Ways To Treat Shingles

Here's a taste of what TheBody.com has to offer on this topic:

Get the Facts

Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

What Is Shingles? Shingles is a very painful disease caused by the same herpes virus that causes chicken pox (varicella zoster virus). Like other herpes viruses, the varicella-zoster virus has an initial infectious stage, (chicken pox) followed by a dormant stage. Then, with no warning, the virus becomes active again. About 20% of people who have had chicken pox will eventually develop shingles. This reactivation of the virus is most likely to...

Ask the Experts

Shingles SUCK

The facts - Discovered I was positive after a Shingles breakout a year ago. Started HIV treatment at 100K viral load, CD4 of 64. Responded quickly to Combivir-Crixivan treatment - undetectable VL, CD4=100 after 6 weeks. Demanded a switch to a life...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

Unfortunately, many people experience "post-herpetic neuralgia", which means that it still hurts after the lesions have healed. That is because when the shingles virus travels down the sensory nerves to an area os skin where the outbreak... Read more »

What type of specialist treats shingles

About the middle of april 2011 i began itching under might right breast and pain. I thought i had cancer, went to a clinic and they had me get cat scan of my right side under breast spent about $300 in deductibles expenses for nothing. I went to a...

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

Shingles (herpes zoster)is often managed by primary care physicians. If there is severe post-herpetic pain (neuralgia) then often a neurologist (nerve specialist) or pain specialist might offer some assistance at achieveing pain relief. KH... Read more »

More about shingles

I had written last week about how when i take my combivir and viramune,my counts go great but i have shingles immediatly every time.I am wondering now if i am confusing shingles with something else because the times i have had shingles,it is...

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

Shingles is due to the varicella virus (Herpes zoster). It would be unsual though possible to have recurrent outbreaks as you describe. An evaluation be a dermatologist is strongly recommended to make the proper diagnosis. Flares of skin problem... Read more »

Could this be shingles

I recent discovered a small group of what appeared to be insect bites in on the left side of my back all grouped together. I treated them with a topical antibiotic and with benadryl cream. This seemed to take care of it but found several more...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

Your problem does indeed sound like shingles, and the burning discomfort you're experiencing is probably "post-herpetic neuralgia"-- a fancy way of saying pain that is a residual effect of a herpesvirus infection (shingles is caused... Read more »

Go to Ask the Experts »

Connect With Others

5 lessons about the way we treat people

Posted by franfrog, 2 Replies

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until... Read more »

shingles

Posted by LLsexyLL, 2 Replies

Does anyone know how to prevent getting shingles the second time. I had them Dec 2010 . Now my face has healed but I was told I can get them again.
Is there anyway of preventing getting shingles again? Read more »

My sister is HIV+ and has shingles

Posted by Anonymous, 3 Replies

I was just wondering if anyone had experience with HIV and shingles. She's been fighting the shingles now for about 5 months and they'll just start to go away and then come back again. She was very thin for a while, but looked really good and had... Read more »

Shingles = HIV?

Posted by grcboy30, 5 Replies

Hi there.
I had chicken pox at 5 years old so can develop shingles. I haven't been to the doctor yet but have what I am pretty sure is shingles on the side of my chest (a pink rash which is itchy with bumps). I am terrified of HIV. I am only 30... Read more »

Connect on Our Bulletin Boards »

Tools

My Health Tracker

Assess Your Risk for HIV

Find Local HIV/AIDS Services

Resource Centers

Guides for People With HIV

View All of Our Guides >>