sometimes the blisters can affect the whole dermatome, all the way from the specific dorsal root ganglia it reactivated in. you see the classice belt around the waste. I had mines at 20yo, i was defintely stressed from school. Mine was only 10 lesions orginally it was fused from more blisters. but the effects of it was that it affected the whole dermatome, and i was left was permanent scars(same shape and size of the original blisters), numbness, and hypersensitivity on the area of skin. People with low immune responses can get repated attacks, but it still uncommon though. its not even understood why they reactivate in some and not others. with the related HSV1 and 2, they reactivate quite regurlarly

Have been hearing of many people having prolonged outbreaks, as in 2-3 months of agony. These seem like quite long episodes.

I am not sure if these particular people have used the anti-viral drugs. I think I would take them if I had a severe shingles outbreak.

I hear so much controversy about the shingles vaccine.
I am interested in the science on this.
Thanks, Kiwi!

Wiix, I don't blame you for not wanting them again!


DejaVu

You know what? I think I may had had them when I was a teen. I remember having the same thing, I just never told anyone.

People who have severe shingles for that long are expected to get PHN as a complication, which is severe pain after shingles. From ncbi, they dint specify the adverse effects, but i would assume it would be a zoster, or a chickenpox infection. Its generally for people who are at risk for shingles, like older people.
sometimes shingles happen so quickly, theres not enough time to get to the doctor and get medication. its usually within the first 3 days of the first blisters, but since it looks like a benign condition at first, diagnosis is usually delayed. I waited a whole week before getting medication, but it was pretty late by then. Most likely people do get antivirals like acyclovir, but it was past the 3 day mark, and thats where full blown shingles is.

Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk regardless of age. The anti viral medications work if taken within a certain amount of time that shingles is diagnosed. My cousin did that and that is what she would do again if she ever got shingles again. The vaccine is not 100% effective. Currently it is for people 60 years and older. There can be side effects.

http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/vaccination.html

I think that recommendation about timing of the treatment is outdated.

My husband had a horrible shingles attack that was all along his torso/chest for over 6 months. I was upNorth when he started, and he phoned the marina (this was before cell phones), to get me. When I called him back, he had already had his outbreak which was in one ear also...for over a week. I insisted he go to the doctor ASAP...and he was finally given the antivirals.

He did have one recurrance of just pain, the next spring along the shingles path, but since then has not had any trouble.
Shingles may present in unusual ways and be confusing to some doctors who expect certain presentations. It can also be confused with poison ivy. My shingles never blistered, but involuted and turned black. They were along my radial nerve. I sometimes get the pain along that tract with no blisters even today, 20 yrs later.

Alot depends on the person, and the status of the immune system. I was working long hours... on midnights no less, so I was pretty run down. Even though I was mild with the shingles I developed a pneumonia and 104 fever as a side effect and was very ill for over a week. My doctor made me quit midnights as a result. My doctor ran antibody titres on both Herpes simplex and Herpes Zoster to verify the shingles, since they were an atypical presentation. My Zoster readings were way higher, higher than the high range in fact.

Hubby didn't need the blood work...his shingles looked like a terrible road rash like one gets from concrete falls. But he didn't get the fever or pneumonia like I did. I didn't have nearly the number of vesicles as he did, but I was far sicker.

So I do believe the antivirals now are strong enough to override any delay in treatment.

I hope people are allowed a choice to take antivirals, even if past a 3 day mark. These cases running 3-4, or 6, months deserve the option of attempting an intervention. (I would seek treatment at any stage, but then my immune system is a little aberrant anyway.)

With HSV-1 and HSV-2, as far as I know, treatments are not withheld if past the initial 72 hours. Some people have some prolonged attacks of these two strains of Herpes viruses, as well.

I can add anecdotal observations re: people with frequent HSV-1 and HSV-2 outbreaks having fewer outbreaks if/when they add L-lysine to their daily intake and/or stop intake of sources which increase arginine (colas, nuts, etc.)
(Lysine and arginine intake must be in balance to minimize outbreaks. However, these two amino acids are not the only factors determining outbreaks. Stress, immuno-suppressants, diet, etc.)

I am concerned with so many people having such prolonged episodes; prolonged episodes seem to be more common than not these days.

DejaVu

Yes people are allowed to have treatment past 3 days, i had it at 7th. but it was too late by then though. THE 3 day window, is when shingles does the most damage to the nerves by the 3rd day, enough to give you all the symptoms i described. For HSV-1 and 2 it is different than with shingles.

shingles unlike hsv1 and 2, is far more painful, and it causes post herpetic neuralgia, and permanent nerve damage.
I also had aseptic meningitis caused by the shingles, i had it for the whole week, my spine and neck were stiff to the point it was hard to make head or torso turns. Also had lower back pain from the affected nerve.
Shingles is more severe and widespread in older individuals, 55+, and 75+ its even worse. People who are immunocompromised like elderly, Hiv or have autoimmune can get reccurent shingles, and it affects more than 1 dermatome/dorsal root ganglion. And thier shingles tend to last longer and have PHN as a result. turning black means the tissue has become necrotic at the blister site, and infection can set in there.People who have Hiv would most likely have it on both side of the body as well as opposed to 1side.

The only time i had an outbreak, which was my first was when i had a fever and from food posoining, which is why it was called a fever blsiter(cold sore). At first i thought it was just a wierd mouth ulcer, the doctor i went to for food poisoning noticed and told me it was hsv-1. The ulcer caused by hsv1 was like a scalloped sore, which is indicative of hsv-1 on the lip.

These herpes infection tells you what is the state of your immune system.
The 3 day mark was to prevent shingles from progressing to permanent nerve damage and PHN, after that 3 days the medication is less effective at preventing the nerve damage and PHN, though it may lessen the symptoms though. Since i took mines on the 7th day, while it bursted, it already had done its permanent damage.

Hi Neuroproblem,

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Thanks for increasing awareness.

DejaVu

Oh, shingles can be dreadful.

As others have said, there is a vaccine. I've heard that doctors are reluctant to give it to younger, non-immune compromised patients, because one can only have the shot a limited number of times during one's lifetime. Is that true?