Recurring Shingles :: Sharing My Experience
I'm a 35 year old female and have had recurring shingles for about 7 years which occurs anything from 3-7 times a year and occasionally back to back. It is always a small cluster of itchy/stinging spots at the base of my spine and thankfully, the only other symptom can be overly sensitive skin down the back of my thighs. It is the only 'illness' that I ever suffer from - I never get colds or other 'bugs' that seem to plague everyone around me. So, the main guidelines about shingles are very general and should not discount anyone who suffers from this if they fall outside the norm for the condition i.e. over 50, poor immune system, you only get it once, spots appear on the sides, chest or face etc. as I don't fit any of these but have had tests and confirmation.
My advice to anyone else who suffers from this is - do try to get antiviral medication like acyclovir as it will minimise the frequency of outbreaks, try the cold sore patches from the chemist (Compeed is the brand I use) - they can be costly but keep the area clean and covered to prevent spreading and definitely seem to clear it up more quickly and with less scarring and, finally, try not to touch the area at all outside of treating it. I have become good at recognising the early symptoms and the earlier I act on it, the less troublesome it is. I have also made a connection with using sunbeds as a couple of outbreaks have occurred shortly after using one so minimise UV exposure of the area (not usually a problem when it's on your bottom!).
Dermatitis :: Pompholyx Eczema After Athletes Foot
About 5 weeks ago i developed really severe athletes foot - now not ever having athletes foot before this was really shocking to me. The doctor prescribed Canesten HC cream and erythromycin - as i am allergic to penicillin and it is now beginning to feel normal again. The problem is now that i seem to have developed the same as what was on my foot on my right hand. I went back to the doctors and he gave me Fucibet cream and told me to continue to take the erythromycin - but i've only been able to take 2 of these a day rather than the prescribed 4 as they were making the side of my face burn. The condition has just been getting worse and worse and when i went back to the doctors the beginning of the week she told me to keep using the cream, prescribed another lot of erythromycin and some dermal hand wash/moisturizer cream and suggested i wear a cotton glove to bed. The doctors haven't diagnosed it as Pompholyx Eczema but after extensive research on the internet this is what i'm 99% sure it is. I have got a few blisters developing on my other hand and am absolutely terrified it's going to spread like wild-fire. The blisters on my right hand are all over my fingers, palm and beginning to go to the base of my wrist and between my thumb and finger towards the back of my hand. The ones on my palm seem to be merging together and are quite pus filled. My other problem is that after applying the Fucibet cream is does look really red and angry, my fingers seem to swell a bit more and is drawing liquid out. Is this a good thing or is it as i suspect and that is i am allergic to the Fucibet cream?
View 35 RepliesHSV From Sharing A Drink?
How likely is it to contract herpes or another STD from drinking off of another person's glass? I accidently took a sip off of my friends drink and I'm terrified I have contracted something. She didn't have a cold sore at the time or in the days prior.
View 3 RepliesHIV Prevention :: Drink And Cup Sharing?
Last night u had a couple friends over. I recently got my wisdom teeth taken out and this afternoon I used a new cup to rinse but as I rinsed with salt water I noticed some brown spots in the cup. It grossed me out and a family member said maybe someone used by accident. I know my one friend used a plastic cup but I thought he threw it out and I'm pretty sure he did. But I'm not sure if this friend may have hiv and if I used the same cup the next day with wisdom tooth surgery happening 5 days ago could I be at risk for transmission if he does have it? I'm incredibly paranoid and nervous
View 1 RepliesPossible To Give Chlamydia By Sharing A Bath?
We only shared a bath once also, is it possible to get chlamydia any other way other than through sexually contact? I've read horrible stories about children getting it from their parents without sexual contact and having their children taken about way because they assume rape.
View 4 RepliesHIV Transmitted Thru Sharing A Car Key To Short Cocaine?
Can It be transmitted thru sharing a car key to short cocaine
View 8 RepliesHerpes :: Sharing Someones Drink?
I am really stressed out because i have a very bad health mouth because of tonsils and also oral thrush (white patches) on back of the mouth, if i try someone else's drink with that kind of health but he/she has no herpes, could i get the disease? No kissing just sharing drinks..
View 11 RepliesSharing Drink With HIV Positive Friend
I accidentally drank out of a glass that my friend who has hiv was drinking out of (the two glasses were right next to each other). I don't know if he was bleeding but if we can assume there was in fact blood Can hiv survive in water? Can it transmit like this? I don't know if i had any open wounds too so if we assume i did as well is it possible? Or would this count as an environmental transmission that is nonexistent.
View 3 RepliesSTDs :: Risks Of Sharing Wet Towel
I recently had an encounter where I accidentally may have used the towel which the sex worker just used to clean herself. What are the risks of stds for this action? Do I need any testing?
View 1 RepliesHIV Prevention :: Sharing Food - Indirect
i have a question related to hiv: i was invited to a friend party. he served some sausages. everyone ate these sausages using just their hands, no forks or other tools. we had this single dish full of mustard, and after each bite from sausage, all of us were dipping their sausage in this plate of mustard.
is there are risk in catching Hiv or hepatitis from sharing the same mustard plate? just think what if i dip my sausage in the same place as one of my friend do, this after he take one bite of his sausages, and then he dip his sausage again to take mustard... even if when they bite there is the possibility to take some blood on the meat, and then put this blood into mustard? and i take this mustard 3 seconds after?... There is NO RISK, even if we were 7 persons, and all of us, were dipping parts of sausages in this plate? from a sausage, one can have 3-4 bites. so after each bite, they dipping the remaining part in mustard. what if some saliva remain in mustard, or some blood left in mustard? and if I ingest the mustard with saliva or blood? NO RISK?
Mental Health :: Sharing Visual Hallucinations
Just out of interest, I get the following, although somewhat reduced by my current medication (quetiapine)
1. Flashes, peripheral disturbances;
2. Illusions -- shadows morphing into animals / people;
3. Seeing what I call 'black rats / cats';
4. Spiders on your desk...;
5. 'Throbbing' objects such as keyboards;
6. Seeing people on the street who just vanish into thin air;
7. Seeing people morph into skeletons
8. People faces screaming at your window...
9. People walking into your lounge you know but are dead / or miles away
10. Talking to people who aren't there.
Fortunately my medication stops at about number 6.
ENT :: Day 1 Experience After Stapedectomy
After the usual IV insertion, walking to OR and walking up rather groggy, I must say the first few hours were strange. Having limited hearing in my right for the past 7 years ( and getting worse) I decided to go for the operation.
My mouth and throat were very dry (11am operation with no food or drink in 12 hours) and deep breathing was challenging. I was encouraged to take deep breaths to clear anything from my lungs. My OP ear was full of cotton and gauze so hearing from that side was nada. My good ear was very amplified like I had a microphone inside my mouth, I would scratch my head and it was LOUD. I was discharged after I could stand without aid and at home crashing on the couch.
I had a protein shake and a bowl of hot soup and felt very stable with no dizzy spells or balance issues, but still the amplification inside my head. I had ringing tones on my OP ear on and off but no pain. If I plugged my good ear I could hear nothing but the ringing.
Five hours now and I feel good but I can hear everything around me, the talking , the tv, things very far away are very clear. My dog barked right beside me and I nearly jumped off my chair, scared me. It was loud. I used to watch tv on 65 volume now it's at 40 volume.
Lupus :: Any Experience With Seizures?
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with seizures with their lupus. I had one seizure last see summer before I was diagnosed with RA. I have been told by rheumatologist that I have RA with overlapping lupus symptoms, no positive lupus labs. My question is about the seizure, it was not a grand mal type, no convulsing but I did lose consciousness for almost 5 minutes. Is this a lupus sign. They found NO medical reason at the time for this.
View 2 RepliesFlexible Cystoscopy? Any Experience?
I am 39 years old and since 10 months cystitis is been part of my life. I took many antibiotic and resulted positive to 2 urine test with the “Escherichia Coli” bacterium. I went to the specialist and had an ultrasound, which was normal but now he is insisting on having the flexible cystoscopy which consist in inserting a small tube with a camera inside the bladder to make sure that nothing is obstructing the urine tract such a stones, small extra tissues etc.
Wouldn’t the ultrasound identify these if any? Has any of you done this test (Flexible Cystoscopy)?
Does any of you managed to have an Antibiogram test (or ABG) which allow to identify what antibiotic is right for that type of bacteria?
Had Sigmoidoscopy - A Good Experience
it's not as bad you people think. I must admit I was fearing it a lot and this might be one of the reasons why I overreacted to the discomfort felt by the pumping of air to distend the bowels. There are no nerves in the bowels so you cannot feel any pain. Proof of this was when they did a random biopsy on me and ripped out samples of tissue from my bowels (as I watched on the screen). There was no pain at all apart from the odd sensation which felt like someone flicking a rubber band inside my gut.
It's always fear of the unknown which scares of most. After the procedure the only pain I really experienced was wind as they had probably pumped the world's gas supply into me (ok so I might have exaggerated a bit) but seriously, it's not all that bad and you'll feel ok right after one big release.
My 7 Years Experience With Implanon
I have had the implanon since I was 17 (now 24) and it has served me well...most of the time. I am actually considering having it removed because I have headaches five out of seven days a week; have gained about four kilos, which I cannot lose despite a healthy lifestyle and diet; I am moody; and I have trouble sleeping.
Most of these things I thought were just normal women's behaviour, but after speaking with many other women who have since gone off various other contraception, it has been brought to my attention, this all might be a side effect.
I have not had a period since having it inserted -except when it was removed after the three years while waiting to have it inserted again- which has been great. Despite this my main concern are the constant headaches, so I am having it removed and staying off contraception like this for a while to see what changes may occur.
Experience With SI Joint Injections?
Anyone have experience with SI joint injections?
I have been dealing with pain (from nagging to disabling) for almost a year. A year ago, the pain slowly progressed to the point that any position was uncomfortable...sitting, standing, walking, sleeping was impossible (for some reason the pain seems worst at night). At that point, I called my spine surgeon (had a lumbar burst fracture 5 years ago so already had a doctor ), but the first available appointment was a month out...I scheduled the appointment and went to the ER after not sleeping any more than an hour or two for several weeks in a row due to pain. They gave me a Toradol injection, muscle relaxers, and Vicodin. I went home thinking that I would finally sleep...WRONG! All those drugs did nothing to stop the pain! I struggled through the next few weeks until my appointment. My doctor's first guess was a disc problem due to my history; however, MRI showed healthy discs and fracture site looking as good as a burst fracture can After a few more tests, he diagnosed me with an SI joint problem and put me on Relafen for 6 weeks to control inflammation. After 3 weeks, I did see improvement...The pain returned to the "annoying" level. Since that time, the pain has been up and down...Always there, not always awful, but sometimes miserable for weeks at a time. I had a foot/ankle reconstruction in November and had a HUGE flair up after that...I realized that I really had an issue when my back pain was keeping me awake at night, not the heel bone that had been sawed into three chunks! I was hoping this problem would just disappear as mysteriously as it began; but, unfortunately, it looks like it's here to stay. My doctor has recommended an SI joint injection as the next step.
Has anyone had success with SI joint injections? My typical symptoms are left side lower back, hip, and thigh pain from just annoying to feeling like my bones are disintegrating...that's the best description I can come up with I also have a lot of muscle soreness in those areas.
How was the "injection experience?" I've had cortisone injections in my foot before, and they were not pleasant...So, I'm definitely not excited about this. I have a high pain tolerance and have dealt with a lot of medical procedures, but something about someone sticking a big needle in my back doesn't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Did you have increased pain for a few days following the injection? After the ones in my foot, I had fairly severe pain for several days...I think they called it a cortisone flair.
Hemorrhoids :: Experience Of OMG Herbs - Anyone?
Just saw this product a couple days ago, trying to search for hemorrhoids treatment for myself. Anyone try this before? Is it good? Any other suggestions which product is better for hemorrhoids treatment?
View 5 RepliesHemorrhoids :: My Experience Of Haemorrhoidectomy
Day 0.
Scheduled to go to the hospital at 7:30am. Booked in no problem, just thirsty from lack of water. Was no.3 on the list so went into theatre at 11:30 ish. Nice anaesthetists, no issue with the general being put in. Drifted away quickly it seems. Only bad thing was th surgical stockings they made me wear, clashed with my gown.
Woke up at 1:30 with a really sore throat and blocked nose and ears. Side effects of the general it seems. Bum was a little painful at this time. 2:00 moved to recovery room, still feeling a little sleepy. Had some water and he a nice cuppa. Had some bread and butter (they wouldn't let me leave if I didn't eat). No problems with the waterworks but did feel the need for a poo or pump. Nothing came though, no straining!!
Had an ibuprofen with the tea as felt pain. 30 minutes later it must have kicked in, as it was a dull throb then. Tried to do some puzzles in my book but kept dozing off. Nice nurse kept coming in to the my BP every so often and changed. Dressing when a bit fell out. Had a wander round the ward and got dressed. No problem walking, through balance was a bit wonky at times. Wife collected me at about 5 ready to go home.
Got in, had another pee. Opened get well box of presents, had a drink of tea, snarled some of the kids scampi and had a weetabix laced with flax seeds. Drinking lots of water,ergo peeing a lot and sitting on a hot wat bottle to relieve urge to poop. Took a codeine at 5 as well as a paracetamol and antibiotic, next set of Meds is about 10ish.
pain rating 3/10. No worse than a bad day of haemorrhoids at the moment.