I've got shingles

[Schmilliemoo]

I've got it all down one side of my body luckily the blisters are all but gone.
I've had a bit of a virus going on then I took a break for Christmas and I think my immune system just took a hammering. I felt dreadful last week but oddly feel better since the rash came out

 

[gbb]

Had it three times over the years...twice on my waist, last time in the inside of my elbow.
I liken it to feeling like every breath of air is wafting over exposed nerve endings, sticking out of your skin, it really is unpleasant.
Last time was the worst, they erupted like little volcanos and surges of pain came in waves. Scarred my inner elbow that lot, I look like a druggie, its embarrassing every time I have blood taken.

TBF, can't remember what they gave me.

 

[Schmilliemoo]

I'm starting to think I've got off quite lightly you know. Yes my doc told me that your nerve endings poke out thru your skin. Certainly explains why I hit the ceiling when I got dressed.

 

[thom]

Come to think of it, my husband got it on a skiing holiday and didn't realise till he got home. It was only mild but he just thought he was a bit coldy. If I'd been with him I probably would have noticed better, the rash was on his back!

Nobody's mentioned this, but I'm sure it's well known: it's the resurfacing of the chicken pox virus ( a herpes variant) that you probably had as a child. That's why you can get shingles several times, it goes to ground in the spine (iirc) and indeed stress can bring it out.

Yes and I believe it is infectious at the start for a few days in the sense that people who never had chickenpox may catch chickenpox from someone in the early stage of shingles. People who never had chickenpox are so few that this risk is small I think.
The chicken pox virus leaves something in the nervous system which can become active causing shingles and it is because left & right nervous systems are separate that shingles occurrences only effect one side of the body. Recurrences of shingles are very rare - no need to create a worry on that.

 

[Saluki]

Get well soon and get plenty of rest.
I have never had shingles but know quite a few that have. I hear that its horrible and you have my sympathy.

 

[User169]

A colleague of mine had it in his ear. It irreparably damaged nerves such that he's completely deaf in the affected ear.

 

[Schmilliemoo]

A colleague of mine had it in his ear. It irreparably damaged nerves such that he's completely deaf in the affected ear.

Omg that's awful I'm thinking I'm on the road to recovery. Albeit the duvet is still downstairs.