They can test to see if you had chicken pox...there are traces of the virus left behind. My doctor did that for me.
Thanks, Steve. Yeh, I got both the Zostavax and Shingrix shots. I'm not big on vaccines but this stuff seems to be pretty common and highly uncomfortable. In my reading spurred by this thread, I found out that people who have shingles can give someone else chicken pox under the right circumstances. How have humans survived this long?????
Well, hang in there, Frank. I send my best wishes to you. Is there a chance that you will improve enough to get off dialysis in the future? I remember my mother's entire life seemed to revolve around dialysis for the last 5 years of her life. I'm happy to see you still posting with us.
Yeah, that's what's weird about shingles. I had it during the month of December, so I missed Christmas that year with our grandchildren because the little ones had not been vaccinated for chicken pox.
I don't think I've ever had chickenpox. I'm not sure because we didn't generally see doctors if we were still breathing and nothing was broken, but the only illness I can recall was probably the flu. I had to stay in the bedroom by myself for about two weeks and, for some reason, I got the biggest bedroom, which usually held three kids. I can remember a menthol fogger that made the air smell like cough drops. I kind of liked that, except that it soaked everything and I couldn't even see to the other side of the room. I was pretty sick though, and I was either having bad dreams or hallucinating, I think. But I don't think I've ever had chickenpox.
I commented earlier that you can get tested to see if you had chicken pox. I believe that it's not a good thing to get the vaccine if you have not had the chicken pox, but I cannot recall exactly why. Regarding the vaporizor, we had one that looked like this: Just the sight of it brings back wafts of Vap-O-Rub.
I didn't remember ever having chicken pox, either. But apparently I did. I don't plan on getting the vaccine; I'll just hope that lightening doesn't strike me twice.
Those nerve pills, Gabapentin, 100mg, that I was given are working just fabulously... I took one pill every 8 hours for the first week and then I was told to take 2 pills every 8 hours and I could increase to 3 if necessary.. Well, at 2 pills every 8 hours I am very satisfied with hardly NO pain at all.. I wore my jeans with a belt and it didn't bother me at all.. I was given 100 pills to start and I was told to just ask for more if I need them.. No problem....
Glad they are helping, Steve. I also took Gabapentin when I had shingles; I have about a half a Rx left but I'm hanging onto them. If I have any symptoms I'll grab the bottle!!
Beth.... THEY WORK !!!! No pain at all with only 2 pills every 8 hours.. I can actually wear pants with a belt without any problem..
Just a quick update on my shingles.. The pain factor is now a … zero... No pain at all ….. The lesions have a scab on them and they are drying up.. They seem to be getting smaller but maybe it is just me... no itch at all and obviously the blisters are all over considering I only had a few very small ones.. Those pills are simply fabulous......
Update... All my lesions have scabs on them.. Absolutely NO pain at all and NO itch either.. Looks like I have a very mild case of the shingles..
That is because I had the vaccine.. Without the vaccine, I would be in total misery for a long time.. Maybe years of pain.. Don't try to tell me that it isn't worth getting the vaccine...…... C'mon....