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Caused by the virus that causes chickenpox, shingles can become quite serious if left untreated. This group provides information on the illness, as well as coping tips and support.

Shingles Be Gone!

The Horrible, Nasty Shingles Read More ▶

Shingles Fact and Fiction

Shingles is a real pain! Over the years I have seen many cases of shingles. I have also heard a lot of things about shingles--… Read More ▶

My Shingles Story

I had shingles when i was in fourth grade. fourth grade! it doesn't happen to just old people. i was a healthy kid, and now… Read More ▶

What is the Varicella-Zoster Virus?

You may not have heard of the Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV), but I bet you ve heard of chickenpox. You ve probably had them. Varicella-Zoster is… Read More ▶

Does Age Have Anything To Do With Developing Shingles?

A Description of Shingles Everyone may be at risk for contracting shingles. Shingles is a viral infection that is caused by the awakening of the… Read More ▶

Can Shingles Be Treated?

Currently, there exists no cure for shingles, only methods to decrease outbreaks and manage symptoms. There is also no 100 effective way to prevent shingles… Read More ▶

What are the Symptoms of Shingles?

There are three stages of the shingles, also known as herpes zoster, infection that are accompanied by different symptoms through stage progression. It is not… Read More ▶

Are Women At Special Risk For Shingles?

Women are definitely at special risk from shingles because they have the gift of giving life. If you get maternal chickenpox, it is very possible… Read More ▶

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0 Comments
Shingles Be Gone! by mkmchugh 7/19
1 Comments
My Shingles Story by ellen 6/3
- Erin Froehlich said:
  Oh man! That sounds like quite the ordeal, Ellen! :(
  
  I'm glad you finally found something that works for you, but too bad your doctor didn't tell you about it sooner! I haven't personally dealt with shingles, but I know of people that have. I'll have to mention the silicone cream to them!
  
  Thanks for sharing!6/12
3 Comments
Shell
Can you get muscle atrophy from shingles??2/24
- Erin Froehlich said:
  Well, I'm not a doctor, but here's my thought based on what I know about muscle atrophy and shingles. Muscle atrophy - if you don't use it, you lose it. A lot of times with shingles, people develop painful neuropathy symptoms. If because of this, they avoid using certain muscle groups for an extended period of time, I'd think it's entirely possible that the muscles would begin to atrophy. 2/27
- Jeffrey VanWingen M.D. said:
  I agree with Erin. Shingles comes from an area called the dorsal root ganglion of the spine and comes out through cutaneous nerves (superficial). According to the books atrophy should not occur from the shingles in and of itself. With the skin so sensitive, it is logical that one would "splint." "Splinting" is the phenomenon of not using muscles when it magnifies pain. This would cause atrophy of muscles. This atrophy should be fixed with muscle use and should not constitute permanent muscle wasting from nerve damage. I will be posting a blog on shingles this week-- stay tuned.2/27
- Jeffrey VanWingen M.D. said:
  Hi Shell- I did find a case report through mayo regarding motor herpes zoster which is quite rare. check it out: http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=901022/29
2 Comments
Shingles Fact and Fiction by Jeffrey VanWingen M.D. 2/29
- tracen916 said:
  i had a bout of shingles in 2003 at the young age of 22. it was summer and i had been having great fun with friends boating at the lake. i had never done any water sports in my life other than an occasional round of tubing behind a boat, i finally tried out WAKE BOARDING one day. next thing i know.. i had SHINGLES! but im not sure if the 2 are linked because it is unknown if i had suffered from a water sport injury.
  located on my back right in my left shoulder blade joint at first i didnt know i had it. wearing my bikini.. a friend pointed out the rash worried i had some kind of contagious disease. i didnt know what it was but i knew it wasnt scabies. my sister looked in her home medical book and symptoms suggested shingles. i called kaiser for appointment but wouldnt be seen by a doctor for 4 more days. it must have been the first day i had it because i wasnt in any pain so i went about my day.
  id never really heard of shingles.. other than the one's on my roof LOL, until several weeks before this while watching the David Letterman Show. it was during this time that David letterman himself had it on his face affecting his eye and kept being mentioned by the Guest Superstars he had hosting his show for several months (one being craig kilbourne.. who started his own show once letterman returned)
  but the next day when i woke up.. i was in PAIN. it hurt to lift my arm and i was vomiting continuously about every 15 minutes. so i went to the ER and wasnt even seen until midnight after spending more than 10 hours throwing up every 15-20 minutes. i was put on an IV.. and man..THOSE ICE CHIPS TASTED SO GOOD. i still havent tasted ice that good yet! lol
  i mentioned wake boarding to the doctor.. but it was kaiser emergency room.. that just about explains that. so i dont know if my bout was triggered because of an injury.
  
  BUT IT DOESNT END THERE! ..it took almost 6 weeks to fully recover. and after i did and the rash and blisters and scabs were gone.. i still felt pain where the rash was. like a sharp knife in my shoulder blade and someone is pushing on it realy hard and is s l o w l y twisting it back and forth back and forth. i wasnt told or given any information about shingles from the doctor/hospital.. and somethiing wasnt right that i was still feeling pain. so i GOOGLED IT! ..and found there was a complication of shingles called PHN. so i educated myself.. ordered publications from the research/disease centers which helped a lot. but the thing was that EVERYTHING THAT I READ.. THE STATISTICS AND FACTS.. NOT 1 APPLIED TO ME OR MY CASE OF SHINGLES. i wasnt old, not HIV positive, no chemo therapy or organ transplant, i wasnt stressed, no compromised immune system from any illness.. and sounded like i was lucky enough to be the small % of people to suffer from the shingles complication PHN!
  now i found all of that kind of well.. .AMAZING! i spent some time trying to find surveys to participate in and other ways to share my factual findings with researchers and wanted to be sort of a singles advocate whos goal would be to educate the public about shigles and encouraging schools and hospitals and health websites to talk more about shingles to bring it into the "spotlight" and provide better education, publications and resources for the public/to the public and seeing to it that hospitals and doctors are doing their jobs and also helping do their part to research by having/providing necessary materials available to doctors and patients conveniently in patient rooms which could consist of proposing that better procedures and guidelines be made.
  
  with lack of any kind of support.. i gave up before i even knew where to start. today i am a chronic pain sufferer caused by the shingles complication called PHN.
  
  THANK YOU FOR READING MY SHINGLES STORY 4/15
- Erin Froehlich said:
  Wow! Thanks for sharing,Trace! That's just crazy - I'm 25 and I would never suspect I could get shingles. You should really make this into a blog all it's own!4/16
0 Comments
E.M. Wollof
Q and A on who should get the shingles vaccine:
http://www.goerie.com/article/20120104/LIFESTYLES06/301049980/As…
1/4
1 Comments
John
The vaccine or the party? Which side do you fall on?:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204443404577052373…
11/22
- Bri Luginbill said:
  I would say the vaccine. I haven't had in bad luck *knock on wood* with vaccines as of yet. What's your take on it?1/31
0 Comments
E.M. Wollof
An interesting article packed with information on the onset of shingles and some possible catalysts:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/3305b45a-100c-11e1-a468-00144feabdc0.h…
11/21
0 Comments
Laura Hogg
A new medicine for Restless Legs Syndrome might help with shingles pain:
http://www.medcitynews.com/2011/08/gsk-restless-leg-syndrome-dru…8/29