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shingles?!
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Just been to the pharmacy who told me I have shingles – what on earth is shingles?!
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my mum gets shingles as she works with elderly people; apparantly they get it a lot.
an antihistimine like Clarityn or Zirtek will help if its itchy
Yep, and people with lowered immune systems as well :yes:
Shingles info
oh okay...well when she said it i assumed it was contagious. nevermind! when i said she gets it a lot, i meant she's had it about 4 times.
eta: oh i think perhaps she meant 'cause you can get it from the environment you're in?
stuff that...the website says 'However, shingles is contagious'.
I had shingles a while ago...
The doc told me that you cant pass it on... but if you come into contact with someone who hasnt had chicken pox before, then they can get chicken poxs from you...
look on the website...near the bottom it says it is contagious. hmm.
From that website:
Fluid from shingles blisters can cause chickenpox in people who are not already immune
but as you say, it says shingles is contagious too... which is odd because I asked my Doctor and he said no it isnt....
However shingles could cause someone else to have chicken pox if they haven't alreay had it. So my understanding is that shingles is termed contagious because it can cause chicken pox - not because it can cause shingles.
Shingles itself can't be passed on - as I understand it, because as a reactivation it requires an original infection of chicken pox.
As to not seeing anyone for treatment - ignore that. Go and see a GP or hospital immediately - I was prescribed antiviral drugs - I think acyclovir, which made recovery easier on the first time, and when I got a second outbreak got it resolved really quickly.
Took about a year for the feeling in my left side to recover though, and stress or exhaustion seemed to play a big part in when it occured. On an interesting note shingles only affects one side of the body, so it's wierd to watch one side get worse and more painful whilst the other is fine.
bit more info
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/shingles.htm
http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/shingles.html
ohhh, i thought i made that up.
i very kindly sung it to my mum when she had it one christmas.
and did it scar her not sure. didnt realy fancy looking where she got them