To treat the topical symptoms, and this is just from experience with both bouts of them. Benadryl to dry them up, and AVEENO Active Naturals (Calamine & Pramoxine HCI anti-itch cream) which was developed to treat Chicken Pox, will give you several hours of itch relief and pain relief. The pain is the hard part, because it is not a minor bout of pain, but constant. Itching wasn't quite as bad as when I had the Chicken Pox as a child LOL, but each individual reacts differently.
It is not limited to the ribs or legs, but can get on the face too.
My doc told me that if you got the chicken pox vaccine you stood a greater chance of getting shingles sometime further down the road than if you had just gone thru chicken pox naturally.
But that was just his opinion.
ping
I had a horrible case of C pox in 2nd grade. Then every time I got near anyone with even scabbed over pox for years, in the 1980s, I broke out again. On my wrists mostly. When our kids had C pox I broke out with them each time. I didn’t get full case of Shingles, yet.
Get the shot. My dad recently went through this and was never informed about the availability of the vaccine. I’m not near 50 yet but when I get there I plan on getting vaccinated too.
the chicken pox and shingles are part of the same herpes virus. Once in your system it can break out due to stress and weakened immune system.
I got shingles due to a black widow spider bite on my leg. Went to the doc for the bite, then one week later broke out in shingles. I treated it with nutritional supplements the break out was 1” x1” It dried up and went away. No topical treatment. I was amazed the nutritional supplements cleared it up within one week.
I had chickenpox around age 9 or 10.
It was the only childhood disease for me.
In my early 30s I did develop a mild case of shingles,
the only effect of which was to make my skin feel creepy
for a few weeks.
Now 67...no problems.
My husband, a very active 72 year old, had it this spring.
We did not realize what it was in time for him to get the anti-virals. Any rash that is only on one side of your body should be suspected as shingles.
He had it around his waist and it affected the nerves for digestion, as well as all the stomach and back muscles that those nerves serve. His pain was internal as well as external.
Terrible to have to watch without being able to do anything.
It lasted about 6 weeks and he was incapacitated for about three of those.
I just happened to be on a high vitamin C regimen at the time (5000mg a day) for a separate problem. But I continued to take that amount for the duration of the outbreak.
I was also lucky enough to recognize what was going on within 72 hours. Thank goodness for the internet because what I originally thought was just a an ugly mass of bug bites was clarified for me using Google images. I went to the ER and was put on Valtrex. I think going on an anti viral in a timely fashion is crucial to controlling the outbreak.
I also used extra virgin coconut oil internally and externally. I consumed 2 tablespoons a day, having read on an internet site that EV coconut oil is beneficially to nerve endings. I also used to to wash the infected area . I kept any kind of soap or shampoo away from shingles area.
My brother in law came down with shingles 3 years later and followed the same protocol and had the same success with his outbreak.
Go figure! LOL!
It worked but there would be a law against it today.
I had Shingles about 12 years ago. All down one side of my back. I have bad back problems with terrible pain so I just thought my back was acting up at first. After a few days and I had run through my left over pain pills I went to the doctor. He took one look and told me its shingles. he said he didn’t know how I stood the pain. I was lucky, in about 2 weeks it was gone and no lasting effects. My 89 year old mother still has one finger that is numb from shingles.
I had a bad case of shingles in 1998; since then I have been taking L-Lysine daily and have had no problems.
Ping for later read
I was told I couldnt get the vaccine till age 60. Is this reasonable?
My brother got shingles in his late 30’s...
I did have a severe case oc C Pox as a kid...
I just got my vaccination a couple of months ago—I watched my Uncle suffer this malady for 20 years, my grandmother for 10, and my mother-in-law for about 5 years. Many victims never fully recover and the pain was so bad for my Uncle he couldn’t sleep for days at a time. Response to treatment is poor in many cases and relief is only temporary. I had to wait 2 months to get the vaccination since the vaccine is in short supply(thank lawyers here).
I had Shingles when I was 17 years old. It was not fun but it went away fast and it wasn’t a bad case of them. I believe they gave me cortisone shots. They were on my back, around the waist line and never spread around to the front. They hurt like hell when they first appear. I thought it was a pulled muscle or something until the doctor saw the bumps, then he knew exactly what it was.
Weird Gail. I just had it 3 weeks ago, first time ever. It came in at the left side belt line and I thought I had diverticulitis. I lost 12 lbs before I saw my doctor. He put me on 1000mg Valtrex x4/day for a week. 10 days later all was well. Mine was pretty mild I’d say and I’m still 6 lbs less.
I came down with shingles two days ago. I am 64 and it starts in my scalp and goes down to my left eye. My doc put me on 800mg Acyclovir 5/day and Trifluridine drops for my eye. Some of the previous posts on this thread scare the crap out of me.
Not just older folks, two years ago I got them ay 41. (well aho am i kidding 41 is old too lol). Anyhow went to the Dr. and diagnosed me with Shingles which was about two weeks after the ex wife left me a broken man. Thanks to the Lord I am over that nonsense and moved on in my life (to a much hotter lady :p). So yes, he says emotional stress will bring shingles out all the time.
The chicken pox virus is dormant in nerve tracts for your entire lifel; shingles is a reactivation of the virus. There is no “treatment” for shingles, although antivirals may lessen the severity. Topical treatments are aimed at easing the itch, but won’t “dry it up” per se. The fluid from the blisters contains the chicken pox virus, so anyone exposed to it that hasn’t had chicken pox can get the disease from this. It is not contagious to those who have already had chicken pox, and you cannot get Shingles from someone else’s Shingles.