Shingles?

[DesertNomad]

I have what might be an early indication of Shingles. There is no rash but I feel like I have a mild sunburn on one side of my neck... and I have not been out in the sun.

I have made an appointment with my GP later in the week in case this develops into Shingles (or something else). Hopefully I'll just be able to cancel the appointment.

My brother is an ER doc and said the first thing would be to get on an anti-viral like (according to Google) acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir. I have also seen reference to Valtrex and Famvir.

How does the FAA view these? I assume I will not want to fly with Shingles no matter what I am taking.

Is there anything normally used for Shingles that I should not take?

Thanks... fingers crossed!

 

[JB1842]

I had shingles last year. I contacted my AME before I went to my regular doc to see if anything was banned. I was put on gabapentin. He said to make sure my doc documented it to say it was only temporarily and only for shingles. The meds are used for epilepsy and other conditions, and that is grounding. But the shingles itself is self grounding until better, report condition, yawn by the examiner.

 

[kgruber]

If it turns out NOT to be shingles.........Get the shot!

 

[DesertNomad]

I have read that it is only FDA approved for people 50 years and older... I am in my early 40s.

 

[oldShar]

IIRC, that age restriction is only for whether the insurance company will consider paying for it.

If YOU pay for it, age prolly doesn't matter.
(( IIRC, Walgreens typically charged ~$40 for the shot w/o insurance ))
(( and insurance requires that your PCP give you the shot and file that and an office visit for it ))

 

[Hawker800]

I wouldn't wait any longer.

 

[JB1842]

I got them at 35. Get the shot. One of the worse things I went through, and my doc told me I had a milder case.

 

[Henning]

I have what might be an early indication of Shingles. There is no rash but I feel like I have a mild sunburn on one side of my neck... and I have not been out in the sun.

I have made an appointment with my GP later in the week in case this develops into Shingles (or something else). Hopefully I'll just be able to cancel the appointment.

My brother is an ER doc and said the first thing would be to get on an anti-viral like (according to Google) acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir. I have also seen reference to Valtrex and Famvir.

How does the FAA view these? I assume I will not want to fly with Shingles no matter what I am taking.

Is there anything normally used for Shingles that I should not take?

Thanks... fingers crossed!

My girlfriend came down with them in Belgium and the doc gave her Valtrex which was very effective for her, so one data point....

 

[Henning]

Is the shot effective when already presenting?

 

[kyleb]

I came down with shingles late last August.

The first symptom was sub dermal discomfort on my back right above the belt line on my right side. I couldn't figure out why. A couple of days later, I had the beginnings of an odd rash in the same general area.

I mentioned the symptoms to a buddy and he immediately suggested I look up shingles, and if my symptoms were a match, head to the doctor.

Within about 30 minutes of talking with my friend, I got in to see my doc, received a steroid shot, and was placed on oral steroids and anti viral meds. The doc thought I caught it early. Presumably he was correct because I had little discomfort, the rash went away after 6-8 weeks, and the worst symptom was discomfort when something rubbed against the area. Going over speed bumps in parking lots was the worst because of the bouncing and friction against the car seat.

Oh, I was 49 years and 9 months at the time.

So...

Get the shot as you approach 50.

If you are symptomatic, get to the Doc ASAP because the immediacy of treatment really seems to matter.

Know the symptoms so you can recognize the onset early.

Again, my experience was mild, probably because of early treatment. I know others who had really bad experiences because they were slower to receive treatment.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I got valtrex for mine and didn't find that it did much. Everyone is different though.
I'd get it looked at ASAP.
I got mine on my face. God hates me.

 

[weilke]

I have what might be an early indication of Shingles. There is no rash but I feel like I have a mild sunburn on one side of my neck... and I have not been out in the sun.

I have made an appointment with my GP later in the week in case this develops into Shingles (or something else). Hopefully I'll just be able to cancel the appointment.

Dont wait for the GP appointment. Go to an urgentcare, have someone look at it, get on the antiviral. Thank me later.

 

[RJM62]

I haven't gotten the shot but probably should. I'm past 50 and did have chicken pox as a kid.

As an aside, some of the locals swear by Bag Balm for pain relief for shingles. It's a veterinary preparation that looks like petroleum jelly. Its primary use is to soothe cows' udders. Having never had shingles, I have no idea whether it works or not for that condition (and not having udders, I can't vouch for that use either). It works well for minor scratches and abrasions though.

Rich

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I haven't gotten the shot but probably should. I'm past 50 and did have chicken pox as a kid.

As an aside, some of the locals swear by Bag Balm for pain relief for shingles. It's a veterinary preparation that looks like petroleum jelly. Its primary use is to soothe cows' udders. Having never had shingles, I have no idea whether it works or not for that condition (and not having udders, I can't vouch for that use either). It works well for minor scratches and abrasions though.

Rich

 

[kyleb]

I haven't gotten the shot but probably should. I'm past 50 and did have chicken pox as a kid.

As an aside, some of the locals swear by Bag Balm for pain relief for shingles.

Not talking directly at you, but those locals might not have needed Bag Balm if they had diagnosed and treated faster...

This is an illness that begs for immediate treatment.

 

[DesertNomad]

Dont wait for the GP appointment. Go to an urgentcare, have someone look at it, get on the antiviral. Thank me later.

The problem is that there is nothing to look at. There is no rash, just a very mild sunburn-like sensation in an area perhaps 3-4 inches in diameter.

 

[weilke]

The problem is that there is nothing to look at. There is no rash, just a very mild sunburn-like sensation in an area perhaps 3-4 inches in diameter.

Valtrex/Acyclovir/Famcyclovir are pretty benign drugs (yeah, dont read the insert ) and many people are on it for years to suppress certain viral infections. A practicioner may choose to put you on it based on the neurologic symptoms (the sensation) alone and not wait for the rash to develop. Once you have blood filled blisters, everyone can figure it out...

My wife takes care of many patients with shingles. When she developed that 'odd sunburn sensation' herself, I wrote and picked up Valtrex to start before she could see her internist the next day. That episode (it wasn't the first) never progressed to the full-blown thing with blisters and skin sloughing off, all it ever turned into was blotchy irritated and somewhat tender skin that followed a nerve distribution. My opinion is to hit it early and to hit it hard. The science says that treating within 72 hours of the rash reduces the risk of permanent pain by 1/2. Less is known on how even earlier treatment (at the first neurologic signs without a rash) can further reduce this risk. The NINDS website on shingles states that treating on the neurologic symptoms alone is an acceptable option. Given the fairly benign risk profile of the antivirals, there is imnho little downside to doing so.






YMMV, objects in mirror are closer than they appear, I am not YOUR doctor, see someone qualified, make a decision based on risks benefits and alternatives including the alternative of no treatment at all. All medical procedures and medications may result in a horrible death, permanent disfigurement or bad breath.

 

[1600vw]

I had this in my early forties, When my health took a turn for the worse I came down with this. Thing is, I have never in my life had Chicken Pox. But I got shingles. Mine was around my lower back and only on one side. It rapped around my back to the front but only on one side. It went down one leg a bit. I still today have numbness from this.

 

[Henning]

Valtrex/Acyclovir/Famcyclovir are pretty benign drugs (yeah, dont read the insert ) and many people are on it for years to suppress certain viral infections. A practicioner may choose to put you on it based on the neurologic symptoms (the sensation) alone and not wait for the rash to develop. Once you have blood filled blisters, everyone can figure it out...

My wife takes care of many patients with shingles. When she developed that 'odd sunburn sensation' herself, I wrote and picked up Valtrex to start before she could see her internist the next day. That episode (it wasn't the first) never progressed to the full-blown thing with blisters and skin sloughing off, all it ever turned into was blotchy irritated and somewhat tender skin that followed a nerve distribution. My opinion is to hit it early and to hit it hard. The science says that treating within 72 hours of the rash reduces the risk of permanent pain by 1/2. Less is known on how even earlier treatment (at the first neurologic signs without a rash) can further reduce this risk. The NINDS website on shingles states that treating on the neurologic symptoms alone is an acceptable option. Given the fairly benign risk profile of the antivirals, there is imnho little downside to doing so.






YMMV, objects in mirror are closer than they appear, I am not YOUR doctor, see someone qualified, make a decision based on risks benefits and alternatives including the alternative of no treatment at all. All medical procedures and medications may result in a horrible death, permanent disfigurement or bad breath.

Basically how it went down with my GF. We were in cloud covered Belgium and she started complaining. I suspected it and the called and the doc was at the boat in about 2 hrs. A few hours after starting her discomfort was going, and she never got the blistering. Valtrex worked well for her, of course, YMMV.

 

[RJM62]

I had this in my early forties, When my health took a turn for the worse I came down with this. Thing is, I have never in my life had Chicken Pox. But I got shingles. Mine was around my lower back and only on one side. It rapped around my back to the front but only on one side. It went down one leg a bit. I still today have numbness from this.

Did you have siblings who had chicken pox? Maybe you had a mild case like I did.

I only had two or three visible bumps. I surely wouldn't have noticed them, but my mother did. My younger brother was in the midst of a bumper crop so she was checking me every day. The pediatrician confirmed that it was chicken pox, but it never got any worse than those two or three bumps.

Rich

 

[BigBadLou]

I got valtrex for mine and didn't find that it did much. Everyone is different though.
I'd get it looked at ASAP.
I got mine on my face. God hates me.

Same here, got it on my forehead in my late 30's. GP prescribed Valtrex. Ended up in the ER overnight, admitted for 3 days. LOL Total of bills was at least a grand. Shingles can get expensive.
Now my chart reads "Allergies: Valtrex and derivatives".

I inquired about the shot and was told that it is next to useless once you've had a Shingles breakout. Is that incorrect?

 

[steingar]

A colleague of mine got it in her face. Now she has only one eye and is paralyzed on half her face, looks like an amalgam of Moshe Dyan and Sylvester Stallone. Not something to fool around with.