Sharing my experience - recurring shingles

Infections
1

I'm a 35 year old female and have had recurring shingles for about 7 years which occurs anything from 3-7 times a year and occasionally back to back. It is always a small cluster of itchy/stinging spots at the base of my spine and thankfully, the only other symptom can be overly sensitive skin down the back of my thighs. It is the only 'illness' that I ever suffer from - I never get colds or other 'bugs' that seem to plague everyone around me. So, the main guidelines about shingles are very general and should not discount anyone who suffers from this if they fall outside the norm for the condition i.e. over 50, poor immune system, you only get it once, spots appear on the sides, chest or face etc. as I don't fit any of these but have had tests and confirmation.

My advice to anyone else who suffers from this is - do try to get antiviral medication like aciclovir as it will minimise the frequency of outbreaks, try the coldsore patches from the chemist (Compeed is the brand I use) - they can be costly but keep the area clean and covered to prevent spreading and definitely seem to clear it up more quickly and with less scarring and, finally, try not to touch the area at all outside of treating it. I have become good at recognising the early sysmptoms and the earlier I act on it, the less troublesome it is. I have also made a connection with using sunbeds as a couple of outbreaks have occurred shortly after using one so minimise UV exposure of the area (not usually a problem when it's on your bottom!). Hope this helps.

2

I get Shingles approx. every 12 months, they appear as a small cluster on one cheek of my bottom, I am lucky as each attack is very mild compared to some people I know who have had one bad dose. Mine seems to be reappear but the sypmots are mild. A few days before the spots break I am very tired and always think I have just over done it but then the spots appear and I seem to feel a bit better. It usually clears up within about 2 weeks. The only problem is my friends and family have given up on the sympathy now, its just \"oh right shingles again never mind, anyway can you just do me a favour\" so ideas of rest relaxation and being looked after are off the list.

3

Ladies, I feel your pain! I'm 27 and just starting on my 10th bout of shingles (I feel I should celebrate the occasion or something...). I get them on my fingers and under my fingernails, same spot every time. My fingers and hand swells up like a sausage and the pain is so bad I can't bend my arm and want it removed at the shoulder.

I just get so fed up with people saying you only get it once or just on your trunk or face. I also agree with Harrogate Mum about the lack of sympathy - life goes on! Going to try some of those Compeed patches tomorrow, thanks for the tip.

4

Hi, had shingles 10 years ago on my lower back. Came back in DEC 08 on my bottom inward also outward. 3 weeks later took shingles on my index finger, then again 4 weeks later. Been to Doc today and I have it again on my finger. Really fed up is it going to keep recurring.

5

I am 25 years old, and get shingles on my left buttock, I have been getting it now for 2 years sometimes months apart sometimes a couple of weeks, I get it at least 15 times a year, it drives me mad, I have now been left with scar's that dont fade, and no matter if I take Anciclovir or not it still comes back sometimes in huge clusters or some times in small clusters but in 3 area's. I wish I could just get rid of the infection for good, but nothing seems to work anymore. If anyone has any help or advice I would really appreciate it, I am at my wits end.

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6

I have had reoccuring shingles for about 7 yrs and am having the 3rd outbreak in 3 weeks for the first time in 2 years. I just got back from a doctor that was unfamiliar with shingles and tried to tell me it was herpes.

I get so tired of the how doctors always want to diagnose me with herpes.

Reoccuring shingles is uncommon, but those that suffer know that it is very real. My pain is getting worse and the doctor would not prescribe any meds for pain. He told me to take motrin and said if I needed to I should take 3 motrin at a time for pain. Whatever! I am going to see a new doctor tomorrow. There have been quite a few doctors that do not believe I even have shingles, they always want to say it is herpes, but herpes does not cause the kind of pain that shingles does. The pain is getting worse with every outbreak. My lymph nodes usually swell for like 3 days and become so painful I can barely walk. I have noticed that I have outbreaks when I tan in the tanning bed also.

7

[Mines right down inside my cheek thats an itch you cant be seen to scratch.quote=\"Harrogate Mum \"]I get Shingles approx. every 12 months, they appear as a small cluster on one cheek of my bottom, I am lucky as each attack is very mild compared to some people I know who have had one bad dose. Mine seems to be reappear but the sypmots are mild. A few days before the spots break I am very tired and always think I have just over done it but then the spots appear and I seem to feel a bit better. It usually clears up within about 2 weeks. The only problem is my friends and family have given up on the sympathy now, its just \"oh right shingles again never mind, anyway can you just do me a favour\" so ideas of rest relaxation and being looked after are off the list. :oops:

8

I have suffered this since as far back as I can remember. Used to get them every year. sad Despite my mum taking me to the Dr, & never once was it suggested thay it was recurring shingles until today. I'm 36 & this "disorder" is horrific! I knew the signs last time (when I was 7 &1/2 months pregnant sad ) I knew the symptoms on Sunday. Sensitivity & pain in my left index finger, then by that night pain & sensitivity in my whole hand. By fllowing day I have "the itch" then small blister appear & Then it forms into one big green painful blob right on the centre of my left palm sad So I have commenced on 800mgs of Aciclovir & Fucidin Cream I hope it just speeds up & get over it. It usually last about 2 weeks. But i'd rather stick needles in me for 2 weeks than have this.

9

I've had 2 mild cases of shingles at least 10 years ago. After having a hysterectomy in September 20011 I had a really bad case of shingles and I feel like it is active in my system ever since. Extreme fatigue accompanied by pain and a mild rash which can appear anywhere it seems. I would say that it comes back every 6 weeks or so. The pain and rash are milder as I did take Aciclivor in October but the tiredness is overwhelming. The thing is that shingles leaves your immune system low which leaves you open to come down with it again and again. I'm trying extra rest and multi-vitamins now. I wish someone could advise on how to prevent this horrible affliction.

10

Hi all.

I thought to leave this message here and hopefully help anyone with the same ailment.

I have had this condition for almost twenty years. It seems to active during times of stress, although I have to admit, in recent years my doctor has attributed it to my lifestyle. I drink alcohol most days, to cope with the stress.

I usually get a shooting pain in my right leg, from my ankle up to my buttock 2-3 days before the blisters appear. I can pinpoint to the exact point where they will appear. A cluster of blisters, about the size of a thumbnail appear, and boy, they are itchy. Some mornings I wake up and realise that during my sleep I have been scratching them, and of course the infected are is very red from scratching them.

Now, what I do to relieve the pain and lessen the time of infection is apply Benzoic acid compound ointment.

It is available from over the counter at a chemist, without prescription. I apply it with a cotton bud to the infected area, although it almost melts over the skin due to the heat given off from the scratching. I do this during the day, whenever the itching starts. Possibly three times a day.

I tried to apply it on the area where the blisters were due to erupt, a day before, but they just moved along the buttock a few centimetres. Crafty buggers.

I did once have them in and around my armpit, and I was unable to wear a shirt due to the sensitivity. The doctor gave me Zovirax cream. It did not help.

I strongly advise you to ask your own doctor before using Benzoic acid compound ointment. I have had no side effects, and it has been a huge help to me.

Of course, I know that my daily alcohol consumption does not help my immune system, but it is my way of coping with my life.

Whoever reads this, is obviously suffering just like the other posters on this forum.

I sincerely wish you all the best.

By the way, it is strongly recommended to refrain from having contact with young children and definitely not have contact with pregnant women.

11

Sorry for the spelling mistakes in the earlier post.

I forgot to add that, when the blisters weep, and they will do so, it is important to not share anything that comes into contact with the infected area. i.e a bath towel. When I use the toilet, I clean the seat with some diluted dettol. Just so as not to help spread the infection. Common sense really.

12

Hi!

I'm a 23 year old female. Healthy, active with no medical history to speak of. This morning I woke up with my second bout of shingles, 5 months after my first one and 15 years after my chicken pox outbreak as a child! I am frustrated by all the information available on the net discussing shingles as something that affects people over 50 and with low immunity. I have no immune issues to speak of and since stopping medical contraception, have barely had a cold or illness!

My shingles are not severe and I will be starting on my antivirals shortly but this is clearly a healthy woman's disease! Not a sick old persons! Everything tells me reoccurring shingles is rare but all of these forums suggest otherwise. I finished menstruating a week ago (whether or not this is related I don't know) but I truly hope this is not something I will be continuing to fight my whoe life!!!!

I'm off to the chemist to get some L Lysine (which helps with immunity & cold sores) and some healthy food but fingers crossed this is my last outbreak!!!! But it's nice to know that others have this reoccurrence because reading that "no one has more than 2 outbreaks" is a bit worrying!!!!!

13

I am 41 years old and had my first experience with Shingles. I was actually quite shocked when I went to the doctor thinking that the rash was some kind of mite rash lol. I did experience muscle like pain in my back but thought it was from lifting weights. so I did not think anything of it until it started to wonder why the burning muscle feel was right about the same spot as the rash. Im curious as hell as to why I got shingles, Im very healthy, jog almost every evening, been taking liquid greens every morning and eat a lot of fruits. So it comes down to 2 things, I got shingles a week before my Period and I did use a tanning bed 2 weeks prior. Now I have used tanning beds last year but no outbreak of any kind. But I did notice with this other tanning salon i went to, I seemed to come out red as if their bulbs are too strong somewhat. This was my 3rd tanning at this place. I have read that anyone that had experienced chickenpox as a child will have the virus lay doormat in the body and may or never come out as "shingles". Now the doctor told me that I most likely will not experience shingles for another 30 years! Well i must say im quite shocked what ive been reading here that people have been experiencing recurring shingles! I did more reading about the causes and the only ones i see are weak immune system . and than it goes on to say " in most cases we really dont know why shingles comes out of doormat". So i guess the only thing to do now is to make my immune system even more stronger! which im sure already is so I thought, since im perfectly healthy , all blood tests came back from da doc with no problems! No one in my family has ever experienced Shingles but i guess they dont have to for you to have it lol. Decided to take a spoon of Manuka Honey every nite which by the way is good for anti-bacterial and start taking Moducare to support my Immune system. I guess it clearly is a healthy woman's disease as i read in the previous thread!

14

A 67 year-old, fit and trim female, I became aware about 6 mos ago of minor recurring shingles tingles on my right side at waist. Yesterday we hosted a brunch for 40 neighbors. Since evening I have an angrier patch on the base of my spine. This Sunday morning I have no way to know whether it will fade or fire up. Might it make sense to start on the ten Vacyclovia I have been holding just in case of emergency need? If I start it does anyone have experience just taking one, or maybe just one more tomorrow if that seems to do the job?

15

Hi I am a 36 year old female and have suffered from recurring shingles since I was a child aged 8. I always seem to have a break out when i'm run down or stressed. It seems to be getting more painful just before the rash comes out. This time I am in agony my whole neck and shoulders are really stiff and really painful andthe rash is just starting to come out. I went to the dr's with my last outbreak 8 weeks ago only to be told that I couldnt have shingles because there was no rash and the doc said I couldnt have shingles more than once!!! I wasn't very happy because I knew exactly what it was because of the pain, the same burning and agonising pain. I dont usually go to the drs I just take pain killers and try to get on with it as much as I can but had to go last time because a woman in work was in early stages of pregnancy and I was worried I may of been putting her unborn baby at risk. After much discussion with the dr trying to explain that I knew what it was because of the pain in the same place he eventually gave me anti viral tablets. I dont always come out in the rash but get the nerve pain, does this happen to anyone else???

16

I'm a healthy 52 year old woman who runs regularly. I've had recurring shingles for the last 4 years or so which appears on my thumb, with pain all down my arm from my neck. I tend to get shingles between 6 months and a year apart when I've been stressed so not too bad, but worries me that the PHN might be getting worse. I understand that there's a new drug which has just been licensed in the UK for shingles - Zovorax? - but my GP is not aware of it. It's mentioned on the homepage of the shingles support website. Has anyone tried it? Or has anyone even been prescribed it on the NHS? Merck the manufacturers are apparently not providing sufficient quantities for UK use.

17

Sorry - it's not a new drug - it's a VACCINATION! Apparently it reduces instances of recurring shingles by over 50%1

18

Hi there eater out.

I have not heard of this vaccination here in the UK.

Zovirax cream is commonly used by people with cold sores on their lips.

Like I suggested in a previous post, you might like to try compound benzoic acid or Whitfield's ointment. If frugally applied to the infected area upon it's appearance, it dries up the infected area and within a few days the sores are gone, although some scarring will remain for a few weeks.

It has been a great help to me over the recent years.

Best wishes with this.

19

Hi,

See www.gponline.com/News/article/1143047/Shingles-vaccination-programme-launched-2013/

There are links from this article to more information if this helps.

Regards,

Alan

20

Thanks Alan. I too have found this kind of info online but to date my GP has not sent the follow-up letter she promised about prescribing on the NHS. I assume that this vaccination is being withheld due to austerity measures!