Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Monday, November 21, 2016

I Knew It Wouldn't Last

Bob has the shingles. I have no idea how long he's had them. The lesions look like they've been there several days but are still hot and inflamed.

Last night after his shower he asked me to look at his side and that's when I knew we were in trouble. I called first thing this morning and was able to get him in to see the doctor.

We were not very successful in determining how long he may have had the lesions or his discomfort level. Very frustrating.

Because of the lack of a functioning immune system the doctor elected to treat aggressively with a high dose of anti-viral medication. She said shingles are a shock to the body so she recommended B-12 stress tabs for a month to support the body.

Pain medication was another guessing game. Since we were unable to get much guidance about his level of discomfort she elected to go with Gabapentin rather than a strong pain medication. Gabapentin should calm the nerves and interrupt the nerve pain arcs to make him more comfortable.

I'm off now to get some of this medicine into his system and get on with dealing with this new bump in the road.

24 comments:

  1. Shingles aren't nice. I hope the medication brings some relief.

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    1. That remains to be seen. I didn't find the medication helpful when I had them but this is a much stronger medication. It's a wait and see game I think.

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  2. All I know about shingles is that they are absolutely AWFUL. I do hope Bob's case isn't too severe.

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    1. I took the vaccine and about two years later had shingles. Bob had shingles a few years ago and his doctor thought, given his weakened condition, it might be good not to give him the vaccine. We didn't and now he has the shingles. I can only hope that having had them before will make this a lighter case but who knows. In my case my reaction to the vaccine was much more painful than the actual shingles. Not sure what we will do. Perhaps give him the vaccine early next year but I really am not impressed with it.

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  3. I've never heard of anyone getting shingles after getting the vaccine. I thought it was a dead vaccine that couldn't give it to you...scary stuff, especially since I had the vaccine two years ago thought I could break easy.

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    1. Sorry dear, people frequently get shingles that have had the vaccine. When pushed for disclosure medical people will tell you taking the vaccine should protect you from a severe case of shingles, make for a milder case, hopefully.

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  4. Oh, no! Poor Bob. Poor you. Not nice for a week when we are all trying to be thankful.

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    1. I was shocked when I saw those lesions. I knew immediately it was shingles. I just wish I had some idea when those lesions first popped out. Oh well, it is what it is, this too shall pass, sometime.

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  5. When my mother had shingles, she took Gabapentin, both during the outbreak and for residual nerve pain, and it really did help. She used it under the brand name Neurontin. We both got the vaccine -- she, after the episode was over -- and so far, so good. She never had another outbreak, and I haven't had one, either.

    Here's a tidbit that just cracked me up. My kitty hates the vet. She turns into Demon Cat, and things just hadn't been going well. When I had to take her in for surgery and x-rays, the vet gave me five little white capsules with instructions on how to get one down her before coming in for surgery. When I asked what it was, he said, "Gabapentin." So there you are. That which is good for humans is good for felines. On cats, a tiny dose works as a tranquilizer and relaxant. I asked him if that's why the doc told my mom to take one in the morning, one at noon, but two at night, and he said, "Yup."

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    1. That is funny about your cat. Gabapentin is apparently helpful for a lot of things. My brother-in-law took it for restless leg syndrome. The neurologist gave it to me for benign tremors.

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  6. I am so sorry. I bought a jar of emuaid when I had that complication in my first toe surgery this year. It's an ointment and has been used to help with shingles. I know you do your research and you may want to look into emuaid. I see that all of us are wishing relief for your Bob.

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    1. I shall look into Emuaid because he can't take the Gabapentin.

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  7. Shingles are so painful! The vaccine is about 50% effective in preventing an outbreak. And, if you do get shingles after you have had the vaccine, it is about 65% effective in reducing the severity of the outbreak. Better than nothing. They still don't know how long the vaccine is good for; still in the evaluation stage. But the CDC does not recommend a second dose.

    Best advice is to get to doctor ASAP when you first notice the outbreak so that an antiviral can be given, which will also reduce the severity of the outbreak. They are also still evaluating how long the vaccine is effective for. The latest thinking is about 6 years.

    I've seen a lot of bad cases of shingles over the years. One patient had it in her eye, another in her groin. So very painful. You did all the right things Linda. Hopefully his course will be relatively short and not too painful

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    1. Today's first dose of Gabapentin was just about his undoing. The bottom dropped out of his blood pressure and he went into a dizzy sinking spell. He's been all day recovering from that. No more Gabapentin.

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  8. That just seems totally unfair. Geez. I hope it one of the milder cases as did seem to be the case for those I know who had the vaccine but got shingles anyway.

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    1. Today I am more hopeful about it being a light case. Especially since he could not take the Gabapentin. Gave him one pill and it dropped his BP significantly. No more of that.

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  9. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this, and so sorry Bob has shingles. You were looking forward to a pleasant Thanksgiving week with family. We've both had the shingles shot, but we realized we can still get shingles. Of course, I hope we don't.

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    1. I hope you never get them. I'm really hoping Bob's is going to be a light case.

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  10. Oh no!!!! Been there and it is really a painful trip that lasts way too long. I was given the Gabapentin also but even with it, it was a miserable time. That poor guy and you don't deserve this. Hope he has a mild case.

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    1. The Gabapentin dropped the bottom out of his blood pressure. He's been loopy all day from just one dose.

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  11. My father had a terrible case of shingles while I was caring for him. Something I hope I never get. My husband and I have gotten the vaccine. My doctor said it was about a 50/50 chance we'd get them, but it should be a mild case if we do. So. I got my vaccine years ago, but my husband didn't bother until he saw how horrible it was for my father. Then he couldn't get there fast enough. I hope Bob fares well. Not a very nice Thanksgiving surprise.

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    1. No, not a nice Thanksgiving present at all. I'm hoping his case will be light but it's too soon to tell.

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  12. A dear friend of dad's had shingles a few years back, nasty nasty stuff, she lost most of the vision in one eye, and effected the hearing in one ear, as well as messing with her face.
    Hope your hubby is better soon.

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  13. Just checking in to see how things are going. Better, I hope. Let us know!

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