Shingles again WTF

[heapsreal]

So for the past week had cold/flu symptoms headaches bla bla bla and sinusitis going along for the ride.

Abx help sinuses. I have been on higher doses of famvir now for about 6 weeks. Also low dose hc to help.

I just thought another virus, slept crap and just sat on the lounge with my iphone drugged out.

I am feeling better . I work tomorrow and as has happened a few timez when ive had my head shaved , some call it a hair cut. My wife said the shingles rash on my head was red and inflammed, so it looks like varicella has reactivated again. Im guessing famvir has stopped it but prevented it get worse and recovered quicker.

I need to talk over some ideas with my dr. Maybe some time on valcyte.

So much for the antibody test i had over 12 months ago saying i had good immunity to vzv. My thoughts are low nk function are to blame .

Little information on chronic vzv and chronic antivirals are the only treatments available , i think??

 

[Crux]

Hi @heapsreal ,

WTF again.

I don't know if this will work for anyone else, but, after taking Clindamycin for a time, and avoiding probiotics; I haven't had a shingles episode in some months.

This is the third course of clindamycin. With the first one, I had a small outbreak. The second course, an even smaller one. I think with die-off, bacterial release of toxins can reactivate the virus.

This third course is a longer and higher dose for an oral infection, but I believe there are other infected areas being resolved. With less bacteria, there are less acidic metabolites produced. ( like lactic acid)

The VZV seems to thrive in an acidic environment. At least, that's what I've noticed.

 

[Richard7]

sorry to hear this heapsreal.

re the nk activity you may want to take spirulina http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20560112, there are some other studies linked on the right margin.

 

[Mary]

@heapsreal - I'm sure you know about lysine and herpes viruses. Here's an article with non-prescription remedies (including lysine), some of which might help: http://www.life-saving-naturalcures-and-naturalremedies.com/natural-cure-for-shingles.html

A friend had good luck with OLE and EBV. OLE never helped me with being sick, although perhaps I didn't take enough or didn't have a very good product. I may look at it again.

One more thing - I've recently started taking magnesium carbonate at night - it's supposed to help alkalinize my system and I do seem to get less sick, less often. Google "baking soda colds" and you'll find it's used as a home remedy for colds and flu because it alkalinizes the body. It's cheap and can't hurt.

And of course make sure your vitamin D levels are optimal.

Good luck, sorry you're going through this!

ETA - I've also had good luck with Echinacea helping temporarily with viruses. Obviously your immune system is taking a pounding with cold/flu/sinus symptoms so it makes perfect sense shingles would flare up along for the ride.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Am so sorry to hear this @heapsreal and hope you feel better soon. I know we've discussed this before but I test IgM positive for VZV yet have never had shingles and only mild chickenpox at age 11. I am starting to think these antibody titer tests are meaningless (and hope that is not controversial to say) but I was not helped by anti-virals at all.

 

[SOC]

Wow, that's rotten! So sorry to hear that.

When they say "good immunity to VZV" doesn't it mean they found high antibody titres? If so, perhaps a different interpretation of that data is in order under the circumstances?

I'd guess your thinking about low NK cell function is sound. I assume you've tried inosine/Immunovir and/or AHCC?

 

[heapsreal]

Wow, that's rotten! So sorry to here that.

When they say "good immunity to VZV" doesn't it mean they found high antibody titres? If so, perhaps a different interpretation of that data is in order under the circumstances?

I'd guess your thinking about low NK cell function is sound. I assume you've tried inosine/Immunovir and/or AHCC?

Im guessing high titres but no titre levels are ever given here.

I'm looking at adding inosine again.

 

[JAH]

This is a timely post for me- just asking a doctor today if I have shingles. Rash on my neck is itchy, so probably dermatitis, but it could be. Do you get itching with shingles?

Hope you feel better - none of us needs more problems...J

 

[SOC]

This is a timely post for me- just asking a doctor today if I have shingles. Rash on my neck is itchy, so probably dermatitis, but it could be. Do you get itching with shingles?

Hope you feel better - none of us needs more problems...J

Itchy? Somewhat. I'd say it's way more like a burning feeling... painful and very unpleasant, nothing like a more common rash itchiness. Think more like neurological pain, hitting your funny bone only continuous, something like that. When I've had shingles, it's painful to have clothing touching the rash area.

 

[JAH]

Itchy? Somewhat. I'd say it's way more like a burning feeling... painful and very unpleasant, nothing like a more common rash itchiness. Think more like neurological pain, hitting your funny bone only continuous, something like that. When I've had shingles, it's painful to have clothing touching the rash area.

Thanks. Very helpful.

 

[maryb]

Having just been hit by some viruses @heapsreal , HSV1&,2 and then something throat/ear, maybe EBV or CMV, couldn't get out of bed at weekend....started acyclovir and this got me up and able to have a brief shower, exhausted.

I was looking at black elderberry extract as an anti-viral and have ordered some, maybe you could look at that. Hope the inosine helps, its something I've considered before.. Only thing with lysine is I was told it has to be balanced with arginine which is a trigger for herpes viruses. I was also having a piece of 90% chocolate for a few nights before the viruses came on (arginine). But I also lost my dog at the beginning of the week, so I know that stress was what brought it on fully.

Have you had a lot of stress recently? My brother lost his wife and got shingles the day after - 7 weeks on he still has the rash and yes JAH - SOC is right, its a deep pain, not so much itching. I'm sure just having this illness and having to work is enough stress for anyone sick

 

[Seven7]

@heapsreal Sorry to hear this! I agree with you until you raise NK you will struggle with Herpes family activation (google NK cell dysfunction syndrome). I up the LDN to 9mg. Dr say the 4.5mg is just a guide but might not work for me, so to increase it until I get results.

Another important point, I was told, I will be in immunovir for live (their experience with patients) when they get off they relapse. So try to see if you need inosine indefinitely until a cured is found at least or you go into long term remission.

 

[Gingergrrl]

My brother lost his wife and got shingles the day after - 7 weeks on he still has the rash

@maryb I am so sorry for the loss of your sister-in-law and hoping that your brother recovers soon from the shingles. Hoping you feel better soon, too.

 

[maryb]

Aww thank you @Gingergrrl you are so sweet. I really appreciate your kind thoughts

 

[heapsreal]

Having just been hit by some viruses @heapsreal , HSV1&,2 and then something throat/ear, maybe EBV or CMV, couldn't get out of bed at weekend....started acyclovir and this got me up and able to have a brief shower, exhausted.

I was looking at black elderberry extract as an anti-viral and have ordered some, maybe you could look at that. Hope the inosine helps, its something I've considered before.. Only thing with lysine is I was told it has to be balanced with arginine which is a trigger for herpes viruses. I was also having a piece of 90% chocolate for a few nights before the viruses came on (arginine). But I also lost my dog at the beginning of the week, so I know that stress was what brought it on fully.

Have you had a lot of stress recently? My brother lost his wife and got shingles the day after - 7 weeks on he still has the rash and yes JAH - SOC is right, its a deep pain, not so much itching. I'm sure just having this illness and having to work is enough stress for anyone sick

Probably overdoing it as i had to work full time while my job share partner took extra leave. It didn't help. Was knackered.

 

[maryb]

Yes that sounds about right @heapsreal . Try to rest up now, it really is the best thing, hard when you have a family I know.

 

[heapsreal]

And again. Had bad headaches for just over a week, lucky as almost no sick leave left, not really , but on 2 weeks annual leave. Been taking panadeine , extra lyrica to control pain. Pain was even waking me up from sleep when pain meds wore off. Afew nights a go had fevers and vomiting but things eased abit since.

Today i noticed itchiness on left side of my head. My wife checked yep red spots all along the past shingles infection site. N0 rashes on my legs which previously happened .

I was actually on 900mg valcyte as well as inosine, lysine and ahcc. I actually looked up if valcyte was effective against vzv, i found a study where valcyte was used for vzv treatment resistance in a child which was effective , so felt comfortable stopping famvir . I thought maybe the valcyte was making me sick so i cut back to 450mg at night and added famvir 500mg in morning today.

I'm not really sure whats left to do. Im guessing it would be worse if i wasn't on antivirals . I see my dr tomorrow so see what he says.

Dam shingles . Maybe a new sub group of cfs ie cfs/vzv or pox???

 

[daisybell]

Poor you @heapsreal - that is such bad luck.

 

[Richard7]

a pox upon your pox.

I hope the doctor has some good ideas, heapsreal

 

[heapsreal]

a pox upon your pox.

I hope the doctor has some good ideas, heapsreal

I doubt it. Immunologist i saw last year said to keep doing what im doing. Doses of antivirals often prescribed are quite conservative compared to America . Maybe need to look at lifting these doses.

Try some higher dose immune herbs??

Bring it up with my dr but maybe combining famvir and valtrex?