Okay, me first! Yuck that is nasty and I know how you feel. I do so hope you get some relief soon from it. Take care Mrs.R....o/e

Rw... I openly admit to being a "painslut" but let me tell ya this is beyond even my tolerance for pain.

O/e... I'm only half joking on the "shoot me, PLEASE"... I'm on some serious drugs for pain to start with and doc added morphine on top of my prialt... so I'm pretty much higher than a kite at the moment.

Uh uh.. not gonna shoot ya - but sympathize ;).

No, I know it's not funny - I've had chicken pox too and since I heard of the connection I've been holding my metaphorical breath myself..

"sigh".. I could have done without knowing what the thing looks like.

Rated for get better soon friend (and watch those drugs! ;).

Oh, you poor thing. I had shingles a year ago and still can't believe how little relief there was from the pain. I hope your doctor gave you the big antiviral pill (forget what it's called, but it does help, especially if caught quickly.) Percocett helped dull the edge somewhat, but made it near-impossible to get out of bed. I had a wretched month before the pain slowly loosened its grip, and used up all my sick days at work.

I wonder if medical marijuana would help? I've been reading about it because of my husband's cancer-associated pain. Never touched the stuff (didn't even "try it without inhaling") but there's a documentary available at PBS called "Clearing the Smoke" which makes an excellent case for the efficacy of cannabis in pain relief, and I'm rethinking my decades-old stand on the substance. If I'd watched it a year ago, while I was in such agony, I would have set aside my scruples and asked my son to get me some to try.

I am so sorry! I had shingles a few years ago during a period of great stress. I told the doctor I was "too young" to have shingles. He told me it is a misconception that it is an older person's disease. He told me he got it as a medical student. Apparently stress can trigger it. (If you've had chicken pox, it lies dormant in your body.)
I hope you recover quickly. ~r

My mom and son had these and I am so very sorry you now have them. Yes to taking anything that will help and trying to get sleep until they heal.

The shingles vaccine is one that's definitely worth getting. Shingles can be lifechanging.

Hope your outbreak doesn't last long.

Sorry, Abigail, but I remember when my dad had shingles and he suffered egregiously. At least your drugs are better than was available in his day - I think.

They are HELLISH! Missed my son's high school graduation because of them. And he was Valedictorian. I have no suggestions except keeping frozen washcloths at the ready and ibuprophen. Doctor gave me an anti-viral week of pills at onset and I think it helped. I really feel for you...

Μrs,wishes for good health..Rated with thanks for sharing!!

shots do help.

i start with single malts then when it all starts to taste the same I switch to much cheaper wiskey.

Seer... the thing is.. none of my medical records (and my current doctor has them ALL from the time I was born) show I have ever had chicken pox NOR do any of my siblings, aunts or uncles remember me having them. I knew I was immune to chicken pox themselves though... I've been exposed a dozen times (easily) and never broken out in the tell-tale rash. Plus I always made sure my kids got them when they were toddlers simply because I did NOT want them to get them when they were adults and at the time there was no vaccine for them. Heck the vaccine had JUST been approved when the twins started school and when asked if I wanted them to have it I looked at the nurse and said "they have already had chicken pox" so the twins didn't get the vaccine. By the time the youngest was old enough for it she'd had them as well - matter of fact, I put off her appointment FOR the vaccine because she HAD them.

Snippy... I'd TRY medical marijuana if I wasn't one of the 0.01% of people who is allergic to the stuff. Hell I'd head for that FIRST if I wasn't allergic.

Joan... it's been a VERY stressful couple of weeks here so no surprise I've got something I didn't know I could get to start with.

LL... between the Prialt (sub-dermal pain medication pump that puts it straight into my spinal fluid) and the morphine patches... sleeping is about ALL I can do without it classifying as "WORK." My concentration is gone and I'm higher than a kite.

High Lonesome... I am, unfortunately, too young to get the shingles vaccine or I would have gotten it. I WILL get it when I am old enough.

Chicken maan... my drugs are pretty good... Prialt works by blocking part of the pain receptors in the brain. We all know about morphine. Both are good stuff and generally keep pain down to a "dull roar" by themselves. That doc decided I needed both when he saw me today (THANK GOD FOR HOUSECALLS! I would HATE to pass this crap on to anyone else - which CAN be done [as chicken pox] if they touch the fluid from the blisters) and I was (for the first time in the 30 years he's known me) in tears from the pain.

Kalispera Stathi. Anyone who has had chicken pox CAN get shingles... I may be whining about the pain (I admit it) BUT I'm also reminding people what they look like and performing a sort of public service since for some reason this appears to be the "season" for shingles.

Wschanz... I can only be on morphine a total of 5 days... so I am pretty sure I will start on the scotch long about Thursday.