Shingle Bells

12 November 2007


Shingle bells… shingle bells… shingle all the way…

Nope, folks, it’s not a typographical error. I really meant shingle bells, no jingle bells. Aside from the fact that xmas is just around the corner, I was inspired to write about shingle bells because I recently just had the shingles. Yes!!! Herpes Zoster!

Now, before you react… I can just see your faces going, “What? Herpes? Where and how the hell did she get herpes?”. Let me tell you that Herpes Zoster or shingles is not transmitted through sexual intercourse.

According to internet sources and to my phenomenally lovely Rheumatologist (I should write an entry just about him), shingles gets its name from both the Latin and French words for belt or girdle and refers to girdle-like skin eruptions that may occur on the trunk of the body. The virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus (VSV), can become dormant in nerve cells after an episode of chickenpox and later reemerge as shingles. Shingles arises in individuals who have already had chicken pox, and especially in people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly or people receiving chemotherapy. Here’s one of the downside of taking chemo drug, along with the hair loss… sigh…

Initially, red patches of rash develop into blisters. Because the virus travels along the nerve to the skin, it can damage the nerve and cause it to become inflamed. This condition can be very painful. And it was indeed painful! I could not even walk, it was sooo irritatingly painful, it makes me cry. But thanks to Tramadol (Dolcet), I was able to somehow deal with the pain.

However, a few days ago, I noticed that the nerve pains wouldn’t go away, and Tramadol was not working that well. I had a few sleepless nights. I was feeling this weird sensation – a mixture of pain and itchiness which was crawling inside my nerves. It feels like a heavy centipede was inside my body, gnawing its way through my veins. So back to my doctor i went. He gave me a new prescription – Lyrica75. I found out that it was actually for epileptics, since it “relaxes” the nerves and prevents episodes of epilepsy. It really works, it actually worked too well since I got “really relaxed” – I had this high, dizzy, woozy feeling. It’s really a high, I tell you, it would actually make E obsolete in the market.

So there, another complication brought about by Lupus. I hope this is the last “complication update” I am going to write. I need rest from all these medical conditions.

Oh by the way, merry xmas. Have a shingle-bell-free week ahead.