Shingles

[puffy]

For those who may not have considered this condition..It's very much like Chicken Pox except much more painful I'm told.Anyone who has had Chicken Pox and is up in years can get.It's estimated that one out of three people over 60 years old will get it.There's a shot now that one can get at the doctors office or at a pharmacy that will prevent this from happening.I got one yesterday.My co-pay was $35.I'm told that co-pays can be different with each insurance company.Some folks I think can get one for free.I can assure you that If you ever see someone with Shingles as I have you will know that it's something you don't want to get.

 

[papipeguy]

I got my shot 2 years ago. If you don't have insurance the cost could be $200. Puffy is right, don't mess around. Get the shot.

 

[troutface]

Anyone who has had Chicken Pox and is up in years can get.

You don't even have to be up in years to get them . I got them when I was 48. All it takes is a real stressful event to give them a chance to ramp up. Typically folks get them around their waist, lucky me I got them on my face and head. That's especially dangerous because the eye can get infected and lead to blindness. I managed to dodge that bullet, but it was still painful as hell. Any one who has had the chickenpox should get the shot.

 

[zitotczito]

My mother got the shingles and she said it was worse than child birth. She said the pain was terrible, My father who is thrifty to say the least, paid cash and got the shot after seeing her suffer. I'm 60 and I just got the shot and insurance paid 100%. In either case, from what she told me of the pain, it was a no-brainer.

 

[phil67]

I had them and it's not something you EVER want to undergo! Mine was about 32 years ago and I had it very close to my right eye. The doctor was worried that if it spread I could possibly go blind. Other than that, I had no idea there was a preventive shot for it! Got to visit my pharmacy, and or doctor and check this out.

 

[elpfeife]

I got it in my late 30's. It can take different forms, but all are painful. My case settled in the ear. I didn't look like Troutface did, but I bet my "discomfort" was up there. Bad stuff.

 

[tarak]

It's nothing like chicken pox. At all.
It is caused by the same virus, Varicella Zoster.
Source: I'm an RN.

 

[huntertrw]

My late Father contracted shingles when he was in his early 70s, and I recall that at times he was simply out of his head with pain. If you had chicken pox as a child, and are now age-eligible for the vaccine, I urge you to take it. As Pipestud is fond of saying, "You can thank me later!"

 

[numbersix]

+1 .
My dad had them - he was in a lot of pain and discomfort (and my dad, a former merchant marine, is a pretty tough guy but he was not a happy camper).

 

[mso489]

If you get it, you can get a shot that will subdue it, often permanently. You can tell you have it by deep purple

blotches, usually around the area above your waist, usually only on one side of your body. You must get the shot

immediately, and this will spare you the long term affliction, and pain that can make it impossible to wear clothing

without pain, deprive you of any prolonged sleep, etc. Once healed, you can get the vaccination against it too. But

better to get the vaccination first, before you get shingles. My wife and I have both been through this. I went to my

doc with a false alarm, so when I went back just months later, she said, "You've done it now."

 

[ravkesef]

You poor guys who have had it. It's unbelievably painful. Fortunately, there's a vaccine available, and if your insurance won't cover it, get it anyway. If you're a veteran, you can get it at the VA.
Don't mess with this one, it can make you go blind, and you won't even have hair on your palms.

 

[troutface]

My case settled in the ear

Mine started in my ear, thought I had an ear infection, then it broke out on my head and face. Couldn't sleep on that side for a week. Sorry for posting the scary photo, but maybe that will get some of you to the doctor for the vaccination.

 

[antbauers]

Herpes Zoster aka Vericella Zoster.
I got the shingles on my 23rd Birthday. Idk why I got it at that age, they say stress but I was fine. I was definitely stressed after that bc I wanted to die. And I don't mean that as a figure of speech, it was that terrible. And now I've got scars.

 

[fnord]

Damn! You guys have made a believer out of me.
My 56 year old wife got shingles when she was 21 or 22. Like Zito wrote, child birth with our twins was a cakewalk for her.
Trout, you're a fence post around here: solid, steadfast and more reliable than the sun coming up in the east every day. But that picture made small children cry. I'm so glad you weathered the storm, pally.
Fnord

 

[natenice1]

I got them after my second back surgery at 37 I'm now 42, I would have rather had six more back surgeries! The only thing that semi-helped was Dilaudid, synthetic Morphine and you knew the exact time it was starting to wear off! My back, stomach and derrière, not kidding guys with the staples in my back and Shingles I was seriously thinking about a bottle of pills and a bottle of booze, it was that bad! :twisted:

 

[tuold]

I appreciate the warnings. I shelled out the $180.00 cost for the vaccine for my wife, but my employer will give it to me free after my 60th birthday next year. Now I don't know if I want to wait.

 

[lostandfound]

Got when I was 20-21 or so. I guess it's worse for you old dogs- I only experienced a terribly itchy discomfort. Saying it was painful would be rampantly over-dramatic.

 

[crazypipe]

I got my shot last month ::

 

[troutface]

But that picture made small children cry.

Sorry if I scared the younguns Jim, it was all in the name of public health lol.

My back, stomach and derrière, not kidding guys with the staples in my back and Shingles

Holy cow, that's like hitting the anti-lotto or some sort of unholy trifecta.

 

[4dotsasieni]

Just one caution -- I have heard that if you're not 100% sure that you've had chicken pox, the shingles vaccine may do more harm than good.
Anyone know if this is true?