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kakapo · 09-28-2006, 09:50 PM

My brother has been diagnosed with shingles, but ive been paranoid since watching a doco on smallpox

(its kinda similar symptons, only obviously smallpox = a squillion times worse) about it being something more....

He seems to be in quite alot of pain, with headaches, nausea, the shooting pains from the rash, and a slight fever.....

are these all normal symptoms of shingles ?????

keepsgoin · 09-29-2006, 05:41 AM

I'm not real familiar with Shingles but what you describe are symptoms and that it's from the Chicken Pox virus which is herpes...not smallpox...

I do know from when my elderly father got shingles that it can really knock you off your feet. He lost a whole lot of weight because he was so sick he didn't feel like eating much...the pain was horrible and he felt bad for about a year.

I think that if you never had chicken pox it(shingles) can be contagious...I think...

angeleyes0906 · 09-29-2006, 07:21 PM

Typically the symptoms will start out with fever, and pain. Then you see a red area with raised blisters on them, usually in clusters. Can happen anywhere, the headaches and pain are normal for this. The pain travels along nerve roots and can be excrutiating. Most pcp will prescribe neurontin or lyrica for the pain, it is viral and contagious just like chicken pox until leasons are scabbed over.

Unlike chickenpox shingles sits dormant in the body and can reaccur during times of stress or illness. Antivirals can be given within 2 to 3 days from onset and greatly reduce the life of the virus.

The pain can continue after the disappearance of the rash. It is post herpetic pain (sorry if I didnt spell that correctly) there are several studies going on right now on how best to treat it over long term,

good luck

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