I had Shingles on my left thigh when I was seventeen. It seemed unfair at the time because it’s supposed to be an old person’s disease. Then again, it was a mild case and was more annoying and itchy than agonizingly painful (I wore baggy short-shorts and gently rubbed my leg all day which helped a lot). So maybe I got lucky that it happened so early.
ewwwwwwww…wheee
There is a vaccine for Shingles (Herpes Zoster) that is recommended for anyone over age 60 since your immunity to chicken pox typically expires.
My 80-year-old grandma got Shingles, which makes me mad because the vaccine had been around for a few years. Her doctor just forgot to mention it to her!
A number of insurance companies didn’t cover the vaccine for a few years when it was first FDA approved and it isn’t cheap to pay out of pocket.
It reduces the risk of a zoster (shingles) outbreak by around 50%. That’s not exactly a home run, since it’s expensive and only about half of the people that receive the vaccine seem to get any benefit. Assuming one doesn’t have a condition which would preclude receiving the vaccine (and that list is a llittle longer than one might imagine as it includes conditions that are more common in the 60+ age group), there isn’t a big down side other than the cost.
So, yeah, nowadays, the CDC recommends it - but it’s not a silver bullet.
I had 4 - what I thought were spider bites - on my side when I was 30. Itchy and hurty, when I had a nurse check them she confirmed Shingles.
The worst thing I heard is that people (primarily old folks) can get them on the face. Thats fucked.
I’ve had shingles twice, fortunately mild outbreaks as shingles goes. And yeah, they’re fucking painful. Not as bad as having, say, a metal bar tear halfway through the end of your finger. Or a root canal on a root that they haven’t been able to properly numb. Or arthritis flare up so badly you can’t even write with a pen or pencil.
Just saying. ;)
I have the shingles right now, decided to search why they hurt and I eventually ended up here. It’s day 4 and I started taking the virus pills a day ago, the pain is very sharp, probably a 7/10. I can’t sleep because of it or get comfortable but I can’t imagine how bad it would be if I just ignored it. Anyway, reading this discussion has not only enlightened me but made me feel grateful that it isn’t worse.
Uh…welcome! You may have the distinction of the worst reason so far for joining the forum, you have our sympathy! But glad the thread is helping, hope you enjoy it here.
Oddly, I’ve had them twice. Once at age ~14 and once at age ~31. I had chicken pox at age 6. They were mild when I was 14 but still hurt. They hurt horribly when I was 31, all across my torso. The cream made from hot peppers helped to numb the nerve endings and relieve the pain.
I hope you feel better soon!
Hi there. Sorry I didn’t see your post as I want to wish you well. If you can, give us an update on what’s happening? Shingles last such a crazy amount of time for every individual. From a week to months and of course the nerve pain can be all over the place.
@Clay Clay - wait, so you’re saying you had Shingles at age 14?! That’s crazy! How long did it take your parents/doctor to figure out what was wrong with you? I’ve honestly never heard of anyone I know getting them at such a young age.
I’ve passed countless, broken more bones than I can count, I’ve got severe Crohn’s disease & I’m on an immunosuppressive drug.
A couple yrs ago, I got the worst case of shingles that 2 hospitals, 10 drs (including several specialists had ever seen!
20% of my body aprox.
The nerve damage is so extensive- wind hurts!
It’s literally an infection of the nerves!
If it’s severe enough, that’s essentials the most pain you can feel…
Blows massive kydney stones, 20 yrs of intense Crohn’s disease, extensive surgeries… oh & withdrawal from methadone (which last for moths often) outa the water!
Shingles beats it all! If it’s extensive enough!
My doctors say that I’ll be in pain forever, & May get it again at any time from stress.
I’m barely 38!
And was actually in good health… considering my Crohn’s went into remission for a bit, I was nearlyna pro skateboarder- so I’ve been taken apart & put back together again, had surgery while completely conscious (& feeling all of it! Including scopes in both ends!) b/c my tolerance to meds was so high!
I’ve had more injuries than anyone I’ve ever met… life!
Kydney stones are awful, but they are like like a 5 on 1-10 scale compared to the pain of my shingles.
But again, I had one of the most extreme cases.
Recently I got 3rd degree burns on my arm when I reached into the oven to grab something & accidentally rested my forearm on the 400。oven rack - didn’t even notice the pain for a minute but I’ve git some nice reminder scars… skin was white!
The amount of pain I can withstand now is unreal…
So… enjoy!
It’s just physical pain! Forever maybe…
My psych pain is probably worse…
life…
I had a big splinter once. Took a couple of tries to get it all out. Worst pain ever.
How big was it?
Almost an inch.
(I’m trolling.)
You call that a splinter?
THIS is a splinter:
I’ve had shingles twice. Once around my shoulder and neck when I was 14 and again on my abdomen when I was about 38. It hurt like hell. It subsided both times, after a month or two and hasn’t caused pain since then. Hopefully yours will go away and no have lingering effects. Did you get that hot pepper cream to apply to the effected areas?
I am recovering from shingles now. I am 31 and my shingles started on Christmas day (nice huh?). I got it on my scalp and the pain during the first week was horrible. I could not lay my head down, not to even mention wash my hair. Felt like my head was on fire, and even the slightest movement of my hair would trigger a horrible pain. I treated pain with Ibuprofen ( I took 600 ml every 6 hours). It did help me and I realized that taking the ibuprofen exactly on time (I set alarms every 6 hours on my phone), helped me contain the pain. You should try to keep the levels of pain killers steady in your bloodstream, and avoid allowing the pain to peak. I am now starting the fourth week since the outbreak and although my rash is gone, I still have pain on my scalp, left side of my neck, and strangely, on my left shoulder when I get tired. I am off the ibuprofen since 3 days and I am back to work. Now I am hoping the remaining pain will go away on its own. Wish me luck.
There is a newer, more effective vaccine:
I recently got the first dose (it’s a two-stage vaccine) of Shingrix. It’s supposed to be 90% percent effective, as opposed to 50% for the older vaccine. It was in short supply until recently, but now it seems to be more widely available. It is somewhat more painful than the older injection, which had practically no side effects. Shingrix made me feel shitty for about a day and my arm hurt for a couple of days. A small price to pay for not getting the shingles. I’ll be getting the second injection in another couple of months.