Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Shingles help

i read through the info that wendy posted and it sounded like the complications are more likely when the immune system is compromised,
so it does sound like stopping the biologic makes sense, IMHO.

sue

I'm pretty sure I called enliven. lol Yes, I really am that out of it - mostly due to the amitriptyline. They said to skip a shot, but didn't have anything else to add.

Hi Torontogirl, thanks for your concern. No one has seen me since the rash first appeared, although I took pictures of it. lol It actually healed quite quickly compared to other people's stories (maybe because I got on the antivirals so soon?).There's no point in going to the ER here - if you're not having a coronary or lopped a leg off, you'll be sitting there for at least 12 hours. Pain management for healed shingles would be the last thing to get seen. We usually drive out to the Canmore ER, which is an hour away, but usually empty. My problem is that driving is out of the question due to all the meds I'm on and seriously everyone I know is out of town. There really isn't anything anyone can do after the virus is past a certain point (I'm in Fac of Med, and do have a few friends who are docs), I just wanted to know if anything about what was going on was going to cause permanent damage (ie do I stay on the prednisone? increase? decrease? etc). No one seems to know anything. I think the best I can do is wait and see. I'm finding that the amitriptyline is finally giving me some relief, so I'm at a tolerable amount of pain now. It hasn't been spreading at all, just the pain was getting worse, up until today (due to last night when I upped my ami dose).

I'd really, really like to try the Lyrica, if my doc would ever call me back. Or if he would ever call in that script like he said he would. grrrr.

Megan \\sending lots of white light and positive energy - this more than sucks - I am so sorry you are going through hell at the moment - I wish i lived in your town and I could be more than just a email support - I hope something good happens for you and now

keep us posted

Kylie

Megan - stay in touch and let us know how you're progressing. I chatted to my mother tonight and asked her how long her shingles lasted. She said it was 3 - 4 months before it was entirely gone but the really serious pain had backed off well before that. Her memory isn't so good about how soon she felt she could cope reasonably well without pain meds but I'll try and talk to my son tomorrow (who has a better memory) and see what he recalls.

Glad the amitriptyline is doing some good. My husband takes a very low does of that for insomnia. It seems to be a very useful drug.

Thanks Kylie!

Thanks Wendy, here's an update.
All visible evidence of the shingles is nearly gone now. Many times, I soaked in the bathtub with a bit of coconut oil in it - read that it can act as a mild topical antibiotic and anti-virulant, and be darned if it didn't clear up in record time with the stuff. Didn't do a thing for the pain though. lol
I found an old bottle of IR morphine in my cupboard and it's been very helpful. Also, I picked up an old script for gabapentin, but haven't yet had the guts to try it. I'm already on so many meds, but the pharmacist assured me it was ok to add this one to the mix. Really wish my GP had called in the lyrica script like he promised.
Amitriptyline is definitely helping, in combo with the morphine, ativan, and muscle relaxant (it's the nerve that runs through my upper arm, and it's now causing some pretty awful muscle tension, no surprise).
I told Glen if this is just shingles, and childbirth is worse, we are never, ever having children! lol
Even though the pain is terrible, I'm eternally grateful for the fact that I can still walk. All my flares had me completely immobile, so this is actually a bonus. I might double over in pain when the nerve acts up, but hey, I can still make it across the room without crawling!
Glen is on his way home tomorrow, but is brutally sick with a cold/flu now, so I'm guessing next week I'll have yet another virus to battle. Such is life.
Your poor mom for having shingles for that long! That's awful. Please let me know what your son has to say too. Thanks!!!

Far out Megan - you poor thing. You aren't whining. What you are doing is putting our pain into perspective and also, hopefully, getting a tiny bit of relief by sharing what you are going through. Keep your chin up.
In reading the posts you said your other half will be home soon with the flu. I used to get lots of colds, but have been taking odourless garlic tablets every day for the last year, and now it is very rare for me to get a cold (touch wood).
Take care,
James

I hope in some small way it helps to know that there are people all around the world thinking of you. It sucks big time that you missed your holiday, and that you've been so let down by your doctors.

Kurumi,
It helps beyond words, to have people here send good, healing thoughts. Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I do believe that somehow, that's got to make a difference in the healing process!
I might not always be able to reply to everyone's posts or threads, but every time I read, I send up a little prayer in hopes that that person's life will be changed a bit for the better. It can't hurt, right?
Did you know that my favorite place on earth is New Zealand? I spent all of 2000 there, for an exchange year in Uni (Waikato), and had the year of my life! I hope to go back one of these days. NZ is the most beautiful place on earth, imho, and I've been to alot of places, not just because of the landscape, but the people are unbelievably welcoming and friendly.