MS and Shingles

[TracyAnn]

Hi everyone, i have got shingles, it utterly miserable and painful and if that isn't enough it's effected one of the big muscles down my right arm plus effecting my walking. I have got secondary progressive ms so this feels like a kick in the teeth. I was given anti viral tablets for a week and now on 100mg x 3 times per day of lyrica to help with the pain. But sadly that isn't helping my arm or foot. I have had it now for 4 weeks. Has anyone else suffered in the same way, have you got any advice please?

[limppy]

Sorry

Sorry to hear about this but no i have never had shingles ... please let us know how you are doing !

[Carolinemf]

Hi Tracy ann,
I had shingles 3 years ago. very painful and unwell.
What dmt are you on?
I'm on Tysabri.
Since I have been on it i seem to catch everything thats going around and have it for longer .
If you read up in the possible side effects they list this as a consequence.
Because shingles causes intense nerve inflammation it can exacerbate your ms in that area but it should diminish once the shingles does.
Mine took about a month to ease enough for me to start getting back to normal. With lots of pain meds and sleep. I was on anti-inflammitories as well as anti virals.
Hope you feel better

[TracyAnn]

Thank you

It's encouraging to hear that once the inflammation goes i should get some use back of my right side. I am on tecfidera and i know my white blood cells are in the red area whatever that means! I am taking lyrica 100mg x 3 times a day but it is making me sleep loads and vainly I'm worried about weight gain. I am trying to feel positive but I'm frightened.

[Tia1]

Hi Tracy, I'm so sorry that you have MS AND shingles! I have no experience personally wit shingles, but it sound awful.

Whenever, I experience pain that is severe, but temporary, I treat it aggressively (if doctors allow) because getting the pain under control, at least in my mind helps a person to recover faster.

I will be praying for you!

[TracyAnn]

Shingles

Hi, just an update incase anyone else is experiencing this problem. I am still uncomfortable, my shoulder aches a lot, my arm still won't lift, my hand won't hold things and my skin along the radial nerve is extremely sensitive. I am on 3 x 100mg lyrica. I have decided to cut down on the lyrica as i don't feel this is helping the pain at all and taking ibuprofen, although this is prescribed from the Dr so it is stronger. I have gained 8lb in 7 weeks and my stomach and legs have become huge which i find very distressing as clothes won't fit and i watch my weight as i know being disabled it's hard to loose it. My ms nurse has made an appointment for me to see my neurologist in a few weeks, it will be interesting to hear what he has to say. I feel extremely sorry for anyone going through the same thing i have experienced without a supporting family, it really has been a miserable time.

[Tawanda]

Hi, just an update incase anyone else is experiencing this problem. I am still uncomfortable, my shoulder aches a lot, my arm still won't lift, my hand won't hold things and my skin along the radial nerve is extremely sensitive. I am on 3 x 100mg lyrica. I have decided to cut down on the lyrica as i don't feel this is helping the pain at all and taking ibuprofen, although this is prescribed from the Dr so it is stronger. I have gained 8lb in 7 weeks and my stomach and legs have become huge which i find very distressing as clothes won't fit and i watch my weight as i know being disabled it's hard to loose it. My ms nurse has made an appointment for me to see my neurologist in a few weeks, it will be interesting to hear what he has to say. I feel extremely sorry for anyone going through the same thing i have experienced without a supporting family, it really has been a miserable time.

I was interested in the fact you mentioned "Tecfidera". I, too, was on Tecfidera when I got Shingles. The left side of my face was a mess. My white blood cell count went below normal when I was on Tec, and my neuro did say that my Shingles could very well be related to Tec. I was told to go off of it temporarily. I got treatment, healed, and life went on. Has your WBC count been checked lately?

[Carolinemf]

Hi again TracyAnn,
sorry to hear that your not improved.
Have you taken Lyrica before? It can have side effects just as you are describing.
Hopefully now that you are off it you will experience an improvement in symptoms.
Usually Shingles symps don't last that long.
All the best .Keep us posted when you are able?

[Marco]

Possible Link Between Tecfidera and Shingles

I had 3 bouts of shingles while on Tecfidera. It was reported both to the FDA and to Biogen. Some time later doctors believe there was a possible link between Tecfidera and Shingles.

If your interested here's the link from MSWorld

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...a-and-Shingles

and the actual article from Neurology
http://nn.neurology.org/content/3/2/e203.full

[cosmo]

Hi TracyAnn

Should be all past you yes by now? I hopes so.
I am PPMS, on Copaxone, had Shingles last year. I never knew so much pain could come from the littlest movements. Pain meds were a life saver.
Fortunately it was mostly confined to the side of my stomach & chest. ~2.5 weeks and it was gone.