SHINGLES
See the pics…This comes with a WARNING… Don’t eat before you look at these!
“Living with chronic physical pain is hard. Really hard! Until you live with a condition that forces you to deal with pain every minute of every day, you cannot appreciate how it can wear on your nerves, how it affects your choices, and how often you find yourself close to the edge of making the ultimate decision to just end your life.”
I wrote those words while I was waiting to see my orthopedic surgeon. I didn’t realize then how prophetic the words “wear on your nerves” were soon to become. I had an incredible pain in my back and was hoping he could find the problem. After assessing that it was probably a rib out of place, but there was too much inflammation for it to pop back in, he put me on Prednisone and said he hoped all would be well. I went home, popped a 50 mg. steroid, and hoped all would be well.
(If you are currently in pain from shingles and want to skip the story to read my recommended remedies, scroll to the bottom of the page. I know how difficult it is to focus when you’re in pain. You can always come back later.)
I awoke the next morning with the stabbing pain I had the previous day. My back was also burning up. (Imagine the worst sunburn you’ve ever had, then someone pours scalding water on it). I hadn’t expected to see anything, but when I looked at my back in the mirror, OMG! I had a huge rash about five inches wide with large blisters traveling from the middle of my spine and wrapping around to my left breast. (see photos)
I called the office of the doctor who prescribed the Prednisone and they said it could be a reaction to the medication. There didn’t seem to be much interest on their part to follow up, so I decided to go to Urgent Care.
As soon as the U.C. doctor saw the rash he said, “That’s shingles.” I asked him how I could have gotten shingles. “Are you stressed”, he asked? “I don’t think so. Actually, things are going fairly well.”
When I said that though, I knew I was one question away from breaking down. He didn’t ask the question. I escaped once again from letting anybody know how terribly depressed I’ve been the past three years. Things may be fine at this moment, but I’ve been functioning in survival mode, and apparently now I’m seeing the end result.
Had he asked me if I had experienced any deaths, divorce, health issues, etc. in the past few years, the flood gates would have opened up. Cutting it down to a two year period; I went through a divorce; my purse was stolen along with the address book of all my clients’ information; a stranger forged my name on a credit card check for $12,000.00 (btw: you can ask the credit card companies to stop sending those checks they send with the statements. And yes, I shred my documents; this one never made it to my mailbox.) My dying sister came to live with me for two months, she subsequently passed away. In a three month time frame within that two year period, my dearest friend died (I rushed her to the hospital and within three days she passed away); one month later a fugitive hid out in my house, I came face to face with him in my yard. One month after that, I was bit by a dog, I mean really bitten. So, divorce, two deaths, physical assault, and violation of my privacy. Yes, I would say my nerves were tested! All the while trying to keep my business running so that I could pay my bills. I knew the instant the doctor said, “shingles”, my life would have to change.
I’m at Urgent Care. The doctor is young and adorable, puppyish. I feel like a loser. I told him about my back hurting and that the orthopedic surgeon put me on Prednisone. He told me that the steroids could possibly have compromised or weakened my immune system. I did not know that. Then he said, and this surprised the heck out of me, that many people that come in with shingles have recently been treated by a chiropractor. Apparently, the virus which causes shingles, herpes zoster (the same which causes chicken pox), lies dormant in our spines. Because chiropractors manipulate the spinal column, if other conditions are ripe, an adjustment could (not would) trigger an episode of shingles. I did not know that either. I’m just passing on bits of information. If chiropractors help you, great. I felt that statement was ponderable enough to put out there though, and it is not my opinion. (Upon further thought, it could also be possible that the person who sees a chiropractor for a pain in their back may actually have the beginning of shingles).
The doctor prescribed *Acyclovir, an anti-viral medication. Pay attention to the next sentence. If you even suspect you have shingles, get diagnosed, and if it’s positive, start taking the anti-viral right away!
The next day I saw my primary care physician. He changed the prescription to *Valtrex, which is still Acyclovir, but in a more convenient dosage. He also prescribed *Lyrica, which is used by people who suffer from Fybromyalgia, a nerve pain disorder. This is supposed to relax the nerve endings, for lack of a better description. He also prescribed Flector Patch which was then changed to Lidocaine Patch. The other medications help on the inside, these 4×6 patches are placed strategically on top of the largest affected area. They give some external relief.
I need to stop and explain something that I believe goes to the crux of who I am and what I believe about natural remedies vs. pharmaceuticals. I’ve been a vegetarian for more than thirty years. When possible, and there have been hundreds of times in my life, I prefer to go the natural path in treating an illness or pain. It just makes sense that you would feed your body medicines from the earth. I love Chinese herbs and teas and have been very fortunate that my body responds to their remedies. Linda Page’s Healthy Healing is my go to book for Western remedies whenever I have an ailment. Or I go to the local Chinese herbalist and ask for their remedies.
When there is a situation however, such as shingles, that feels like you caught a disease from the Devil himself, I want the fastest acting medication possible. I personally am not stuck in a mindset that limits my options when it comes to treating pain. Man made or from the earth, give me what works, and give it to me now!
I think in many cases, pharmaceutical companies are like corner drug pushers. I also believe that some herbal companies are scam artists. Pick your poison. But choose wisely. Seriously, who wants to be in pain longer than is necessary?
The bottom line is, pharmaceutical companies have researched and tested their medications. Their profits are tied in with their results. Medications are created to have the best benefit to the individual with the least amount of side effects. I seriously am not a fan of big pharma companies, but I have to admit that I am extremely grateful for this particular cocktail of meds. And for those of you who want to remind me that it was most likely the Prednisone that got me here, I totally and absolutely agree. That is why I am dubious about most medications. In fact, my doctor prescribed various pain meds that my body immediately rejected.
Six months later…
I wrote the above material with the intention of keeping a kind of shingles diary. That didn’t happen. Things went from bad to worse. The pain became excruciating. I could not think or focus on anything except how to relieve my pain. Without going into the subjective reality of my agony, I am just going to list the remedies I tried and rate them for effectiveness. I do this in hopes that if you are unfortunate enough that you are assaulted by this disease, and it will feel like an assault, you will have something up your sleeve to combat it. Get ready for a battle!
For you folks that skipped the story because you are in need of relief, here is what I did:
Valtrex to kill the virus. Take the entire amount assigned. (I actually needed two rounds)
Lyrica to help with the nerve pain. A word of caution. Though this initially was a tremendous help, I found myself not being able to stop taking it. Every time I tried, the itching would return and I would start taking it again. I realized at a certain point that if I did not deal with repairing the damaged nerve endings, I would have to stay on Lyrica indefinitely. After six months I also realized that I had gained twenty pounds! I surmised that what ever mechanism makes you feel full while eating, had been dulled. One day I looked down at a plate of pasta I served myself and was shocked that the portion was about three times what I had normally been able to eat at one sitting. I had to wean myself off the Lyrica, but in order to do that I had to begin repairing the nerve endings. I also began to consciously watch and monitor how much I ate. So my advice is; as soon as you get the diagnosis that it is shingles, start taking B vitamins immediately. Your nerves are already compromised.
Patches and ointments. I was prescribed Flector and Lidocaine patches. The Lidocaine definitely was more effective. Flector has ‘diclofenac’ as the active ingredient, it’s an anti-inflammatory. It’s expensive and not covered by (my) insurance anymore. One box cost $500.00. I’ll take the Lidocaine.
Voltaren is a topical ointment, the ingredient being diclofenac again.
As a side note, I am currently taking ‘diclofenac’ in tablet form for my lower back pain. It is non-narcotic and amazing when taken internally. It would have been interesting to have been able to try it during the shingles episode. You may want to inquire.
I did not want to fill my body with a mixture of drugs, so in the early stages I kept to the Valtrex and Lyrica. However, the physical pain was, I can’t even think of an appropriate word, ‘nightmarishly’ in your face. I sought every and any remedy that I believed would help relieve this, I will say it again, Disease from the Devil.
There was not one ‘worst point’. I thought at the beginning when the scalding water being poured over the worst sunburn I ever had was going to be the most horrible experience. The next stage was feeling like a hoard (or gang) of horseflies were trying to fight their way out of my skin! Non-stop pushing, shoving and clawing their way to the surface of my skin! That phase nearly drove me batty. The final, and longest stage was (and still sometimes is) the constant tingling and itching sensations. To this day, over one year later, I sometimes dig my fingernails so deeply into my skin, I draw blood.
There were many remedies I tried, some bought online out of desperation, and some homemade (those actually turned out to be the best). The online ones were ‘Cobra Venom’ and some other salve from Britain. I don’t remember. All I know is that they didn’t work and I spent money for nothing.
My homemade stuff gave me the most relief. Depending on where you are in your stage, here are some ideas:
Soak in lukewarm bath water with Castor oil, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide.
Make a plaster of ground oatmeal, aloe vera, and castor oil. Leave it on your rash for twenty minutes. Rinse, then either place a lidocain patch or rub on castor oil.
I didn’t realize until later that my nerves had been shot. Had I known, I would have begun taking supplements to help re-build my nervous system immediately. Below are vitamins and amino acids which will help begin the process. These supplements are extracted from my article about “Drugs and Spirituality”. Bottom line; it’s all about the delicate nervous system.
Nobody told me, but I’m telling you now, that this is really important. Like I said, if I only knew!
See the pics…This comes with a WARNING… Don’t eat before you look at these!
The following are a list of the recommended Vitamins & Minerals I had posted in the article on Drugs & Spirituality. The most important thing is to repair and restore the damaged nerves. Use any of the following Vitamins & Minerals to begin the process.
GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid) an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in calming brain functions. Stabilizes nerve cells by decreasing their tendency to fire erratically or excessively. 250 to 1,500 mg. daily
B vitamins Helps the brain synthesize neurotransmitters that affect mood and thinking. A multiple B vitamin daily. Minimum 400 mcg of folate, 2,500 mcg of B12 a day, and 250 mg B6 a day.
EFA’s (Essential fatty acids) (600 mg a day) Really important to help repair the myelin (the white fatty covering on the axons of nerve cells that speed the conduction of electrical impulses, essential for the well-being of the nervous system). DHA-Omega-3 fatty acids are critical. They also help with anxiety and depression.
Think about nerves in this way… Let’s assume we all understand the basic concept of electricity. The electric panel installed at your home is the main source of power. Each breaker inside is assigned a particular location or appliance. The wires from the breakers go to the dryer, washing machine or dishwasher; some go to the outlets, and others to the lights, etc. Plastic coating on the wire is necessary to confine the electricity that is traveling from the breaker to the switch or plug. If there is a crack in part of the coating or the plastic is worn out in between the breaker and the intended receptacle, electricity is dispersed and there is not enough ‘juice’ to run the appliance or turn on the light.
The electric panel is akin to your spine, the breakers are the vertebras, and the wires are the nerves going to your arms, legs, hands, etc. Myelin to nerves is like the plastic coating on the wires.
Long term use of methamphetamines, cocaine, speed. too much caffeine, and stress, wears out the myelin. This can result in electrical impulses being scattered and dispersed. Functionality of fine motor skills begins to diminish and as a result you begin to lose the ability to walk with balance or grab on to items with your hands. Shatterred nerves can erupt into hives, shingles, and other skin disorders. Repairing nerves takes time, be patient. Start now.
Lipoic acid (300 mg) plus acetyl-L-carnitine (1,000mg twice a day) is also often helpful for nerve pain.
Vitamin C 5000mg daily with bioflavs and rutin helps rebuild nerve connective tissue.
Water Drink, drink, and drink some more. Have with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add packets of Emergen-C. Whatever you have to do to get it down, start flushing out your system.
A word of caution: water always tries to seek its balance, not only physically but on a molecular level. In a swimming pool, if there is not enough calcium in the water, the water will actually begin pulling calcium from the plaster. This creates etching (rough surface) and weakens the plaster.
Many people live in an area that has hard water and often buy a soft water system which helps keep the hard water spots away. Most of these units use salt as a softening agent, which of course is undrinkable. To remedy this, a reverse osmosis (RO) system is installed. This system squeezes out the salt in order to make it drinkable, but it also removes all the minerals. (Nearly three gallons of water is wasted in order to make one gallon of drinking water.)
Now here’s the problem. If an RO system has removed the calcium from the water, where do you think it’s going to find it once you drink it? If you answered your bones, you are correct. Water is not passive, though it may appear to ‘go with the flow’. (As water ‘gently’ flows down the Colorado River for instance, it is drawing minerals out of the river rock). Be careful, and if you drink from a RO unit, take supplemental vitamins and minerals which are easily found at any drug store or health food store.
Exercise Move your body somehow. Your adrenal glands are not apart of the circulatory system. They need to be activated by either exercise, massage, or hot/cold water treatment. Use some form of weight resistance to build muscle. Get your ass up off the couch! Start today.
Detoxification I’ll cut to the chase on this one. Pick up Linda Page’s Healthy Healing. www.healthyhealing.com There is much helpful information, not only for detox but many other areas of natural healing. Plus her story is quite inspirational.
There are many, many resources out there, and that was the problem. I found myself sifting through tons of material that I almost became stuck. I could not figure out what I should do. I finally narrowed it down to the above essentials that I saw actually had an effect on my sis.
This list is intended to get you or your loved one started. I am sure there are many other remedies I have not included. Every person is different and will ultimately need to find their own path to return to health and purpose. The main thing is to start today. Be patient with yourself.
Live Purposefully,
Lucy
