Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

[LesPaulCustom]

Okay, both of us are now sick as freaking dog balls.....and Ive got shingles on top of that, and they hurt like a sumbitch. The docs on base gave me basically ibuprofen and promethazine and neither one are helping much....any ideas other than nyquil of how to just sweat this out???

And does anybody know how to make shingles a little more bearable?? These things hurt really bad, and I dont know how long I can deal with it....even air hitting them make them hurt worse

Mrs LPC

[Emthrax]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Krista,

Omigod... I've had the shingles. They suck like a sonofabitch! Whatever you do, DO NOT put Calamine lotion on them.
If you're into herbal remedies look for an ointment or poultice with Comfrey or Slippery Elm in it.

I recommend this one for Comfrey : LINK

(note: don't take Comfrey internally)

Here is a link on Slippery Elm: web page

The Slippery Elm will also help your flu. A tincture is really easy to use.

Feel Better!! It's gonna suck for awhile, I'm bummed you have to go through this.
Get lots of rest.

Hugs,
Em

[Tetsuo]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Shingles suck never had them personally but I ahve been around a few who ahve had them not a whole lot can be done for them aside from riding the course sadly enough... Take Em's suggestions

[Zero Signal]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

I had a small bout with shingles once and my doctor prescribed valtrex (not sure on spelling) to beat the virus back into submission. It won't do much for immediate relief of the pain though. And yes that's the same valtrex used to fight off the similar virus that's an STD, shingles are the dormant chicken pox (herpes simplex, I think) virus. I had no idea what shingles was until I had it.

Otherwise I think the best thing you can do is do everything you can to let your body heal itself, rest and relieve any stressful situations as much as possible.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Relieve any stressful situation??? Okay, LOL...that would mean I stay home from work until they clear up....takes the stress away....while home taking the stress away, I begin to stress "where is the money gonna come from to pay the bills??" stress is back...I KNOW I KNOW....I will quit this job and become a roofer...might as well...Ive already got the shingles on my back ready to go!!!

Okay, Im sick....I dont feel good....I dont know what Im saying....

Im going back to the couch now

Mrs LPC

[Zero Signal]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

The shingles rash will slowly go away, you can't wait for that to dissapear before going back to work. But if everything just keeps getting worse and worse it might be the best thing to take a day or two off to turn the tide. Taking valtrex will help specifically with the shingles, I'd reccomend it.

[mhalsey]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

That sucks, you guys. Hope y'all feel better soon. I'm sure that military medical treatment that ya received will fix ya right up (sarcasm [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

[SeventhSon]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shing

15 1000mg Vitamin C tablets (no rose hips) per day. 5 in the morning / 5 at lunch / 5 in the evening. It will give you the runs initially. But I swear by it. I take 10/day and haven't been sick in 3 years.

There's a vast body of evidence on the therapeutic benefits of Vitamin C that has been suppressed by the drug companies because they cannot make any money on it. Even a Nobel prize winner, Linus Pauling (the guy who cured polio), concluded that Vitamin C could cure virus infections like the common cold and flu, but the drug companies successfully labeled this scientific hero a crackpot.

That's why they are also behind the continued suppression of any studies on the medicinal value of marijuana...because they can't make any money on it. They pay their lobbyists to convince our lawmakers to drag their feet on this.

They only make money on drugs that they have sole ownership of the patents and intellectual property rights. Even these drugs have dubious value. Guess who payrolls the FDA (our government agency that ensures the safety and efficacy of new drugs)? The drug companies!!! Talk about conflict of interest.

Sorry for the thread hijack. Lots of vitamin C.

[tonemonster]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shing

I cant help you on the shingles, sorry. I hear they suck though. As far as the flu, is it Gastrointestinal? (the pukin and shitin flu) or is it traditional influenza ? (the got hit by a fukin Mack truck doing 80MPH flu). If your pukin and have the shits, be sure to NOT get dehydrated. Get plenty of fluids. Try mixing fruit juices with water. ALot of poeple drink Gatorade to replenish their body. Some also drink Pedialyte. But dont forget to get PLENTY of water in you. the others are fine and they help, but you have to get water in you. Water flushes your body and gets rid of toxins. IF your having trouble eating, try jello. Its pretty easy to digest and might not make you Ralph your guts out. you can also try to drink soup broth, it has good nutrition, and isnt too bad on your guts.

If you have influenza, get plenty of fluids, eat some soup or drink soup broth.
in either case, get plenty of rest!! do what you have to to get rest. try to get essential vitamins and nutrients into your system. Em recommended some herbal remodies, I believe in these. I use several herbal dietary supplements when I am sick and they certianly help me get well quicker.

Here are some things, they have no medicinal value, but they make you feel a bit better. some things that wont actually help you heal but may help you feel better are a massage, a hot bath, hot rags on your head. Pain relievers will help your aches.

take good care of each other. You will both be better soon. It sucks, but it will be better soon!!!
Hang in there.

[Child Of Norther]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shing

We had a Shingles scare in my house after Xmas...


My gran stayed with the flu and it turned out she had shingles to boot, but we pretty much launched everything she touched in the guest room and none of us got it... but it's a bent as **** situation

[ElwoodBlues]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shing

JACK DANIELS

[toejam]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

[ QUOTE ]
I will quit this job and become a roofer...might as well...Ive already got the shingles on my back ready to go!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Can I get a price quote on my townhouse? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Seriously, hope you guys get well soon! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[RR05xx]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Hey, I got the shingles a few years ago. DO NOT SCRATCH, it will only make things worse. Also, that Valtrex stuff worked its magic. However, even if you dont scratch, the actual surface rash can take weeks upon weeks to finally go away.

There is a bright side of sorts, if you had gotten it when you were 65 or older, there is a good chance of permenant nerve damage ocurring. It happened to my grandfathr and he was never the same. This way, you will probably not get it again so at least its one less thing to have go wrong in the future.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Dont scratch??? Thats like telling a dog not to lick himself LOL

They are driving me insane already...and the shooting pain up my back is beginning to really get to me.....all I have to put on it right now is triple antibiotic ointment...and it aint working....oh well....

Mrs LPC

[dg]

Re: Best way to shake the flu and get rid of shingles

Shingles is caused by the same virus (Varicella Zoster, aka Herpes Zoster) that causes chicken pox. Once you get chicken pox, the virus stays dormant in nerve tissue in or near the spinal cord & never leaves. Shingles is a secondary outbreak of the virus caused when your immune system becomes weakened, often due to other illness or extreme stress. Shingles spread down the path of the nerve tissue, so usually they'll run in bands & favor 1 side of the body in a given area. It is not contagious the same way as chicken pox, but the virus could be spread to an uninfected person if they come in direct contact with the ooze from a shingles blister. But keep in mind, if you have had chicken pox you're already infected & won't get shingles from someone else. If you get shingles, it will be from your own previous chicken pox infection coming back to haunt you.

Zero Signal is exactly right about Valtrex. Some doctors also prescribe other ant-viral meds like Famvir or Zovirax. They can definitely help your body beat the virus back, since it is very closely related to the Herpes virus that causes cold sores and the STD form of Herpes. It works best if you take it before you get to the blister stage of the outbreak. Some doctors may also prescribe prednisone to reduce the inflammation, depending on how bad it gets.

The stress thing Z.S. mentioned is no joke either. A guy who used to work for us would get shingles whenever something bad happened. When his dad had a heart attack, he got shingles. Girlfriend broke up with him, he got shingles. Busted selling dope while carrying a handgun, shingles. [img]/images/graemlins/fart.gif[/img] He's locked up now & I wouldn't be surprised to hear he has a damned bad case of shingles. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Hope you both start to feel better soon, & I hope the docs on base will get their ass in gear & start to treat those shingles more aggressively!