Hoping for a better tomorrow with my shingles...

[CTyankee]

this has been a terrible day...

please, folks, don't put off getting that shingles vaccine. Even if it helps only a little, it's better than nothing...

Going to bed early again with a percoset after dinner. Enough is enough for one day...and I only allow myself the plain advil during the day. But I gotta be functional...

thanks for listening to my woes...you've all been great...

[Raster]

1. bless your heart....g'night

...feel better tomorrow

[randys1]

2. Been thinking of you. Did I tell you there is to be a new vaccine in 2 yrs

and that you should be able to get it even though you have had this one?

Make a note

Hang in there

[LiberalArkie]

4. I just got the Zostravax last year, so a new one is coming out?

[randys1]

5. Yes, I asked because I got the vac in 2011 and I wasnt 60, so I then read that

it really only lasts for 5 yrs, sort of.

I know, weird.

So called my pharmacist and he said instead of getting the same shot a 2nd time, to wait and in about 2 yrs a better one is coming out.

[LiberalArkie]

6. Great I will try and remember it. Being 67 and asthma and heart etc I try to get every shot there is

[CTyankee]

9. I'll get it! First, the one I can get, when I can get it, then the new one if my doc says OK!

[CTyankee]

19. you are so nice, randys1. I'm feeling so sorry for myself just now...

Been in a pity party all day, justifiably so I guess...in just a few more hours, meds and my bed...

[madamesilverspurs]

3. Been there.

Doc added Lidocaine patches to the percoset, that helped tremendously with the pain and allowed me to sleep.

Keeping good thoughts for you!

[CTyankee]

10. sleep is no problem since I have Percoset and a little white wine...

daytime is an issue...

[CTyankee]

20. Lidocaine sounds pretty awful on the side of my neck...does it hurt on blistered skin that is

red and totally discolored?

[madamesilverspurs]

21. My blisters were on the knee,

but the most intense pain shot up the front of my thigh, so that's where I applied the patch.

[CTyankee]

22. Ok, thanks...I'll ask my doctor...

[madamesilverspurs]

23. Hope it works for you!

Before I got the lidocaine patch I was begging for a chainsaw to cut the leg off. It didn't completely remove the pain, but on a 1-10 scale it brought it down from 15 to 2.

[badhair77]

7. I just saw this.

Shingles is horrible. I'm sending good thoughts your way for relief of pain, healing and rest. I'm so sorry you have to go thru this mess. I've always enjoyed your posts so I hope you can get thru this as quickly as possible. Please keep us updated.

[CTyankee]

11. will do and I also owe you folks another art essay. It's all my pleasure actually...

but there are some great works out there you guys will love!

[Warpy]

8. Nobody is going to give you a gold star for trying to tough this out on Advil

People who have had shingles will think it's dumb. That stuff HURTS.

Take the Perc during the day. Just try not to take it back to back, every 3 hours. That makes it stop working as well within a few days.

[CTyankee]

12. Oh, warpy, I know but I am so conditioned NOT to.

I will talk to my husband about toughing it out without me. Once my cleaning lady comes on Monday we'll get a strategy together. It's the laundry more than anything else, actually.

But I will take your advice and try to get a chance to take the Percoset more often. I realize my doc prescribed it for a reason (he doesn't do drug scrips lightly)...

[Warpy]

13. Take it when you need to function for a few hours.

I've been on pain medication for over 20 years, and that's how I've been able to keep a stable dose.

[CTyankee]

14. thanks. I hope I am not so unfortunate. You have my sympathy and my respect for your

opinion...thanks!

[Paper Roses]

15. My sympathy to you as you suffer through this.

My late husband had Shingles and it was horrible to watch him suffer. It is a nasty and painful affliction.
My doctor suggested that I have the vaccine but it is not covered Medicare or my Medicare Advantage plan. It is about $250.00. Have to pass. Maybe someday the insurance companies and Medicare will see that Shingles vaccine coverage would save money in the long run.

I hope this passes quickly for you.

[CTyankee]

16. I'm told to try Medicare Part D,plus my supplement...maybe that will produce results.

Try that and see what happens.

I will tell you, you will pay anything to get out of this kind of suffering...I swore I'd eat beans and drive less to scrape the money together for that shot, after this experience.

[Nay]

17. For all you folks who haven't gotten the vaccine yet, please do . . .

I got the vaccine 4 years ago, then got shingles 6 months ago. It was such a mild case that it hardly bothered me at all! I went straight to the doc, who also gave me acyclovir to lessen the symptoms even more. So the lessons are:

GET THE VACCINE.

GET TO THE DOC IMMEDIATELY for the anti-viral med, which is effective if you start it within 72 hours of onset.

[CTyankee]

18. I shudda gone to an urgent care facility in DC ASAP. What I didn't know then that Iknow now...

But I was on the amtrak when I noticed the first blister and I just couldn't understand what on earth it could be. I didn't think a little blister next to my right ear could be so awful...YES, IT CAN...

[madamesilverspurs]

24. I thought mine were spider bites.

But when they started to grow and multiply, that's when I went to the doctor. She took one look and told me I'd be much happier if they were spider bites. Sent me directly to the pharmacy with prescriptions for gabapentin and the lidocaine patches.

[Nay]

25. At first, I thought mine was poison ivy! But I've had PI before and this was

different -- more painful, not itchy, etc. I know how you feel. It's easy to mistake it for something else. I was lucky in that I had had the vaccine already and in that I got to the doc before the 72 hours was up and could benefit from the anti-viral.

[CTyankee]

26. I feel I am on a merry go round...I took the painkiller at 3 am, woke at 6 feeling pretty rested.

Within two hours I was nearly exhausted again from the pain...the scabs are out now and itch. Some have broken in the night and my pillow shows the result of the oozing. I am guessing that this is good and to be expected. Maybe a warm, wet cloth on it would make it feel better...

[HereSince1628]

27. Been there ... honestly, it was more painful than bypass surgery

And thank the powers of the universe, I still had percoset left over from the pain-management after that surgery.

I had it on my scalp, tracing along nerves on the left side of my head. Most painful thing I ever experienced so on a scale of 1-10, I'd put it at 10.

Over the counter NSAIDs were not very helpful. Doc took pity and gave me a few more to get through what was 10 tough days and nights

[CTyankee]

28. My doc is so appalled that he will re-up my percocet ASAP if I run out...the only thing is

I have to run over to his office and pick up the paper scrip (no more phoning in "controlled substance." My doc is usually averse to painkillers but in this instance he's really helping. Thing is I can't take too much of this stuff or I get shaky and can't stand up straight. And I'm sleeping 10 hours at night. Doc says the percocet will do that so it is to be expected. This might just ruin my Thankgiving plans and I know my family has pitched in to bring my youngest daughter and family east from LA just to surprise me. I'm hoping I'll be in OK shape by T'giving...doc thinks I'll be a lot better. I have to, I look like holy hell...

[CTyankee]

30. UPDATE: saw my doc and got the scrip. He said I had also developed a mild infection

from the stuff oozing from the blisters so he put me on an antibiotic for that.

I got an increase in the number of percosets, from 20 to 30. Just took one a half hour ago and it's only mildly better. Maybe I have to build up again...well, it sure is better than just plain aceteminophen. That just didn't cut it.