Whine thread #321: Tooth extaction to Shingles

[KC Elbows]

So, I got a tooth pulled, which apparently led to my immune system being vulnerable(due to my sinus getting some damage) to shingles.

As I have discovered, Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, which remains dormant in our nerves. When they become active, there may be swelling and rashes: in my case, the very center of my forehead rose up almost a couple inches, making me look like an extra from Star Trek; The Next Generation. However, the worst part of shingles is that, being in nerves, you will get pain, burning, and itching in areas that may have no rash whatsoever, the virus is jut telling the nerves what to feel.

In my case, most of this itching has been occurring during the middle of the night. It is completely localized to my head, so I guess I should be thankful for that. It seems to last for several hours at a time.

Ack.

[uki]

sounds like loads of fun!!! :D

[KC Elbows]

sounds like loads of fun!!! :D

I was fully expecting you would suggest that juggling steel balls would help prevent me from scratching.:D

[David Jamieson]

topical steroids?

what sort of treatment have you been given?

This can be very uncomfortable and intolerable.
Hope you get through it quickly.

[Dragonzbane76]

shingles huh... i heard it was painful.. my grandmother said that at least.

[KC Elbows]

topical steroids?

what sort of treatment have you been given?

This can be very uncomfortable and intolerable.
Hope you get through it quickly.

Yeah, topical steroids with an anti-viral and an antibiotic. The funny thing is, when I first saw the doctor, I only had the swollen forehead and face, it was not clearly shingles yet, but the swelling was substantial and caused bad headaches. I'm telling him "I need antibiotics, the swelling is a bit dangerous, don't you think," he's like, "Well, I hate to just put people on antibiotics, sometimes our systems need the chance to..." at which point I cut in and said, "Dude, the last time I had antibiotics was in '89. Pass them over."

[Lee Chiang Po]

The Pox is a virus. Antibiotics will not help. You just need to take something to stop the swelling and itching, such as an antihistimine. It will run a course and subside eventually. The virus lies dorment but when it does come back it acts differently and seldom makes the little blisters, but can. I had pox as a child, and in the past 50 odd years have had recurrances of it. Shingles if you will, and have found that benedril works about as good as anything.

[KC Elbows]

The Pox is a virus. Antibiotics will not help. You just need to take something to stop the swelling and itching, such as an antihistimine. It will run a course and subside eventually. The virus lies dorment but when it does come back it acts differently and seldom makes the little blisters, but can. I had pox as a child, and in the past 50 odd years have had recurrances of it. Shingles if you will, and have found that benedril works about as good as anything.

The antibiotics were not to deal with the swelling from the shingles themselves: because of a tooth extraction gone bad, my sinus had become infected, and had caused swelling all around my head, including my glands. I switched doctors, and the other doctors were actually listening enough to hear that point, which was nice.

I seem to be at the tail end, the blisters are almost gone, the swelling is gone, though the burning and itching seems to be in full force. It's pretty strange how it's only my head having any symptoms.

[sanjuro_ronin]

You lack Chi !
Weak, like woman !

[Lee Chiang Po]

The antibiotics were not to deal with the swelling from the shingles themselves: because of a tooth extraction gone bad, my sinus had become infected, and had caused swelling all around my head, including my glands. I switched doctors, and the other doctors were actually listening enough to hear that point, which was nice.

I seem to be at the tail end, the blisters are almost gone, the swelling is gone, though the burning and itching seems to be in full force. It's pretty strange how it's only my head having any symptoms.

Ouch!! I wasn't thinking about the tooth situation. Yea, that would cause the onset of the shingles. I would think it was this that is causing it to be so localized. Infections like this in areas of the face could give you symptoms similar to shingles. Has it actually been proven to be shingles? When I get shingles it is pretty much all over. Either way, I know how uncomfortable it is, if that could even describe it, and hope you can get shed of it quickly. When I have had it, it lasted right up to the time it subsided. So one morning you will wake up and it will almost be gone. Hopefully.
Childhood diseases are a real pain. I got mumps when I was fully grown. I never felt sick or anything. One day I noticed I was starting to feel as if I had been kicked in the gonads. Started swelling up the size of grapefruits.To the point of rupturing. Never felt such pain. Doc came out and had a look, gave me something to put on my tongue. My jaws felt like they were breaking. Mumps he said. Then quaranteened me for 2 more weeks. Ice packs on the goobers and nothing else could be done. In the military service I got vaccinated for just about everying imaginable. No more of that crap.

[KC Elbows]

Thanks to all for the info and support. I'm doing better, though there is some concern about my right eye: I seem to have a permanent headache, and that may have actually been the first symptom, so it may have done more damage to the optic nerve than can fully heal, but time will tell. Vision seems fine, just a headache from that.