sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since January 2012
Posts: 982
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Post by sheltie on Jul 1, 2014 8:51:35 GMT -5
About five weeks ago, just as I was starting to get my cancer under control, I got the shingles. This despite the fact that I've had the shot. I was just getting ready to slab for the first time in over five months. Now, I pretty much have to stay out of the sun until the go away. I've been using prescription medicine plus Capzasin and Calamine lotion trying to get it under control but it coming along slowly.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a topical I can use which will stop the insane itching and allow me to do a little slabbing?
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 1, 2014 9:49:55 GMT -5
First of all, are you sure it's shingles ? I have shingles. It's something that I'll probably never be free of.
If you do in fact have shingles, don't try to self medicate. Get yourself to your doctor. He'll prescribe a cream which isn't sold off the shelf. The pharmacist actually has to mix it up. The cream will give relief, but will not completely make the itching and burning go away. The cream is only good until the blisters dry and the scabs have fallen off.
Each person is different, and you may be one of the lucky ones who have no lasting effects. But don't let that fool you. The shingles can come back at any time once you've had them. Myself, I wasn't a lucky one. The area where the shingles effected me constantly burns. Just my tee shirt brushing across it causes the burning. I've been prescribed 75mg Lyrica, 3 times a day. It reduces the burning effect, but doesn't completely stop it. And if you're lucky like I was, you'll have a doctor who will keep you supplied with sample packs of the medicine. I've been taking Lyrica since before Christmas, and haven't had to buy a single pill. The side effect of taking Lyrica is that I constantly want to sleep. Just a simple thing like driving to town means that I have to skip at least 2 doses of the medicine, just so I'm sure I'll stay awake behind the wheel.
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Jul 1, 2014 10:01:27 GMT -5
I had the shingles back in 2007, let me just say my heart and prayers are with you. Never in my life have I experienced such pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, I'm unable to locate the topical herbal preparation that I found helpful in the earliest stages (1st 2 weeks) but not much help after that. I really wish I could be of more help, but hang in there, it won't last forever, really, I promise.
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sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since January 2012
Posts: 982
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Post by sheltie on Jul 2, 2014 12:42:01 GMT -5
First of all, are you sure it's shingles ? I have shingles. It's something that I'll probably never be free of. If you do in fact have shingles, don't try to self medicate. Get yourself to your doctor. He'll prescribe a cream which isn't sold off the shelf. The pharmacist actually has to mix it up. The cream will give relief, but will not completely make the itching and burning go away. The cream is only good until the blisters dry and the scabs have fallen off. Each person is different, and you may be one of the lucky ones who have no lasting effects. But don't let that fool you. The shingles can come back at any time once you've had them. Myself, I wasn't a lucky one. The area where the shingles effected me constantly burns. Just my tee shirt brushing across it causes the burning. I've been prescribed 75mg Lyrica, 3 times a day. It reduces the burning effect, but doesn't completely stop it. And if you're lucky like I was, you'll have a doctor who will keep you supplied with sample packs of the medicine. I've been taking Lyrica since before Christmas, and haven't had to buy a single pill. The side effect of taking Lyrica is that I constantly want to sleep. Just a simple thing like driving to town means that I have to skip at least 2 doses of the medicine, just so I'm sure I'll stay awake behind the wheel. Hi Jake, Yep, I'm one of the lucky ones. I not only have shingles ()for which I got the shot two years ago, but I also have lung cancer stage four. If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any at all. Because the cancer has metastasized, there is very little physical activity I can do at all. It has spread throughout my bones so I have to be extra careful. However, I've decided that after the shingles are finally gone, I can see no reason to waste the rest of my live (I'm 73) by just sitting on my butt and waiting to become completely bedridden. Hence the request for something to allow me to "ignore" the shingles. I'm taking Valtrex and a copy OTC topicals, but they aren't working fast enough for me. Guess I really don't have enough choice for now. Denny
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