Is Shingles Contagious?

7 Answers

These messages are for mutual support and information sharing only. Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.
Ive had shingles,(diagnosed) and Im breaking out many many times. Is there a better treatment???  I was told once by an internest that I could have some type of IV treatment to get rid of them. Have you ever heard of this??
I am sorry, I have not heard about this treatment. But I  know a fact the virus cause shingles hided in the body since the day you are infected and never get out.  it only breaks out when your immune system is weak. people with normal immunity don't have shingles all the time, you may try to boost your immune.
I'm so sorry to hear this. I too have suffered on several occasions with facial shingles.I also initially suffered with post herpetic neuralgia that hurt from my right tear duct to my chin where the break out occurs. I have a poor immune system and used to stay stressed which didn't help. One of the doctors I worked with suggested I start taking Valtrex 1 Gm everyday.This has helped tremendously. Now if I get shingles I don't have it as bad.Usually if I have an episode I have to take Valtrex 1 Gm three times a day for 7 days. Zovirax 15g cream to apply to the rash helps calm the burning, itching and pain from the rash.
Had shingles once (diahnosed). Washed with Dawn soap. No itch,but it kept moving on my waist. 5-6 days and it was gone,but at night nerves irritated me. Ibuprofen handled it micely.
Zovirax? Do you need a prescription? I am using a lidocaine product and am taking the antiviral medication. Alot of pain. Unfortunately I have type one diabetes and can't take steroids.
Finally! I’ve been looking for someone with similar experiences for a long time! Been suffering from type 1 diabetes for 10 years and contracted shingles half a year ago. Been on meds you’ve mentioned above but they seem of little help. The pain is killing me. God. Really not sure if I can survive this! Living with diabetes is already tough for me, now with both, I really don’t know how long I’ve got.
The shingles pain can be treated by mecobalamin that protects your nerve. This is a sequela of the shingles. Antiviral medications are effective for the viral infections when you just develop shingles, but it is not useful for the sequela after the viral infection has faded away.
I have been a type one diabetic for a little ovet 30 years. My best advice is get a very highly rated Endocrinologist..if you don't have one already.  But don't use just any Endocrinologist. Take the time to looking for a good one. I have had really good ones, bad ones, ones that are way too arrogant and ones that act as though i know nothing.  I recently moved and have a top notch endo, primary and a whole team of specialists.  I got lucky! I however have zero pain tolerance and steroids would help but it comes down to winding up in a coma or surviving the shingles which normal people do all the time.
Diabetes  ( especially type one) is never easy to handle. It certainly makes things more complicated. As i said the key is to get good doctors. Go on the internet and search for a highly rated endo! It took me probably at least a couple of months to find one and a few tries to find one i could work with.  PS- DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO TREAT YOU LIKE YOU KNOW NOTHING!!  You have been a type one diabetic for ten years..you know yourself a lot better than they do.
I've taken all antibiotics and the valtrx 3 times a day. And not all of it is not gone. Also blood pressure shot up to 161 does that mean the drugs did not work???
This is not right. Valtrex is supposedly to be effective, if the rash is shingles. If the rash does not respond to the valtrex, it means the rash might not be shingles. Is your diagnosis made by a dermatologist?
Yes I would say that you may have some type of resistant strain. I also bought a cream on line specifically for shingles. Luckily the shingles cleared up for me.  I have chronic pain anyway so it's hard to tell if I have any residual pain from them.
how long is shingles contagious
The virus spreads through directly contact of the rash blisters, as long as the rash goes away, it's okay.
In 1 to 3 days, the skin of the affected area appears papules with large mung bean size and tension, and vesicles are distributed along the nerves, clustered and arranged in strips. The person suffering from this disease is mainly characterized by fatigue and weakness, loss of appetite, mild fever, and soon the affected area feels hot with pain or itching. Some cases can be painless, but itchy, or only erythema without obvious herpes; severe pain is obvious, sitting restless, after a few days from clear and transparent blisters into turbid pustules, some can be broken to form erosion. Older patients often experience severe pain, which affects sleep. If the treatment is not timely or inappropriate, the pain remains after the skin lesions subsided. The sequela of herpes zoster is repeated neuropathic pain. The main feature of postherpetic neuralgia is severe and intractable pain. After the recovery of herpes zoster lesions, the pain persists.
Is shingles contagious?
How long do you have to wait with shingles before you can visit people?
How long is my shingles contagious to a 3 month old?
Are shingles contagious can you catch shingles from someone that have the shingles
Shingles itself is not contagious. You can’t spread the condition to another person. However, the varicella-zoster virus is contagious, and if you have shingles, you can spread the virus to another person, which could then cause them to develop chickenpox
You sound like a doctor. I have read your post and can't understand most of your terminology!
I have shingles and it painful yet seems harder to deal with even as i take dications as acyclovir and gabapatin now its seems to be vetting to face ictching what can i do ?
If you have a bad pain, you can apply some painkillers.
You may try to ice the rash, it relieves the pain temporarily.
Gabapentin also known as Neurontin doesn't work for everyone. Tell your provider that it's just not helping.  Gabapentin is usually the first thing they try. It's also used for a mood stabilizer. Didn't work for me. Doc's are resistant to prescribing anything with opioids..you may need to get a referral to a pain management doc!
My husband and I have been having all the symptoms of shingles but not the hospital nor the doctor caught this. We were told scabies bed bugs and whatever else they can name but nobody mentioned shingles and we've been dealing with this for months? How can it go so unnoticed and misdiagnosed like that? It does resemble quite a bit of the other ones.
Shingles and bug bites are quite different, however your doctor can take a tissue scraping and test in lab to confirm.
An easy way to tell the difference. Think your spine as the symmetry axis, the human body is bilaterally symmetrical. Shingles rash grows either on the left or the right, rarely the rash crosses the symmetry axis.
Is shingles contages
Shingles is not contagious, but the virus that causes shingles can be spread through skin-to-skin contact if a rash is present. An individual may develop chickenpox after physical contact with a person affected by the shingles rash.
Are shingles contagious?
Quote James Ward: "Shingles is not contagious, but the virus that causes shingles can be spread through skin-to-skin contact if a rash is present. An individual may develop chickenpox after physical contact with a person affected by the shingles rash."
Avoid contacting the blisters then you should be fine.
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