Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsD
Shingles is a form of neuropathy. I believe it lives in the dorsal root ganglia in the spinal cord.
It is called Post herpetic neuraglia.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pos...ralgia/DS00277
I have had shingles down my right arm, and I still get pain from it now and then.
It can occur anywhere from the distribution of the chickenpox you had when younger.
I believe it is called a ganglionopathy:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6388067_ga...uropathy_.html
If you suspect shingles you can have blood work for the titres of the antibodies to the virus. Several ones can be done. I had both simplex and zoster run when I had my shingles because they were in an odd place (usually it is across the torso chest back area). My zoster titres were very high, but simplex low.
So I took antivirals for quite a while, and also during 2 severe pain outbreaks. That was a decade ago. |
I was tested in 2008. My titres showed that I did not have simplex, and I do not recall that anyone said anything about zoster-specific titres. I had neuralgia, but my symptoms were atypical of shingles. In spite of this, and having no better diagnosis, they said it was shingles and called it a day.
Two years later, I had a new and different un-diagnosable pain in my foot. Upon examination of the foot issue, a rheumatologist diagnosed me with small fiber neuropathy.
Since the prognosis and treatment for shingles and the prognosis and treatment for SFN are about the same, I am wondering whether it makes a practical difference what I have.