A cautionary tale for all you people in internet land...

[theroymccoy]

Increased cardio + lower calories + still training at 100% - proper rest = SHINGLES.

Yes folks, I now have shingles. Skip and I believe Heckman spoke of their bouts with this shitty disease and trust them and me...IT SUCKS.

IDIOT me did not stick to my game plan. Knowing that my immune system suffers around the 7-8 week mark, I've told myself to work out hard for 6 weeks and take a proactive rest on the 7th (coincidentally Skip mentions he does in his DVD).

Well I've done that for 2 periods and it worked great (not coming down with a cold or anything). For whatever reason, I decided to keep going and worked out into my 7th and 8th week. Felt a little tired and thought I was getting a cold so I backed off for a week.

All of a sudden I get these welts from the base of my neck down to my pec. Thinking they were just bug bites I didn't do anything about them until a few days later when my neck started to get sore and the welts started blistering. Awww shit...emergency room time.

I get to the ER and the doc says I have shingles. I'm on 1 anti-viral and 2 antibiotics.

Trust me when I say this that the pain IS BLINDING. I literally wince when the nerve jolts. Hopefully the pain and blisters go away in a few weeks. I can't even wear clothes properly because the welts/blisters are so tender. :puke:

No more working out for the time being, and work might suffer as well.

So yeah, just me rambling. Take care of your health folks, listen to your body, and stick to the gameplan.

[Sammich]

Lest anyone freak out and spout OMG LIFTING WEIGHTS CAUSES SHINGLES: It's worth mentioning that the physical demands didn't MAKE him catch shingles; shingles is a virus that was there anyway. The physical demands lowered his immune system and the stress caused the flare-up.

[theroymccoy]

Lest anyone freak out and spout OMG LIFTING WEIGHTS CAUSES SHINGLES: It's worth mentioning that the physical demands didn't MAKE him catch shingles; shingles is a virus that was there anyway. The physical demands lowered his immune system and the stress caused the flare-up.

Correctamundo...the doc says it is unclear what is the main culprit for shingles but anything that suppresses the immune system (think physical, emotional, mental stress) will invite shingles.

Shingles stems from chicken pox. Usually, you get chicken pox and then the virus does not go away, merely lies dormant in your nerves. For most people, it lies dormant until they die. For a good number of people, it comes back as shingles.

If shingles was a person I'd take an axe to its face. Stay healthy and be as stress-free as possible folks.

[Godsmack]

Had them myself about 5 years ago. The first one on my side looked like a spider bite. Sick as a dog, chicken pox like shit all over my side and back. Flying back from a 4 day vacation in NY was hell. I got back and went into the ER. They were shocked I was standing as it TYPICALLY only effects old people and they claimed the pain was similar to that of a heart attack. I just know if I never get them again I will be happy.


Best recovery bro!!!


Jq

[Heckman]

Correctamundo...the doc says it is unclear what is the main culprit for shingles but anything that suppresses the immune system (think physical, emotional, mental stress) will invite shingles.

Shingles stems from chicken pox. Usually, you get chicken pox and then the virus does not go away, merely lies dormant in your nerves. For most people, it lies dormant until they die. For a good number of people, it comes back as shingles.

If shingles was a person I'd take an axe to its face. Stay healthy and be as stress-free as possible folks.

X2...It was a 3 month ride on the vicodin express for me..(which wasn't fun coming off of) had them on my upper left pec...and yes, they fucking hurt! Typical guy fashion I was stupid and waited almost 2 weeks to get in, which left some nerve damage on my left side...glad you caught it early, but it still has to run its course..

[BryanB]

Obviously steroid related...lol

[Sammich]

X2...It was a 3 month ride on the vicodin express for me..(which wasn't fun coming off of) had them on my upper left pec...and yes, they fucking hurt! Typical guy fashion I was stupid and waited almost 2 weeks to get in, which left some nerve damage on my left side...glad you caught it early, but it still has to run its course..

If you have any vicodin left over I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands.

[Daniel7908]

In 2003 I had shingles after a failed attempt to substitute something really stupid for back-hyperextensions. I felt a little sting in my back and got sick a couple of days later. When I went to the doctor, after she looked at how the welts went in a single line from the middle of my back to the side of my ribcage, that it was likely due to some stress on my spine.

And, as TheRoyMcCoy and Heckman have said, the pain is extreme... If you've never had it, you don't want to know what it is like.

[Daniel7908]

And when I did get the shingles, since I had no idea what it was, that pain made me think that my days were numbered. Yep, it's that bad.

[Ken "Skip" Hill]

I admit that when I got it in 03 I thought I was dying from cancer, too. I am not lying.

I don't care to go into my long story so I will just say that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (and I have a few of them). Not to sound like I am one-upping anyone but the pain for most all of you has stopped and you have recovered (minus Heckman I think) but mine continues to jolt me every 20-30 seconds of my life, around the clock, since 2003 and will likely follow me to the grave. I waited too long and the damage was too much to the nerve branch so the nerve wasn't able to regenerate. It is brutal and the reason that I don't wear a shirt anymore than I have to.

I hope you recover fully, brotha.

Skip

[Heckman]

If you have any vicodin left over I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands.

lol..I think I went through easily a 1 years supply in 3 months...if 1 every 3 hours was good, 2 every 3 hours was even better, (and it was)..it certainly helped for sure...it was a sad day when I ran out for good :-(

[Sammich]

Not that it will help anyone who already has it, but there is a vaccine for the shingles virus (a.k.a. herpes zoster). My Father was going to be part of the clinical trials of it, but was turned away because he has simplex 2.

[theroymccoy]

Had them myself about 5 years ago. The first one on my side looked like a spider bite. Sick as a dog, chicken pox like shit all over my side and back. Flying back from a 4 day vacation in NY was hell. I got back and went into the ER. They were shocked I was standing as it TYPICALLY only effects old people and they claimed the pain was similar to that of a heart attack. I just know if I never get them again I will be happy.


Best recovery bro!!!

Jq

Thanks man.

X2...It was a 3 month ride on the vicodin express for me..(which wasn't fun coming off of) had them on my upper left pec...and yes, they fucking hurt! Typical guy fashion I was stupid and waited almost 2 weeks to get in, which left some nerve damage on my left side...glad you caught it early, but it still has to run its course..

How long did it take for your blisters to heal up? The ones on my neck aren't bad since shirts don't touch them or when I sleep the pillow doesn't touch them. BUT, they are very visible so I feel like a leper when people stare.

To make matters worse one of our employees has her young daughter hang out at the store and she hasn't had her chicken pox yet! So she's a prime candidate to get it from me if I go to work. Oh well...unpaid time leave...wait, that's not good at all.

If you have any vicodin left over I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands.

Haha, no vicodin on this end. Ibuprofen for me and just man up. Let's just say I've had my fun with vikes at UCSB and I don't want to put myself in that predicament again.

I admit that when I got it in 03 I thought I was dying from cancer, too. I am not lying.

I don't care to go into my long story so I will just say that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (and I have a few of them). Not to sound like I am one-upping anyone but the pain for most all of you has stopped and you have recovered (minus Heckman I think) but mine continues to jolt me every 20-30 seconds of my life, around the clock, since 2003 and will likely follow me to the grave. I waited too long and the damage was too much to the nerve branch so the nerve wasn't able to regenerate. It is brutal and the reason that I don't wear a shirt anymore than I have to.

I hope you recover fully, brotha.

Skip

Will do thanks man. Just in case I get the long term nerve damage, how do you manage it?

Not that it will help anyone who already has it, but there is a vaccine for the shingles virus (a.k.a. herpes zoster). My Father was part of the clinical trials of it.

Yeah I read up on that. I know they offer it to 60+ crowd but can youngin's like me still get it? 26 years old.

[Heckman]

How long did it take for your blisters to heal up? The ones on my neck aren't bad since shirts don't touch them or when I sleep the pillow doesn't touch them. BUT, they are very visible so I feel like a leper when people stare.

To make matters worse one of our employees has her young daughter hang out at the store and she hasn't had her chicken pox yet! So she's a prime candidate to get it from me if I go to work. Oh well...unpaid time leave...wait, that's not good at all.

.

I didn't blister very bad, but it seems like several weeks before they went away, but the pain stayed long after that.
And yes, you are very contagious until the blister are gone. I gave my son chicken pox some how when I got mine...He even had the vaccine so his pox were very mild..need to be very careful.

[Macho Man]

Thanks for the new sig quote Heckman!