How many people do you know who have had shingles more than once and before age 40?
Asked by
JLeslie (
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June 22nd, 2015
from iPhone
I’ve mentioned before I’ve been getting shingles since my 20’s. I know of two other jellies who have similar situations. All of us have had outbreaks multiple times. Right now, for the first time ever, I have it on my face! I’ve always been grateful it hasn’t been on my face for vanity reasons, and also for fear of losing my eyesight. I actually started getting pain in my face a couple of years ago a few different times, and now I know that was part of shingles, because this time I got some blisters on my forehead following that pain.
Here’s the thing. I hear over and over again how rare shingles is in young adults, and how rare it is to have more than one episode. I don’t think it’s so rare.
I complained to a girlfriend today what I am going through right now, and she told me she also has been getting shingles for years and her last episode they almost hospitalized her.
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I did. I was in my early 30’s. It was very slight, though. It was a small patch around my waistband area.
None. That doesn’t mean that some of them haven’t; maybe they just haven’t talked about it.
None that I know of either.
None that I know if either, but I do know how awful it is. My mother had it in her 70s and told me, once it subsided, that the pain was so bad she thought she’d have to kill herself!
I’m hope yours clears up fast and stops returning.
I think most people don’t talk about it when they have it happening.
@cazzie Did you tell anyone when it happened to you? I didn’t for years. Sometimes I don’t even tell my husband when it’s happening.
I just told this friend of mine, who I don’t talk to very often in the last 15 years, and that’s when she told me.
@JLeslie yeah. I was lifting my shirt and showing who ever would look. What is the big deal about keeping it secret? Not like I had crabs or something.
If it is on your face, and particularly anywhere near your eye, it is cause to see a doctor immediately! My husband had it on his face and the doctor told him he should not have waited as long as he did.
@cazzie I was just curious because it speaks to the likelihood people would know if relatives or friends have it.
@Inara27 Once I realized what it was (when the outbreak started to appear on my forehead) I went to urgent care (it was a Sunday). Now, I realize some of the face pain I had the last two years was shingles, but I didn’t have any blistering. I’ll probably pop some pills if I feel it coming on next time. I don’t bother to do that on my backside, I wait to see if it erupts, but on my face I’m paranoid of harming my eyesight and also I’m not thrilled stroke is more likely while a face outbreak is happening.
My brother-in-law was 35-ish when he had an outbreak. Just the one time, but at least he knows what to look for.
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