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Author Topic: Cold sores  (Read 10181 times)

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Offline penguin

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Cold sores
« on: July 21, 2006, 12:06:41 pm »
Not quite sure which forum i should post this in...so here will do.

Appear to be in the middle of a rather large cold sore thingy outbreak. I thought (hoped) it was eczema, just because it isn't confining itself to around my mouth. That was rather an optimistic hope it seems. I now have sores, very sore and tingly, all over the lower part of my face, and there is an ominous tingling burning redness starting next to my right eye. Oh yes, and a largish one near my ear. Just for added randomness. This is all since yesterday - amazing how quickly one's body revolts.
No one is picking up phones or returning messages, cos it's friday, and its hot, and there are new secretaries who don't know me & my ailments..
 The walking pharmacy (ie me + my bathroom medicine cabinet) has the remains of some valtrex in stock...guess what i'm asking is do i leave it till i get to a dr, or start dosing now...500mg twice daily, yes?
Add to that the current need for double-dose immodium (thank you mr doctor, good call to leave the MST off the repeat Rx)...and we are feeling a little fragile.
But, good news, I just got offered the job i interviewed for on monday...and I noticed the first, tiny, miniscule butternut squashes starting to put in an appearance on my early morning allotment visit today.
ANy suggestions, much appreciated..
Kate

Offline water duck

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2006, 01:22:21 pm »
Dear Kate,

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Have you think of making a tea  with honey and cinnamon (portion of 4 - 1) with water ??

Congratulations on your new job !!

Siang

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2006, 01:50:23 pm »
thank you siang - i haven't tried that, but i will give it a go. And thank you for the congratulations - I've got a bit of time to think about whether it's the right thing for me, but whatever my decision, I'm looking forward to some change..


Kate

Offline Ann

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2006, 01:54:50 pm »
Kate,

If the sores and tingling are all on one side of your face, it sounds like shingles! Get some of that valtrex in you and get to a doc asap. Shingles can be dangerous if it gets into your eye and can cause permanent damage. You might need a good dose of intravenous acyclovir. Don't delay in being seen by someone, even if you have to go to A&E. Don't mess around with shingles near your eye!

Hope you're ok, keep us posted.

Hugs,
Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline Trish

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2006, 02:10:02 pm »
Hi Kate,

I thought the same thing Ann did -- shingles it could be...so I wouldn't waste time.  Get to a doc ASAP and take the valtrex.

I wish you well and am keeping my fingers crossed that it's not shingles.

All the best,

Trish

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is buit."  Eleanor Roosevelt

Offline water duck

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2006, 02:32:24 pm »
Ann thank you for your timing intervention !! SHINGLES my hairs are standing on end !!
You brought me back to same time last year where i was 'locked up' for two week with syphilis , remember the thread from Jeromy , where you talk about the 'fanny bag' !! well we did have a good laugh  ;D ;D

Sorry Kate did not meant to hijack your thread, now back to you, i sincerely hope this is not so !!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you, please , do keep us posted will you ??

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ HUG }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Siang

Offline Lou-ah-vull

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2006, 02:37:08 pm »
I have just recovered from my second round of shingles...and reading your post made my nerves stand on end.  Take the Valtrex immediately...the sooner you start after outbreak, the better.  Call the doctor immediately.  Shingles on the face need to be aggresively treated especially because of the eye.

Immediate response is your best bet!  I hope you will be able to keep us informed and let us support you.  This is the one time when I can truthfully say...I know how you feel!

Good luck!

Gary
Diagnosed Oct. 2005
10/05:  367 (26.2%), 24556 VL
01/06:  344 (24.6%), 86299 VL
04/06:  374 (22.0%), 87657 VL
05/06:  Began HAART 05/15/06, Combivir/Kaletra
07/06:  361 (27.8%), 1299 VL
10/06:  454 (32.4%), 55 VL
01/07:  499 (38.4%), UD
02/07:  Switched to Atripla 2/8/07
04/07:  566 (37.7%), UD
08/07:  761 (42.3%), UD
06/08:  659 (47.1%), UD
01/09:  613 (43.8%), UD
07/09:  616 (47.4%), UD
01/10:  530 (44.2%), UD
07/10:  636 (48.9%), UD
01/11:  627 (48.2%), UD
07/11:  840 (52.5%), UD
01/12:  920 (51.1%), UD
07/12:  857 (50.4%), 40
10/12:  UD
01/13:  710 (47.3%), UD
07/13:  886 (49.2%), UD
01/14:  985 (46.9%), UD
06/14:  823 (47.2%), UD
01/15: 1366 (45.2%), UD
07/15: 1134 (50.7%), UD
02/16: 1043 (55.1%), UD
08/16:  746  (55.4%), UD
08/16:  Switch from Atripla to Genvoya

Offline carousel

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2006, 02:39:37 pm »
.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2007, 11:22:03 am by carousel »

Offline sweetasmeli

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2006, 02:40:18 pm »
Me too thought shingles. As folk know here, have just got over that myself...NOT NICE! I went to A&E and they hospitalised me on a drip for 24 hours cos they thought it was on my face...luckily it wasn't, but that's how serious they took it...so DON'T DELAY! And if anyone tries to tell you its not, get a second opinion just to be sure...just speaking from bad experience! Good luck!

Melia :)
/\___/\       /\__/\
(=' . '=)    (=' . '=)
(,,,_ ,,,)/   (,,,_ ,,,)/ Cats rule!

The difference between cats and dogs is that dogs come when called, whereas cats take a message and get back to you.

Yeia kai hara (health and happiness) to everyone!

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2006, 02:41:37 pm »
thank you ann and trish...as i just relayed to ann via pm, i spoke to a dr at my clinic a little while ago...he is going to see me tomorrow morning, but wants me to start on the valtrex tonight. Thinking about it now, my glands have been up the past couple of days, & feeling quite tired. just put it down to very hot weather here, & recent stresses.
am hoping it's not shingles, cos last time i had that, i had terrible nerve pain, which i'm not feeling at the moment...fingers crossed it's just a spectacular display of herpes simplex.

Thank you, ladies, again

Kate

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2006, 02:44:33 pm »
& while i was busy writing that, some more joined in the discussion  :)

so now, i have to say thank you mr gary, and mr charles, and melia  :-*

Kate

Offline sweetasmeli

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2006, 04:54:01 am »
How are you Kate? What was the verdict?

Melia :)
/\___/\       /\__/\
(=' . '=)    (=' . '=)
(,,,_ ,,,)/   (,,,_ ,,,)/ Cats rule!

The difference between cats and dogs is that dogs come when called, whereas cats take a message and get back to you.

Yeia kai hara (health and happiness) to everyone!

Offline Teresa

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2006, 04:42:24 pm »
Kate,

Thinking of you and sending good thoughts to you!

Let us know what you find out.

Hugs
Teresa
Hubby HIV+ 5/5/06
CD4:320
  %: 26.7
 VL: <20
Atripla (started it 8/24/06)

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2006, 05:33:55 am »
Perhaps I should rename this thread “Well THAT was fun”…?

Did a quick A&E dash late Friday night (under protest, much protest), after it became clear that things were getting  worse - rash/sores appearing on back, cold sore near eye doubling in size & very impressive temperature.
Result: I have fabulous, award-winning cold-sore virus outbreak on face…and the rest is, you guessed it, shingles. Sort of a viral buy one get one free deal. Aisle 13, next to the teabags.
Pumped me full of various potions, got temperature down, kept in for “observation”.  lab rat number 427.
Now home, much valtrex to be consumed, + am sitting here itching and sore and feeling truly 100% original aids leper. Not helped by my (long suffering) partner, trying to inject some humour into the situation, wandering round the house with a bell, ringing, calling out “Unclean, Unclean”…
Think I am going to be staying inside and sleeping/hiding today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Or until I stop looking like I have the plague.

Thank you for the get well wishes, nice, like online cards and flowers.

kate

Offline Ann

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2006, 05:48:34 am »
Aw Kate, sorry to hear that! I was worried that you were incarcerated in a ward when you disappeared - but I'm glad at the same time because it means you were being taken care of properly.

Hope it clears up for you very soon. And take that bell off your partner and use it as a missile. :D

Hugs,
Ann


[attachment deleted by admin]
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #15 on: July 24, 2006, 05:55:03 am »
hello vester  :)

bell is going to meeting someone's head in a minute, yes...  :P


my turn to show off some blooms, cos it's my thread and i can...doctor ruppel clematis, just flowering today i think. have a beautiful bromeliad, all pink + majestic, but can't seem to make the file size small enough to fit?

Kate


[attachment deleted by admin]

Offline Ann

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #16 on: July 24, 2006, 06:00:58 am »
Love the clematis, Kate.

If you were trying to post the brom in the same post, that might be the problem because you can only post so much at one time. Try doing it in a separate post.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

tendai

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #17 on: July 24, 2006, 06:35:32 am »
kate , sorry to hear about your shingles. i had them once and i looked like an alien for a couple of weeks.  fortunately like u at that time i had a caring partner fussing over me so it made it a lot easier to bear.  hope u know now to run for the medicine when the tingling and cold sore start.  get well soon..

Offline Nadine

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #18 on: July 24, 2006, 06:52:34 am »
Kate,

So sorry to hear your not feeling well

Take good care of yourself
                                       

Offline Teresa

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2006, 08:43:25 am »
Kate,

So sorry It was shingles.

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Hugs
Teresa
Hubby HIV+ 5/5/06
CD4:320
  %: 26.7
 VL: <20
Atripla (started it 8/24/06)

Offline sweetasmeli

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2006, 03:36:55 pm »
Kate
I'm so sorry it is the dreaded shingles but I'm so glad you got yourself to A&E and onto the right treatment right away. I can honestly say I know how you feel having just recently got over it...not nice! Get that bell and start ringing it yourself for 24/7 on-call care/service from your partner! Get plenty of rest and if you haven't already been told, stay out of the sun!

Thinking of you.

Melia :)
/\___/\       /\__/\
(=' . '=)    (=' . '=)
(,,,_ ,,,)/   (,,,_ ,,,)/ Cats rule!

The difference between cats and dogs is that dogs come when called, whereas cats take a message and get back to you.

Yeia kai hara (health and happiness) to everyone!

Offline AlanBama

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #21 on: July 24, 2006, 03:54:58 pm »
Kate,

Sorry to hear it's the shingles.   They are no fun, that's for sure!   I hope they begin to clear up soon.

Gentle hugs,

Alan
"Remember my sentimental friend that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." - The Wizard of Oz

Offline Eldon

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #22 on: July 24, 2006, 06:17:50 pm »
Kate,

Sorry to hear that you have to go through this. It just isn't fun. Get plenty of rest and get well soon.

HUGS

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2006, 02:22:54 pm »
ow.oww. owwww.  :(

just needed to put that out into the massive black hole that is internet.
itching is abating, slightly i think. but pain.the kind of all over body hurting that is making my eyes water & is not being touched by anything I's got access to. I had forgotten quite how horrible shingles is. Again, i say oww.

anyone got any suggestions - anything,anything, however wierd n wonderful, would be appreciated muchly at this moment in time.

kate


Offline sfca415

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2006, 03:52:07 pm »
Kate, very sorry to hear you're dealing with Shingles now.  Helped a friend through it last summer and seemed that the only thing that helped him, besides the 1g Valtrex, was cannabis indica and cannabis sativa.  Best wishes for a quick recovery from all that pain.

xo
Rob
cd4+ 617 30% undetec - Jul06
cd4+ 221 17% 32K - Dec01
cd4+ 640 41% 5K - Feb96
current meds: Reyataz+Norvir, Viread, Epzicom, Valtrex, Wellbutrin
+ 1992, first meds 2002: Viramune (nvp), Zerit (d4t), Epivir (3tc) -- (m184v mutation & resistant to non-nukes, so no Atripla)

Offline penguin

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #25 on: July 25, 2006, 04:09:21 pm »
thanks, rob...as the well known saying goes, when in doubt, break out the weed  :P

Kate

Offline dario

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Re: Cold sores
« Reply #26 on: July 27, 2006, 07:54:52 am »
Kate,
how are you?

d
... when I was young, I never needed anyone, making love was just for fun, those days are gone ... Eric Carmen (Raspberries)

 


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