Shingles!

Anyone else had this?

Been feeling run down for a few weeks then out came a bunch of spots on one side of my scalp and face. The spots alternate between itching and burning. Doctor diagnosed shingles and now off work for a week. Still feeling weak and have a dull headache which comes and goes but is resistant to medicine.

Been assured it is not contagious but daughter had it 6 weeks ago....coincidence?

Yes and it's rare to get it on your head. That's where I got it lol and the doctor brought a load of students to take a look! Just to cheer you up that was twenty years ago and I still have one little scar on my face and sore patches on the back of my head.

Becky has had it 3 times over the past 4 years and it's always around the lead up to Christmas time as that is when the stress of work starts to ramp up for the Christmas sales.

It's unlucky that you have it on your scalp and face, as this is the worst place it can go (well, apart from the eye, which I've been told is unbearable). Shingles only ever attacks one side of the body and not the other.

There isn't much you can do apart from rest up and you will probably need more than a week off as it really does wipe you out.

Shingles isn't contagious though, otherwise I would have been

Sorry to hear you are under the weather- Shingles can be quite nasty. Although its not contagious, people can catch chickenpox from contact with shingles if they have not had chickenpox before.

Someone I know had it for over a month and tried to carry on as normal- so as others have said rest up and take it easy- hopefully you get better soon

Jake came down with shingles two years ago on the back of his neck which flares up in direct sun light, he says it's bloody painful so I hope you're feeling better soon John.

Had this a few years ago while ill and stressed over the christmas period. Thought I was having a heart attack. Was indeed painful and in no way pleasant.
It wiped me out and made me take it easy for a bit, as Ballypete said you can catch chickenpox from contact if you haven't had it before so its a good excuse to be a hurmit for a while.

Didn't get it on the face, back and neck. Also left me with a really shooty stabby, flash pain up my back and shoulders if I get to hot.

Hope it gets better soon, John - I had it on my side back in 1978, got quarantined for a while on my BBC Engineering training course

Had this around my eye a few years ago.

It didn't hurt at all, but it really did itch and was a nightmare not being able to scratch it.

My girlfriend gets this often, its nerve related and only effects one side of the body at a time, it can stop dead half way. Stress, sun light and other things can trigger it....the general consensus is that it is not contagious BUT advice is given to not share towels??.....I also have had really bad cold-sores occasionally when my girlfriend has long boughts.

If you catch it soon on an outbreak it can clear up very quickly. Once you have got it there is a good possibility you will get it again so keep any unused tablets as doctors appointments can be very hard to get these days.

I believe if you get lots of outbreaks you can have a year round prescription??

There have also been massive steps forward in treatment and understanding this condition in the last few years with talk of it possibly being eliminated in the future.

Get well soon.

I had it many years ago when I was doing my A-Level exams. Came out on my leg.

Weirdly for me it wasn't too painful and passed within a week.

I remember my Mum being very worried at the time - like a typical teenager I was more keen on getting back to the pub.

Currently there's a lot of it around. I have it, my 93 year old mother and my 75 year old father-in-law.

Eve's trying to avoid it - not uncommon in transplant patients apparently.

Fingers crossed!

Yes, it was Evie who had it first . Signs of an imature imune system after the chemo. Basically wiped all the imunity she had developed up to that point.

ALl the best for Eve.