Shingles.

[mikeymike]

Wonderful.

Not happy :-(

(Shingles is the adult new and improved edition of chicken pox)

[bloodline]

Eh? Have you contracted it?

[KennyR]

Eow - very painful. Best get those zovirax tablets from the doctor as soon as possible.

Herpes zoster sucks...

[JaXanim]

Yea, very painful! You usually succomb when you get a bit run down.

I got them on my thigh of all places. I had to paint this anti-viral stuff on using a brush. It contained dimethylsulphoxide as the carrier. This is a mighty powerful solvent and skin penetrator. Within 30 seconds of putting it on my leg, I could taste it on my tongue!

Took several weeks to eradicate the bug.

This was before Zovirax came out.

Cheers,

JaX

[mikeymike]

I've been prescribed something called 'famvir', plus some anti-biotic cream.

This feels like running through stinging nettles three times a day, and I've got it on my hip, so major clothes chafing :-(

6 - 7 week treatment still though :-(

Though the tablets are only for one week, so maybe it calms down after the first week... fingers crossed :-)

[bloodline]

anti-biotic cream

But it's a Virus!?!?

[KennyR]

Yes, it's a virus, but it damages the skin and allows bacteria in, and they can do more damage than the virus can.

I don't fancy the sensation of putting any kind of cream on a shingles rash, though. Ouch!

[mikeymike]

bloodline wrote:

anti-biotic cream

But it's a Virus!?!?

But not like mydoom.  I haven't been accepting post with green vapour coming off of it :-D

[JaXanim]

I think all these '..vir..' preparations contain Aciclovir. It's used for cold sores too (another herpes virus type).

If you need this stuff, avoid the original (Zovirax) version, which is 50% more expensive than later formulations. Just look for Aciclovir in the ingredients.

Cheers,

JaX

[mikeymike]

Hey, I live in the UK.  We don't have to directly pay (full price) for prescriptions, so ner! :-D

[Speelgoedmannetje]

I don't get it, I read from the dictionary that shingles is an infection on nerves. But on wich nerves? I mean, one nerve is nothing alike the other.

[mikeymike]

A URL I found on the subject

Nearly all my family have had it.  I remember one of my brothers having it all over his upper chest.  It looks like a number of really angry red blotches, like someone diving naked into a field of stinging nettles (feels like it too).

The red blotches are open sores of sorts.  Advertising for other bugs to come and infect the body.

Other than the pain and blotches, I haven't noticed any other symptoms.  I had a headache, but down to the frequent needling sort of pain from the blotches.

[JaXanim]

It'll take a few weeks. Dress lightly, move slowly. Rest a lot.

Cheers,

JaX

[Speelgoedmannetje]

And get well soon

[smithy]

Sorry to hear that mate.  My Dad got Shingles a few months ago.  It took him at least 6-8 weeks to start to feel better again.  The painful bit is that it inflames nerve endings - usually in your legs.

Anyway - good luck with that.

As it happens, I'm suffering at the moment with a variant of the same virus (Herpes) that causes Shingles.  I've got something that resembles a coldsore on my top lip   :-(  It was burning like hell yesterday, but today it's a little better.

Some interesting facts about Herpes Simplex A (the coldsore type):

1.  80% of people have it.
2.  Only 25% of people that have it ever have any symptoms.
3.  Most of those that do get symptoms, never have repeat symptoms.
4.  You can pass it to your eyelids, fingers or genitals if you touch the coldsore and immediately rub your eye (or somewhere else).
5.  Many coldsores that start don't actually develop into full coldsores (this is what I presume has happened to me).
6.  If you feel one coming on, slap on the Zovirax which can also stop it developing.