How was your day?

[Joanna]

They told me it's not shingles, some kind of allergic reaction  ~ probably to some kind of bug bite they think, but since I didn't see it or feel it at the time, I don't know what.  I was pressure washing the house Monday when it started, and could have disturbed something there.  Anyhow, I got a super-powered cream to put on it twice a day, and some benedril, and it should go away soon. Now if I could just reach the middle of my shoulder blade... Ha! Another job for my Marty.

[Mom70x7]

Diane -

More about this shingles shot . . .

Is it for those of us who already get shingles?
Or for the lucky ones who do NOT???

Is it preventative, or taken when an outbreak occurs?
How long does it last?

I can often feel the skin "tingle" before the blisters occur.
If I catch them that soon, Zovirax is wonderful!!!

I searched on-line for answers and got a confusing array.

[Diane Amberg]

Mom70x7, as of right now, Zostavax is only for those, over 60, who have never had a shingles outbreak. As I'm sure you already know, Herpes Zoster is related to Chicken Pox. The vaccine isn't 100% effective in everyone, but does diminish the outbreak significantly. There are restrictions with it, so the doctor is the best source of information. Ask your doctor, but I think you will need to stick with the Zovirax. I get Herpes Simplex on my lip occasionally, so that skin tightening and tingling is familiar to me too.   

[Janet Harrington]

I have Herpes Simplex.  A few years ago, I got a very bad case of Herpes Simplex that went across my face in the area of my eyes.  I went to a dermatologist and she prescribed Acyclovir and 2 L-Lysine capsules twice a day.  As long as I take that medication each and every day, I do not have an outbreak.  I never get a fever blister anymore.  However; if I do not take it, I can feel the tingling on my lip and I know the outbreak has started again.  This doctor told me that I will have to take Acyclovir every day of my life for the rest of my life.  She said if I ever go off of it, the virus will flare up, go down, flare up, go down, and each flare up would be worse until I would finally be hospitalized for it.  So, needless to say, to make a long story short, LOL, I take my medicine each and every day, twice a day.

[Wilma]

I'm afraid that Janet inherited that from me.  I used to have very bad fever blisters but since she started taking that medicine I haven't had a bad one and very few minor ones.

[Diane Amberg]

She takes the meds and you got better?

[Wilma]

It's true.  Of course, there is probably another reason I don't have fever blisters anymore, like not being out in the sun and wind. 

[Diane Amberg]

 I think that's probably it. The sun in May used to bring mine out, but liberal use of sun screen and a good hat have helped a lot.

[Janet Harrington]

Diane, you just don't understand.  I take the medication.  Mother gets better.  It works.  This is the same Mother that could go to sleep when her girls were out, then wake up about 5 minutes before we walked in the door and was standing at the kitchen sink waiting for us.  She told us she never lost any sleep worrying about whether or not we would be home on time because she would just wake up, then we walked in the door.  Twilight Zone if I ever heard of one.  Yep.

[Rudy Taylor]

But what wonderful twilight you found in that zone.