Medication for Shingles?!
Question: I asked a question about shingles yesterday, and mostly everyone said I should see a doctor. I went to see a doc yesterday. I have no blistering yet, so she really couldn*t tell if I have them or not, but she said the description of my pain was very consistent having shingles. She prescribed 5 days of 50 mg. prednisone to start immediately and also acyclovir 800 mg. for 10 days. She said I should start the acyclovir when the first blisters appear, but I have read that people take it before the blisters appear. I feel like I should start taking it. Also, the pain I*m experiencing is over a 6inch by 3 inch area on my rib cage and left side, but I am also experiencing REALLY bad back pain on that same side, has anyone experienced that pain? I don*t know how to deal with that pain. I can*t even find a comfortable way to sleep because of the pain in my back.
Answers: I asked a question about shingles yesterday, and mostly everyone said I should see a doctor. I went to see a doc yesterday. I have no blistering yet, so she really couldn*t tell if I have them or not, but she said the description of my pain was very consistent having shingles. She prescribed 5 days of 50 mg. prednisone to start immediately and also acyclovir 800 mg. for 10 days. She said I should start the acyclovir when the first blisters appear, but I have read that people take it before the blisters appear. I feel like I should start taking it. Also, the pain I*m experiencing is over a 6inch by 3 inch area on my rib cage and left side, but I am also experiencing REALLY bad back pain on that same side, has anyone experienced that pain? I don*t know how to deal with that pain. I can*t even find a comfortable way to sleep because of the pain in my back.
As you can not be sure that you have shingles until the blisters appear,you seem to be very eager to take the medication which, if it turn our to be something other than shingles, may disguise the symptoms so effectively that you do not find it out for several weeks or months. i would do as your doctor advises so long as his or her advice does not sound actually dangerous.
Try taking a warm bath with a teaspoon or bicarbonate of soda in the water before bed.
As for your first answer; the actor heath Ledger died a couple of weeks ago as a direct result of taking perfectly normal doses of several prescription drugs at the same time...the fact that they are prescribed does not make it safe to mix them unless, as in your case, your doctor has chosen drugs that go together and has told you to combine them.
When my husband had shingles, he took L-Lysine it cut down on the severity of the pain and blisters. It is OK to take up to 2-3 pills at one time since the body doesn't store it. He took 3 at a time 3-4 times a day.