My anal cavity was completely infected and after a colonoscopy and biopsy it was confirmed that I have herpes zoster as my partner had unnoticeable blisters on his penis. As the virus itself isn't considered an STI the way I got it is regarded as so and it's been 2 months since the incident and the tingling sensation when I poo will go away after months as told by my doctor and the virus will only be reactivated in case of a compromised immune system or extreme fatigue but a few days ago my penis was stinging and really tiny blisters formed around my penis tip and below it and another slightly above my anus(after itching) and so my questions are; will I have recurring blisters even with perfect health ? Is the virus present in my anal cavity and sperm?
I tried to use the search function, but couldn't really find an answer. I was wondering why Herpes Zoster has a vaccine that is over 90% effective out on the market, but HSV does not. It seems both viruses affect the neural ganglion. Is it something inherently different between the viruses or how it affects the body?
Hello everyone, wanted to share my recent not so pleasant experience.
I was diagnosed with RA 3 months back and I was put on HCQ medication. About 3 weeks ago I got the Astrazeneca Covid vaccine and about 5 days back I started noticing a rash on the left side of my abdomen. Turns out it is herpes zoster and the doctor told me that she has had about 5 patients with herpes zoster after covid vaccine. Especially if you are on immunosuppressants.
This is just my personal experience and not a statement about the vaccine. Take care.
There's what is called a "signal" around several cases following the vaccine, and I read somewhere that this is not unfamiliar for any kind of vaccine, as the immune system gets "distracted" by the vaccine, and the herpes zoster virus can come back during this window of opportunity.
My husband already had a severe form of herpes zoster/shingles in the trigeminal nerve of the face, so, if he gets even a resurgent mild one in the same area, it's definitely gonna damage his nerve real bad this time, and nerves don't repair... He said the pain, vomitting, and constant spinning was so horrible he legit wanted to die.
There are news article out there, and I get that, from a far away point of view, it's just something statistically happening at non alarming rate, but then, shingles resurgence -> nerve damage -> a life of pain, is hard to consider in the risk - benefit balance....
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33638924/
https://www.aaaai.org/allergist-resources/ask-the-expert/answers/2021/shingles-covid
Studies indicate that viruses like herpes simplex and herpes zoster can be put into quick remission, or the breakouts prevented altogether, when T-lymphocyte suppressor cell function is inhibited. The best way of accomplishing this is to take 200 mg of cimetidine (Tagamet) three times a day and then 400 mg at bedtime. Tagamet is available in pharmacies over-the-counter. Herpes simplex outbreaks have been shown to go into remission in response to the proper dose of cimetidine. In cases of herpes zoster (shingles), which targets the older population, cimetidine has been successfully used to lessen the debilitating pain and intensity of the skin rash and eruptions. Published studies indicate that viruses like herpes simplex and herpes zoster can be put into quick remission, or the breakouts prevented altogether, when T-lymphocyte suppressor cell function is inhibited. The best way of accomplishing this is to take 200 mg of cimetidine (Tagamet) three times a day and then 400 mg a bedtime. Tagamet is available in pharmacies over-the-counter. Suggested use is to initiate Tagamet as soon as symptoms of a herpes-related virus infection appear. Continue to take it for one to two weeks after all symptoms of the outbreak have abated. One precautionary note, even though Tagamet (cimetidine) is sold over-the-counter, refer to the package insert to make sure it does not interact with prescription drugs you may already be taking. Please note that if your doctor prescribes generic cimetidine, it may cost less to obtain it as a prescription drug (especially if you have prescription drug insurance) rather than buying the Tagamet name brand that is available without a prescription. References Devine SM, Wingard JR 1994, Viral infections in severely immunocompromised cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 1994 Nov;2(6):355-68. Van der Spuy S, Levy DW, Levin W 1980. Cimetidine in the treatment of herpes virus infections. S Afr Med J Jul 19;58(3):112-6. Kapinska-Mrowiecka M, Toruwski G: 1996. Efficacy of cimetidine in treatment of herpes zoster in the first 5 days from the moment of disease manifestation. Pol Tyg Lek Jun;51(23-26):338-9. Hayne ST, Mercer JB 1983. Herpes zoster:treatment with cemetidine. Can Med Assoc J Dec 15;129(12):1284-5. Komlos L, Notmann J, Arieli J, et.al. 1994. In vitro cell-mediated immune reactions in herpes zoster patients treated with cimetidine. Asian Pac J Allelrgy Immunol Jun;12(1):51-8. Miller A, Harel D, Laor A, Lahat N 1989. Cimetidine as an immu
... keep reading on reddit ➡>Regarding the answers, I have a keto rash, my doctor has misleading me talking about herpes/zoster. As far as I know there is no link between keto Diet with herpes and zoster.
Hello everyone,
I started with the Keto diet in 2019, the first diet (3months) went without ecombrement.
In the last 12 months I have done 3 Keto diets. All 3 times, between 2-4 weeks after being in ketosis, I started to get herpes on my upper chest, between my pectorals.
The first time I had this outbreak on my chest, I went to see a doctor who told me it was shingles (herpes zoster virus), but I never had chicken pox. I took a treatment, in parallel I had stopped my keto diet, and it went away after 3 weeks of pain.
A few months later, I started a keto diet again, same thing, I had a herpes outbreak on my chest, I read that an imbalance of amino acids (Lysine & Arginine) could promote this, I take 1000mg of Lysine tablets per day, at the end I just stop the diet, so that it would dissipate.
Today, at this very moment, I'm back on the keto diet, and I feel this herpes outbreak burning my upper torso. I'm back on daily lysine tablets and it's not doing anything yet.
How is this possible? Still an amino acid imbalance? I change nothing in my lifestyle and daily life appart from the food for my keto diet.
My diet revolves around :
- Red & white meat
- Cheese, lots of cheese, all types of cheese
- Dark chocolate (>90%-99%) (Apparently a lot of Lysine on this one)
- Fat yogurt
- Almonds, coconut floor (not this time for the coconut floor though and still herpes)
- Salad, tomato, etc.
- Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- Sugar free soda (Diet Coke)
I told the doctor about it, but he doesn't know anything about the keto diet and advised me not to do it again. There is not a lot of things on internet aswell.
So please, if anyone could help me on that, I'd be grateful
https://preview.redd.it/7zzhfuszvuq71.png?width=998&format=png&auto=webp&s=4c765dd74ae039bb386cb504ae8489f4e8368c7b
My Personal Experience with Severe Herpes Zoster (Shingles) and Long-Term (55 Months Continuous & Ongoing) Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)
In May of 2016, I, a 49-year-old healthy male, experienced a severe case of Shingles with an unusual initial presentation where the infection progressed for three weeks without a rash, and which I thus mistook for a pectoral muscle strain consistent with exercises I had recently initiated. PHN has been continuous and ongoing, and as a result, I lost considerable time at work and went through a period of severe depression. Now, approaching five years since onset, I have made numerous attempts at pain management, both with a physician's help and on my own, two of which have been reasonably successful. Before getting there, I had a serious struggle with pain, depression, and even some anxiety for the first time in my life, and I came very close to taking my own life. Given the unusual nature of the initial presentation, the intensity of my struggle with the pain, and my success in finally managing the long-term PHN, I have been encouraged by more than one person to document the details. This is a personal account of my experience.
Early Symptoms (May 1 to May 21, 2016)
On May 1, 2016, I began experiencing pain in what I believed to be my left pectoral muscle. I know this date exactly because at the time I was 49 years old, and I was training for a "Century March", a 50-mile single-day walk, on my 50th birthday at the end of July. This training consisted mostly of walking 25 to 30 miles every Sunday morning, and May 1 was one of these Sunday mornings. Also, about a week earlier, I had begun doing daily pushups and planks, with the goal of being able to do 50 pushups on my 50th birthday. I believe, had Shingles not interfered, I would have been able to accomplish both goals easily. My PCP has speculated that the stress I was placing on my body may have been a contributing factor, if not the reason, for my Shingles infection. I was in excellent physical shape, but I was near 50 and I was pushing my body hard, a suspected indication for Shingles.
Given this history of recent exercise, I mistook the Shingles pain for muscle pain, at least, initially. If I had known then what I know now about the pain, I would have recognized it sooner. It did feel precisely like muscle pain, with one odd exception: when I would palpate the muscle to find the source of the pain, I couldn't locate any actual pain. And yet, I was expe
... keep reading on reddit ➡https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/non-live-recombinant-vaccine-for-herpes-zoster-shows-greater-efficacy-broader-applicability-than-live-attenuated-vaccine
Yesterday my brother in law was diagnosed with his first case of shingles. He also has been in quarantine since Friday because someone at his work tested positive for Covid. Coincidentally, my friend on Kaua’i is suffering his first case of shingles too. He travels to O’ahu for work once a week.
So on a weird hunch I looked online and found there are some recent studies which suggest Herpes Zoster (HZ) or shingles as a potential complication of COVID-19. Here’s one:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7238983/
Brother-in-law saw an ER doctor and was given meds but was NOT told to isolate. He gets his Covid test results tomorrow but I’m not sure if the ER ordered it or if he was tested before the ER visit. I shared my online search with my sister and she is freaking out!
Has anyone heard of shingles being linked to COVID-19? According to some of the studies I read, in some cases shingles manifests before respiratory symptoms are present.
