Over two weeks now of pain with this damn shingles thing.
Rash has improved, skin sensitivity is better but
still present and uncomfortable but the pain is something else. Doctor gave me Endep (Amitriptyline) last Monday to treat the nerve pain but after
one night stopped with that, could not cope with the drowsiness and lethargy
and the need to sleep all the time it gave me.
Been taking Panadol and Panadol Forte which helps
but takes time to kick in each time I take it. Fed up with waking every morning
around 3.00am-4.00am in pain and needing to take more Panadol, pain is worse at
night for some reason, maybe because I end up lying on the side where the pain
is coming from. This has been going on for nearly three weeks. Have made
another appointment to see my doctor to see what else I can take for the pain.
To add to this I lost a molar tooth (the exposed
part above the gumline) earlier in the week and on discussion with my dentist
the next day he suggested that my immune system may have been compromised by
the tooth which could have contributed to the shingles. Who knows? However, I
do know my dental hygiene is very good and I see my dentist twice a year for
check-ups/treatment.
And now, with half a tooth buried below the gumline and impacting on the
sinus cavity and possibly contributing to on-going immune system issues which I
need to be careful of with my heart situation, I now need to look at surgery to
remedy that problem the first step for which will be on Monday with an
appointment to see a dental surgeon for an assessment.
In simple terms, I need to minimise the chances of an infection at all
times and in this case it could be caused by the broken tooth in the gum and/or
through an intrusion into the sinuses.
My dentist even suggested that the way my molar
deteriorated, sort of “rotted” out from the inside over a short period of time and
then “sheared off” at the gumline whilst not common was not something unusual
in people with a weakened immune system and in fact could very well have
contributed to my getting shingles.
Being a T2 diabetic (since 2003) and also having
had Graves Disease and my thyroid burnt out (in 1998 when I was 45), I am fully
aware that these two diseases can and often do impact on a person’s immune
system. Add to this the fact that a scratch from a cat (we have three) or a
bite from bird (we have adopted a number of injured wild birds over the years)
could lead to an infection, even a mild infection, and it becomes very apparent
to me that my immune system is constantly being challenged.
And now, this week, I was reminded that in the case of a person like me
who is already susceptible to a weakened immune system, that a bad tooth can
also affect a person’s immune system.
Coincidentally, my GP (doctor) and my dentist have
both had shingles in the past so they are aware of what I am going through and
both of them are well under 60 – so much for shingles being an over 60’s
disease. This begs the question of just how prevalent this disease might be but
because no one talks about it, no one really knows just how many friends, family
and work colleagues have or have had shingles.
One thing that is clear in the literature is that
the sooner shingles is diagnosed and addressed with antiviral medication and
maybe other medication, the greater the chances of minimising the severity of
the attack.
The lesson out of all of this I guess is that at the slightest sign of a
problem it is essential to get it checked out by a doctor to minimise the risk
of it developing into something more serious.
For those with heart issues who have had stents or bypasses or valve
replacements etc. who need to ensure they avoid infections this is doubly
important and a message that needs to be understood by those so affected.
**********************
"Depending on the location of the involved
nerve, the pain may be mistaken for a headache, appendicitis, heart attack or
angina, sciatica, abdominal pain, or other conditions. Many sufferers have
described the pain as extremely severe, and some even require narcotic
pain-relief medications."
