Shingles - Both Eyes

[Autonomous]

I'm not posting this for sympathy, all of us have had bad luck.
I guess I want to praise my eye Dr. He had to diagnose my eyes which defied conventional diagnosis.
The spectre of losing your vision gives you pause for thought, to say the least.
I want to give a shout out to David G. who I asked for a time consuming quote for a boat. I then told him to suspend the project and he was more than gracious especially considering the time he had invested in the project.
Health is a precious thing.

[Hugh MacD]

Recovery underway? Losing sight is not a pleasant thought.

[spirit]

Bilateral herpes zoster is very uncommon, and you were very unlucky to have it in both eyes.
Good luck with treatment.

[Autonomous]

We are making progress on it. I have to be aware of triggers and stresses which can cause flareups. UV light is the worst. Where can you get high exposure? In boats...

[Hugh MacD]

At least you're living in the land of relatively low UV...especially in winter

[Autonomous]

Good point about PNW winters. My timing is off though.
Southern hemisphere?

[Three Cedars]

There is always the night when our ancestors crossed oceans steering by the stars .

[UCanoe_2]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Autonomous. My wife had a shingles infection in her eyes several years ago, and was in the hospital on IV antiviral meds for a week. It has to be treated aggressively.

[Autonomous]

Thanks, there were some complications but I'm better.
The whole UV exposure thing has me reconsidering boating. I want to build or have built a twin mast sail-n-oar boat but that is on hold.

[Etdbob]

Get well soon! Try to keep a positive outlook and all that.
I had that stuff on my face, but thankfully it didn't get into my eyes. My beard hides most of the scars.
You'll heal, I'm sure. I understand that shingles can't cause you to loose vision, but can lead to an eye infection which can.

I bet you know that (found out the hard way?) and are on medication.

Again, good luck, and I'm sure you'll be fine in time. As to a double sticker for sail and oar, here is one of my favorites!

[Canoeyawl]

There is very good polarized UV blocking eye protection out there. My b.i.l. (the doc) wears them always when on the boat.

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edit: I just now bought a new pair (amazon) and this tragic story has reminded me to get my shingles booster vaccination - asap...

[Autonomous]

I understand that shingles can't cause you to loose vision, but can lead to an eye infection which can.

Per my Dr. it can cause loss of vision through scarring but I'm not sure of the mechanism.
I'm doing much better and not wearing dark glasses in the house any more.

[Etdbob]

You are on the mend, excellent!!

[Kevin G]

While teaching third grade, one of my students got shingles into her eye. Saw her a few years later, and it was cleared up and didn't bother anymore, but it was not fun for that young girl. Take care and follow instructions.

[UCanoe_2]

Glad you are improving, Canoeyawl.

Here's the scoop from Harvard on how shingles can cause vision loss: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/...-2021012721792

Everybody please remember to get your vaccinations.

[David G]

Sounds like improvement is happening. Here's hoping for the best possible outcome!

[earling2]

Sympathies going out for anything to do with shingles. Had a case of it that put me out of commission all last summer, had what's called "neurogenic bladder", the most painful thing I've ever been through, and it left me with a wasted left leg that feels fine but its 20% smaller than the right and 50% weaker. I'm on immunosuppresant drugs so I have to assume that was what let it run wild like it did. Good luck and a steady recovery.

[Autonomous]

Thanks everyone. The outcome looks (sorry) good.
earling2, damn. Will your leg get stronger?

[Rich Jones]

Good to hear that you are recovering. My wife's brother had shingles of the face and one eye. So severe he had to miss our daughter's wedding two years ago. Broke his heart.
The good news is that he recovered with no loss of eyesight.

[Canoeyawl]

Glad you are improving, Canoeyawl.

.

Not me, I am fine...
I had my vaccination years ago and only require a booster now

[Autonomous]

After complications from the first bout and then a case of herpes simplex in my eyes there were questions about long term consequences and having to avoid the outdoors account of light sensitivity. I finally got a clean bill of health today and I'm now on a maintenance anti-viral to keep the wolves at bay.
I'm gonna go camping! Splash a boat!

[WX]

After complications from the first bout and then a case of herpes simplex in my eyes there were questions about long term consequences and having to avoid the outdoors account of light sensitivity. I finally got a clean bill of health today and I'm now on a maintenance anti-viral to keep the wolves at bay.
I'm gonna go camping! Splash a boat!

No scarring on the eyes from the herpes?

[WI-Tom]

Good news on the clean bill of health--congratulations! And a reminder to myself that I ought to look into getting a shingles vaccine...

Tom

[Autonomous]

No significant scarring and yes, I can get that shingles shot now.

[Geftb]

There are many reports of shingles being a side effect of the COVID vac.
you may want to look into that?

[WI-Tom]

There are many reports of shingles being a side effect of the COVID vac.
you may want to look into that?

Got a link to a credible source for that? I've not heard anything like it. Shingles is caused by earlier exposure to chickenpox, when the virus gets re-activated.

Tom

[Geftb]

Got a link to a credible source for that? I've not heard anything like it. Shingles is caused by earlier exposure to chickenpox, when the virus gets re-activated.

Tom

Credible, I’m not so sure? but this is from the Australian government.
https://www.tga.gov.au/periodic/covi...ort-10-06-2021
Scroll down a bit and you will see it.
I came across it as my brother in law ended up in hospital with herpes viral encephalitis, shingles on the brain basically not long after his shot.
They were very fortunate as they happened to be near a hospital that specialises in neural in a city. (They live rurally) It was diagnosed quickly and he has just been cleared of brain damage and released. Another 4 hours without the anti viral meds and he would of been permanently brain damaged or dead. Of coarse to tie it to the vac is well... anyone’s guess.

[Autonomous]

There are many reports of shingles being a side effect of the COVID vac.
you may want to look into that?

That had crossed my mind but the vaccination is so new we can't know if it had anything to do with my episode.
My focus now is to go play outside! But, as Emily Latellah famously said "It's always something."
I broke a couple fingers a week or two ago so my boating with paddles and oars will have to be dainty. Dainty beats the hell out of hiding out though!

[Geftb]

That had crossed my mind but the vaccination is so new we can't know if it had anything to do with my episode.
My focus now is to go play outside! But, as Emily Latellah famously said "It's always something."
I broke a couple fingers a week or two ago so my boating with paddles and oars will have to be dainty. Dainty beats the hell out of hiding out though!

Fantastic you have you sight back Auto. All the best mate and happy playing!!

[WI-Tom]

Credible, I’m not so sure? but this is from the Australian government.
https://www.tga.gov.au/periodic/covi...ort-10-06-2021
Scroll down a bit and you will see it.
I came across it as my brother in law ended up in hospital with herpes viral encephalitis, shingles on the brain basically not long after his shot.
They were very fortunate as they happened to be near a hospital that specialises in neural in a city. (They live rurally) It was diagnosed quickly and he has just been cleared of brain damage and released. Another 4 hours without the anti viral meds and he would of been permanently brain damaged or dead. Of coarse to tie it to the vac is well... anyone’s guess.

Thanks--interesting. I guess the thinking is that adverse vaccine reactions would be that the vaccine may possibly cause the chickenpox virus to re-activate, not that the vaccine causes shingles by itself. That was what confused me at first.

But, perhaps not, either:

preliminary review by the TGA indicates that the number of reports of shingles in vaccinated individuals is actually lower than the expected background rate of herpes zoster in Australia overall. Therefore, there does not seem to be a safety signal suggesting that shingles is a result of vaccination. The TGA continues to monitor these cases and investigate whether they are coincidental events or if herpes zoster reactivation could possibly be related to COVID-19 vaccination.

Either way, glad to hear that you're out and about on the water again!

Tom

[The Jeff]

Glad you're ok and will be able to keep doing outdoorsy stuff! I was thinking when you posted that I'm not sure what I'd do if I suddenly couldn't be out on the water.

[Frank K.]

Credible, I’m not so sure? but this is from the Australian government.
https://www.tga.gov.au/periodic/covi...ort-10-06-2021
Scroll down a bit and you will see it.
I came across it as my brother in law ended up in hospital with herpes viral encephalitis, shingles on the brain basically not long after his shot.
They were very fortunate as they happened to be near a hospital that specialises in neural in a city. (They live rurally) It was diagnosed quickly and he has just been cleared of brain damage and released. Another 4 hours without the anti viral meds and he would of been permanently brain damaged or dead. Of coarse to tie it to the vac is well... anyone’s guess.

Perhaps I can help with confusing medical terms. Chickenpox is caused by Varicella Zoster virus. This is a member of the Herpes family but it is distinct from Herpes Simplex which causes cold sores and genital herpes.

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of chicken pox (Varicella Zoster). Shingles is also called Herpes Zoster (even though it is not caused by the Herpes Simplex virus). There are multiple variants of how shingles affects people depending on where and how severe the reactivation occurs.

Herpes Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) as the term is usually used is cause by the Herpes Simplex virus. It is not "shingles of the brain".
If Geftb's B-i-L had reactivation of chicken pox affecting his brain (which can happen) he had Zoster encephalitis.
Both of these are serious and potentially fatal.

Neither one is associated with immunization for COVID-19.

Because shingles is common and because many people are getting COVID shots there will be people who get shingles (and other illnesses) after COVID vaccines. The vaccines are not necessarily causing these illnesses.

The COVID vaccines have some important side effects but the serious side effects are rare. There is lots of good info on what the shots do and do not cause.

Hope this helps clarify.

Glad to know Autonomous is improved after a serious problem.

[Geftb]

Thanks Frank!

[Autonomous]

Yes, thank you, Frank. I may be confused as to whether I had simplex or zoster on my second round. I just remember the Dr. discussing stuff above my pay grade.

[Autonomous]

This is getting old. At least this round is only one eye.