shingles--not the roof kind

Hi:

Glad you wrote about not having the herpes zoster vaccine - I was recently trying to find a place to get the vaccine but locally it is out of stock and there is a huge waiting list - I never talked to my PCP or my onc about it - yikes - next time I will.  Anyway I hear the vaccine isn't all that effective but I also had a friend (a retired doctor) who got shingles and the pain was so bad that he took way too many pain meds and passed away two years later (he was diabetic).  My late dh (also diabetic) had shingles on the inside of his arm and they went away within two days - he said they didn't hurt all that much but dh had a VERY HIGH pain threshold. 

Hope someone else comes on here and gives you some treatment advice - there must be some soothing cream you can put on it - meanwhile do what the dr. said and stay off your foot if you can - I haven't heard of any place that's weird re shingles - everyone seems to have them in weird places.  I too have neuropathy thanks to Taxotere guess it can't mask the shingles darn it neuropathy oughta be good for something!

I had shingles during chemo.  It appeared at the top of my neck, and the back of my head.  Since I had no hair it was easy to see.  My husband saw it and knew what it was, so I got treatment right away.  My PCP gave me oral meds for it and it cleared up.

I asked my oncologist about getting the vaccine.  He said, if I had shingles, that acts as a vaccine for me.   He said not to get the vaccine, there was no point.

hi weesa

i have had shingles since finishing treatment.  that would be for the last....all most 9 years.  never had them before...didn't have them during treatment...but ended up with chronic shingles ....i get them on my scalp....face.....they are awful.  i have an outbreak of them at least 1x a month.  my onc says the shot wouldn't really help me...although i do have a friend who is also a cancer survivor who did get the shot and it seems to help her.

 i take valtrex. i only take it when i start to have an outbreak...i take 1 gram of valtrex when i start an outbreak;i take it at night.  it seems to help...although sometimes i am sicker then other times.  when i start a headache...i start the valtrex.  the shingles have been a pain in the butt; and i guess i have just kinda accepted that i get them and then take care of myself...rest...and take the valtres.  i also take cymbalta....low doesage..which helps with the nerve pain.  that also seems to help. 

sorry you have the shingles.  i hate them.////

diana

feel better weesa. bottom of foot has to be miserable.  hopefully some med will help.  i think the combination of valtrex....1 gram...and the cymbalta has helped . hang in there and let us know what your doc decides to do. 

weesa - don't have experience with shingles, but wanted send you a cyber (((hug))) and let you know that I'm sorry you're going through this.

advil may work and also there is a patch with numbing medicine you can apply at night. i forgot about the patch. both works*

I got shingles during chemo.  My oncologist prescribed Gabapentin along with a massive anti-biotic.  The gabapentin was for the pain - it works as a numbing agent in a sense to the nerve endings - it blocks off the nerve endings.  Not sure how to really describe it - but it does work!

I was also prescribed Gabapentin to help me with the pain of having 3 fractures in my arm by a pain clinic so again working on the nerve endings in my arm to help with the pain.

Weesa - I had shingles during chemo, rash on my hip area which wasn't too bad and both my onc and family doctors kind of poo-pooed it away at first but when the nerve pain started it was awful!!  Took T3's for the pain and onc prescribed some pills (sorry can't remember the name - it was a herpes med).   It was exhausting - hope yours clears up soon.  I am convinced that the shingles wearing me down on top of chemo is what kept winding me up in the hospital.