Just diagnosed with Shingles, now I must go off all my arthritis meds. Need help.

Hi everyone, I suffer from Reactive Arthritis, it is treated just like Rhuemetoid. This arthritis not only attacks the tendons in your body, it damages joints. My knees are the worst, my achillis tendon tightens up all the time and my hands do not grip. Several fingers are very bad on the right hand, mostly gripping type movements. I have carpel tunnel all the time, they cannot operate because nothing will help the swelling there. This also attacks your eyes, and somedays I have horrid vision. I love to read, but sometimes cannot unless it is very big and I have reading glasses.

I am on Enbrel and Methotrexate, I started the Enbrel about 4 months ago, Dr doubled the dose and I was finally feeling progress. I was on Methotrexate for over a year with the old Dr, New doc is doubleing that and doing an injectable...however...I now have a bought of Shingles, a patch of welts on my rt side hip , right above the panty line. The pain is awful, and I am told it will be just like chicken pox. Blister, break open and scab. Luckily you cannot see it, and I can wear soft sweats at home, (I am disabled and get SSD) I am so scared about the pain, if I hurt this much on Darvocet 4 times a day, how bad will it be when I am off the 2 meds. Before the diagnosis I was bedridden and couldn't even move my hands, I couldn't touch my wrists to anything, I layed my hands with the inside up.

Would just like some support and if anyone else went through this, please let me know how you survived. Because I have no clue how to deal when the meds wear off in 3 days and the pain gets worse. I have a call in to the Rh, and hope he can give me a stronger pill, if only for nightime. I am on many other meds, flexeril at night for the fibro, neurontin to help pain, etc. Yes, I have plenty of chocolate on hand. I am 50 miles west of Hershey, and once worked at the park. Love chocolate, soothing and raises endorphines....

Thanks for listening,

Hi rms, I can understand your pain since I have fibro and arthritis too. I had a bad case of shingles across my right chest a few years ago. I really was a miserable little puddle for a few weeks because of the shingles pain on top of the daily ouchies.

You should be on meds for the shingles. This is very important! The meds shorten the course of shingles and make it less likely that you'll get ongoing pain afterwards. Because I have fibro, my dr put me on an extended course of shingles meds as a precaution. My med was accyclovir, as I recall.

I found anti-inflammatories helped some, and the neurontin you are already taking might help with the nerve pain. Be sure to check with your dr about what is ok to take and ask the dr what other things you can do about the pain. Nothing I took for it worked great, and in the end I just had to tough it out, sorry to say.

But, the pain will go away. Once you start taking the meds, the blisters should stop increasing and the remaining ones will dry up and fall off in a week or two. I know it seems neverending now, but you will get better. The best of luck to you. Many hugs.

Nice to hear some news from a person who suffered with it. I see the RH Dr and he might extend the meds. My fam dr was adament I call him before he closed the office.

I totally understand about toughing it out with the pain, I am doing ok so far, and hopefully the meds will slow down the spread like you said. Realisticly there is nothing else we can do, at least I can nap if I don't sleep well. Bonus !!!
Mary Kay