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mrsD · 04-22-2009, 07:19 AM

I am going to throw something out here:

I think one possibility--and this came up on our old PN board that preceded this one-- this that you may have Herpes Zoster
activation.

This is reactivated chickenpox virus. HZ remains in the ganglia along the spine and activate during certain types of stress.

For example my husband had a bee sting and his activated a week later in his ear and along his body (but not his limbs)

I came down with shingles when I was working midnights, and it was only on my right arm.

It is possible for HZ to not cause vesicles to erupt and therefore only cause pain. I have had several pain episodes along my neck and right arm since my eruption. They have slowly stopped after 10 yrs. My husband has had one pain episode since his.

Herpes can be tested for. There is a blood titre the doctor can measure. I suggest for all mysterious diagnosis patients here to have that test run. If very high, then some antiviral treatment may help. There are varying thoughts about HZ...some say that post herpetic neuralgia is incurable. But I think partial outbreaks can be sequestered with treatment.

This is a quote from the old board-- but I cannot put up a link to it because that old venue was not archived when it closed:
(not in archive page:
http://web.archive.org/web/200212261...ML/001395.html)
Here is the page with the index to show where this quote is from:
http://web.archive.org/web/200212261...tartpoint=4305
This should satisfy any legal issues involved with quoting this source.

Quote:

henryyvonne
New Member
Posts: 2
From: Hong Kong
Registered: Sep 2000
posted November 16, 2000 02:05 AM

Mrsdoubtfyre - firstly many thanks for your advice - I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you but I have been in London for 3 weeks of medical investigation followed by a move to Hong Kong.
I took 500mg of Famvir 3 times a day for 7 days. The doctor was very reluctant to prescribe it as he was convinced that the pain wasn't from post hepatic neuralgia because I had never had a rash. I told him that I had read, from more than one reliable source, that it was possible to have shingles without a rash. During the week of taking the Famvir the pain reduced by 90% and finally disappeared three weeks after finishing the course. Interestingly enough the three specialists in London backed up the shingles diagnosis.
It is bit too dramatic to say that your advice saved my life but it certainly gave me the correct treatment to stop the debilitating attacks that I was having.
Once again thank you - I really am SO grateful. With best wishes.

Certain dietary situations will enable herpes virus replication/activation. Foods high in arginine, and low in lysine seem to activate the herpes family. Trying l-lysine in amounts of about 2 grams a day may help. (Herpes uses arginine to replicate)
Here is a link to the food list:
http://www.globalherbalsupplies.com/...nformation.htm

A typical scenario we see in long term care facilities are patients with bedsores who are given arginine containing supplements to help heal them .... then they get shingles as a result of the high dose arginine!

Here is a medical paper to copy and give to your doctor in support of this possibility:

Quote:

Neurology. 2001 Jul 24;57(2):351-4.
Related Articles, Links
Click here to read
Acute, chronic, and recurrent varicella zoster virus neuropathy without zoster rash.

Fox RJ, Galetta SL, Mahalingam R, Wellish M, Forghani B, Gilden DH.

Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.

The authors report three patients with acute, chronic, and recurrent neuropathy associated with varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection but without zoster rash. CSF of all three patients contained VZV immunoglobulin G antibody, but not herpes simplex virus. In two patients, serum/CSF ratios of VZV immunoglobulin G were reduced compared to normal ratios for immunoglobulin G and albumin, and one patient also had VZV immunoglobulin M in CSF. All three patients received antiviral therapy and improved. The diagnosis of nervous system infection by VZV may be confirmed by the presence of antibody to VZV in CSF even without detectable VZV DNA.

Publication Types:

* Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

PMID: 11468330 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract

Of course, one has to have had chickenpox in order to have post herpetic neuralgia. Some people have had mild forms when small and it might have been overlooked then. That is why the blood work is important. I can show zoster titres clearly.