Shingles

[pozzitive]

It's been a few months now that I have a pain in my neck on the left side that goes all the way to below my eye, sometimes I feel my scalp burning a bit. I've been having a lot of headaches and pressure in my head. My dentist told me it was sinus because when she did and x-ray of my mouth she could actually see that my sinus bags were a little inflamed to the point that she could see in the x-ray.

Today I woke up with a burning sensation in the back of my head and went to see my doctor and he started me on a treatment for shingles I am not sure if he was really convinced it was shingles himself but he said he rather treat it. He also asked for a scan of my face for sinus.

I am going a a somewhat stressful period in my life, sometimes I feel it could be just tension in my neck spreading.

Then I started freaking out, wait a minute shingles? does that mean my numbers are drastically lower I just did labs three months ago and it was all great! My numbers went up, still undetectable etc etc etc..
So how bad really does it mean if I really have shingles, my doctor did not seem alarmed at all. Does it come back? Does it mean that my immune system has weakened?

Thoughts?

[Miss Philicia]

People without HIV get shingles. Don't read to much into this if that's what it is.

Is your cd4 count probably lower if this is what it is? Probably, but once you get rid of it they'll eventually go back up.

my doctor did not seem alarmed at all.

Well, why should he be?

[pozzitive]

Thanks for saying that I need to learn to calm down...

[kjo]

I have had shingles recently and my doc was also not concerned, although it freaked me out too.  Stress is a huge factor in getting shingles even with a good cd4 count.  But it's better to try and destress and chill if you can.  Feel better! 

[leatherman]

Does it come back? Does it mean that my immune system has weakened?

have you had shingles before?
yes, they can reoccur, and often do in the same place.

and shingles outbreak aren't related to cd4 counts - shingles is herpes zoster (an outcome of chicken pox) and is not an opportunistic disease. It is also an issue that is more likely to happen to people as they grow older.

[MarkB]

shingles outbreak aren't related to cd4 counts - shingles is herpes zoster (an outcome of chicken pox) and is not an opportunistic disease. It is also an issue that is more likely to happen to people as they grow older.

Hi pozzitive. Just to back up what Leatherman has said, I developed shingles shortly after being diagnosed (2007). For what it's worth, my cd4 was then about 600 and my percentage was in the 30s, so my immune system wasn't that weak at the time, although I was under a lot of stress. Looking back, I don't think the two events were necessarily related; and although it was seriously unpleasant, it hasn't recurred (it can, of course).

And as others have said, plenty of HIV- people get shingles.

Hope this helps, and that you feel better soon.

[J.R.E.]

Hi,

The first time I got Shingles was in 1989 at age 37. This was also 4 years after I was infected with HIV.

I really believe that stress was the main, contributing factor, for the shingles. I was in a stressful job position/ change, at the time.

I never had shingles on the head, only the torso, and it was wrapped around the back, going around to the center of the stomach, on the left side Had the welts/ blisters, and the pain, was the worst I experienced.

The main thing is getting diagnosed early, and trying to minimize the effects of the shingles.

They can return.  I had them again in 2003, with a severely compromised immune system.

You have to let them run the course, but if they are on the head,  you need to be extra careful, that they don't get around the eyes.  You don't want them in the eyes.


You need to rest, and take it easy.

Avoid scratching them. Here's a lesson from the site:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Shingles_6797.shtml

Wishing you a speedy recovery..


Ray