chemo and about in my 4th month i developed shingles on my right eyelid, forehead and on my right side of my scalp aswell. I experienced a lot of shooting pain in my eye but thankfully i got diagnosed with shingles very quick, so it didnt last very long. Im only 20 and i always thought that shingles only affected older people, but my oncologist said that it does affect chemo patients because of the immune system being so low. Its amazing how quickly the shingles dissapear when you are on anti-viral drugs.
I hope that this has helped you in some way. Smile

-shanelle

pjo13 · Regular Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 11

I got shingles when I was 13. It was all over the left side of my stomach and wrapped around to my back. It is a form of the herpes virus..Herpes Zoster. It happens when, for whatever reason, the chicken pox virus (which lays dormant in your nervous system your entire life) reactivates and comes out along a nerve line (which is why it occurs on one side of your body). I dont mean to sound like a downer, but it was the most painful experience of my life. To Orange Agent, I dont know why your Dr. and dermatologist prescribed you antibiotics. Shingles is a VIRUS and antibiotics should NEVER be taken for viral infections! The doctors were quite surprised to see a 13 yr old with shingles when I came in (I wasnt undergoing chemo or any medical treatment), but it did clear up in about 3 weeks, and my scars are almost completely faded now.

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