Shingles:


A common side effect for Hodgkin's patients (up to 40% of all patients) is Shingles. This is something that affects many older persons in life, but can strike at any time. The only prerequisite is that you had chicken pox at some time in your life. The following is an explanation written by Mark Hartwig, and used with his permission.

One important thing to note is that you should consult your doctor immediately if you think that you have shingles. In fact if you ever have any rash or odd symptom of any kind. It may seem like "nothing" to you, but your doctor may think otherwise. Not to mention that she can probably prescribe something so that you don't have to deal with the "nothing" anymore.


From: Mark Hartwig Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 22:49:16 -0700 Subject: RE: Shingles

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox: Varicella Zoster (or sometimes "herpes zoster"). In fact, doctors often refer to shingles as "zoster."

Shingles only occurs in people who have had chicken pox. When your body fights off chicken pox, it doesn't completely get rid of the virus that caused it. Instead, the virus sort of hides in your nervous system and goes dormant. Later on, the virus can be reactivated and comes out of hiding.

When it does, it usually shows up as an itching, blistering skin rash that runs along any one of the body's nerve branches. There may be a long line of these blisters or just a few. The nerve endings under rash are infected, which can be very painful. (I only had a mild infection, which wasn't too bad.) The pain can persist long after the infection has been controlled.

These breakouts often happen in people whose immune system has been compromised: people with AIDS; older people, whose immune system is getting weaker; BMT recipients; etc. But it can also occur in people with well-functioning immune system.


Copyright 1996, 1997. Last updated May 23, 1996.

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