Lyme and shingles

Hello everyone,


It's been a while since I posted here. I had knee surgery a year ago and recovery was slow but I'm doing better. During recovery I couldn't get into my sauna for months, I got depressed and into some bad eating habits, gained 30 pounds.

Finally after a year of PT I am feeling well enough to exercise and went on the Team Beachbody program to lose weight. It's been two weeks; first week I felt amazing and dropped 4 pounds. Near the end of the week I started word switching and losing words. It had been so long since I had eaten well that I forgot that I could trigger a herx. Last weekend I had a major middle of the night anxiety attack.

Then a few days ago I started getting this burning skin pain. It starts from my SI joint of my lower back, then there's another sore burning spot on the outside of my hip and a third one high on the inner thigh. My skin feels bruised and raw but looks pristine.

I went to my doctor (she's an Osteopath) and she feels it's that form of shingles where you don't get blisters. She put me on an antiviral and told me to get back in the sauna.

I'm not on antibiotics, I could not handle them when I tried them a year ago. I think I just need to stay strict on the diet and get back on my herbs, plus use the sauna.

Has anyone else dealt with the shingles pain? Any tips on how you dealt with it? It's the third time I've been diagnosed with shingles; the first two where in the 90's when I believe I first contracted Lyme.

I'm just wondering what people think. Looks like I have some work to do to get past this.

Thank you Traveler

I'll order the Avena Sativa as the neurological topical oil I have isn't touching this.

I'm used to the various pokes and tingles of my skin, but this is really painful.

I appreciate the suggestion

Hi Lovehealth,

I had shingles twice, once with the blisters, and once the subcutaneous version. The way you discribe the pain is how I experienced it too. It drives you up the wall: stinging pains that can go deep, really tender burnt feeling on the skin, almost impossible to touch the affected parts.

Keep on taking the antivirals, they're really important. And the most important thing: I think you pushed your body too far, so you need to rest, not just sit still, but sleep a lot, do everything in slow motion. It's the most important thing when you have shingles. It's like an alarm going off: you need to slow down.

My dr prescribed me Zaldiar for the pain, it's a combination of Tramadol and paracetamol. It was the only thing that helped to bring down the pain - be careful though, it will put you out too. I would take it, and 10mins later I would be sleeping.

Good luck & take care of yourself!

MarieLS

 

Wow! I just learned a great deal of information from your post and the replies. I have had shingles 3x. My pain Doc said this was impossible since you can only get them 1x . Even though he saw the blisters. Since I have lots of migratory pain it is difficult to determine what is causing what .
The most helpful for me during the s outbreaks was increasing my neurotin meds up to 800 mgs daily. The neurotin was prescribed by a local doc infectious disease doc 200 mgs daily . When I can I see my
LLMD in Washington DC but travel and costs limits my visits. Hr upped. My dosage to 3600 Mg max per day. .although I don't don't take 1/4 th of that it has helped my neuro pain tremendously. Even my local doc (I Disease) has agreed that a dosage higher than 200 Mg was needed. Other than the reg pain meds and increasing my neurotin time has helped. I hope the outbreak passes quickly. The Lyme is bad enough I believe that anything secondary combined with a impaired immune system is unbearable. . I fell and broke a finger and I have been in bed since it happened last Sunday. I have surgery scheduled for Tues and am hoping I can recover from this quickly!
I hope you are soon feeling better!

Could this be peripheral neuropathy? I am presently dealing burning skin on the insides of both thighs and upper arms and down right arm. Inside of right forearm is the worst. I am constantly trying to figure out if it damage from lyme or a current active infection. My LLMD believes it is the bartonella which is known to cause this type of burning skin. I too thought it could be herpes or shingles and have tried treating with valtrex to no avail. I am currently treating the bartonella with an herb and the pain with 2400 mg. of neurotin which does in deed help.

That's wonderful news, LoveHealth!! Please do let us know what you think of the natural healing center. Of course we all hope that it's the place that will help you find the right things so that you can heal! Best of luck

It's both "fun" and scary knowing that you won't have to live with the symptoms of Chicken pox and shingles. I have never minded the not having the symptoms (of course!! ) but knowing that I can carry this stuff and not realize that I'm infecting others is scary!!

When my brother came down with chicken pox, back in the day - and then the whole school came down with it and I still didn't have any symptoms is when everyone realized that I was the carrier. That also got me volunteered to take care of my brother while he healed so my Mom would be so exposed!!! ACK!

Hi IslandTai - welcome to our community.

Wow 40 years you've had Lyme? Are you in remission now since being treated by the LLMD?

I have had chicken pox. So, I am concerned that I could get shingles later on in life..

I would not recommend that anyone with active Lyme disease get the shingles vaccine. Vaccinations can suppress the immune system and this allows the Lyme infection to worsen.

Yes, I did take the antiviral, both times. As I mentioned, the first time it worked on pain in 12 hours. I had the Shingles vaccine at my doctor's recommendation before I even had my Lyme diagnosis. She told me it wouldn't prevent an attack but would make it less severe. She was right. Both attacks were not as bad as what I've read about, but both attacked the sciatic nerve, hence mucho pain.

Once I finally got diagnosed I found an LLMD and got treatment. He told me how long I had had it and that I had be reinfected many times. No surprise as I was living on and off in the heart of LD region where the mother load was established. My LD was also not as severe as many of his patients, who came for IV abx daily. Symptoms came and went, usually migrating to a different body part just to keep things interesting and drs guessing. Though LD killed my metabolism and cause me to gain weight, I had always been active as a fitness trainer and even got my red belt in kung fu during that interval, although I found it very draining. But I was on abx 8 months. However they got me from 40 symptoms down to 16. Then did Chinese herbals which took me down to about 4 symptoms. Since then moved to cleaner air with ocean access (in early days the only time I wasn't dizzy was when ocean swimming.) Also do lots of alternatives (massage, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates) and supplements. Have been feeling better each year since the move. I consider myself in remission but I do get those occasional Lymey days where my body tells me to do nothing, usually only lasting a day. My last 2 remaining symptoms were the tingling and "heavy" legs. I work with a naturopath who has also been an excellent diagnostician. She caught the first Shingles attack even though I had no rash that time. (My LLMD is thousands of miles away now.) Well I guess you could also say that being prone to Shingles is a symptom.

I don't recall any flare-ups or harmful after effects from the vaccine. I also get a yearly flu vaccine (they've always helped me with winter allergies) but missed it this year. However this recent bout a different dr prescribed prednisone, and that should definitely have been a no-no. I wasn't thinking clearly when I was down and out and took it, then had to deal with its negative effects, such as feeling over caffeinated. I think I am over those now, feeling slightly more tired than usual but otherwise feeling pretty decent. After yesterday's acupuncture treatment the horse that kicks me in the butt every day has grown more docile. Hoping he will leave town soon.

Remember, if you have Lyme, when they ask you if you are allergic to any drugs tell them yes to prednisone and the like. Most drs don't realize the risks involved. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not to get the Shingles vaccine. I would definitely get the booster again if and when dr advises.

Thanks for your concern! And didn't realize this was an older thread. But then I'm an older person, heh heh.