Shingles

[MrRidley]

I was planning a right few miles this weekend until i broke out in a great big rash on my neck then the back became extremly sore, after a quick visit to the docs he has diagnosed a very severe attack of shingles, so i was wondering if anyone has any idea how long this will last and is it common to give you severe back pain.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Shingles is (IIRC) a viral disease and as such you shouldn't treat it lightly. It has a different impact on different people, but generally, despite how you may feel, you are actually quite ill.

Best bet is to hang in there and give your body a chance to win through. The easier you take it, the quicker you will be better. It can drag on for ages so I would avoid exercise and any undue stress on the body.

 

[008]

I had a bout of shingles in and around my right eye a few years back... found it very debilitating and was off work for 3 months!

If you can get out on the bike... take it easy but I couldn't even get out of bed on some days!

Get well soon. I hope you haven't got it as bad as I had it!

 

[mr_hippo]

I had shingles in Dec 2007 and was off the bike until March 2008. If you are ever given the choice of being hit in the ribs with a cricket bat or having shingles then pick the cricket bat! I was in agony for about 6 weeks, no matter how I lay down, the pain was constant. I'll echo 008s words 'I hope you haven't got it as bad as I had it!'

 

[Tynan]

had a minor spell of this twice when I was young and hard drinking and didn't eat often

sign of being run down as I recall, no worse than a collection of big spots for me, in a perfect triangle, I used to show it to people at the bar

 

[ChrisKH]

Hope you feel better soon.

Try to keep away from pregnant women and babies, I was going to add.

 

[Chris James]

You have my sympathy. My wife came down with shingles when she was pregnant with my youngest (apparently it was okay as she had already had chicken pox, but did cause us a bit of a scare).

She may have overdid it at the time (we went to the Lakes walking with rings of spots coming out on her!) and ended up also having a chest infection and being off work for two weeks.

I don't think hers was a bad dose but it was very painful all the same.

 

[byegad]

I had a minor bout a couple of years ago and the pain was not 'agony' but wearing as it was there all of the time! I tried a number of old style treatments on the affected area (My Doctor said they wouldn't help but would do no harm) and Gentian Violet certainly cooled the pain by several degrees.

 

[yello]

I have had it... but didn't know about it! I went to the docs for a medical for a new job and he told me then when he saw the spots on my back. It's viral, related to chicken pox virus apparently, but caused me no bother at all. Doc said stress can bring it on, so that's what I figured caused it. I've a weak immune system so I tend to pick up bugs etc quite easily, especially when I'm run down.