shingles

hi i was just wondering if anyone knew of a connection between shingles and heartblock caused by an electrical problem. i developed heart block after i suffered shingles on the face and a friend thought she had read somewhere that the two might be connected. i just wondered if anyone had any thoughts.i have had three further bouts of shingles since and always get fast heartbeat prior to an attack.

6 Comments

Are you sure it's shingles?

by MSPACER - 2007-12-28 09:12:03

Are you sure you have shingles? Shingles strikes once, and you never usually have another occurrence. I doubt shingles could cause heartblock. It is the chickenpox virus being reactivated in your body. Normally the shingles rash usually forms along the nerves on the chest or trunk area. I know that shingles can cause nerve pain for months after an attack.

Doubtful.....

by auntiesamm - 2007-12-28 09:12:52

As the above states it is probably not caused by the pacemaker. Anyone who has had chickenpox will have the virus lying dormant in the body. Something will trigger it and the result is shingles. It is commonly believed that stress is one of the main causes; it could be that someone who had onset of a serious illness could experience stress as a result, which in turn could awaken the dormant virus. That is my laypersons opinion. Has a physician confirmed the shingles? Good luck to you. I hope your shingles are short-lived.
Sharon

re shingles

by belly321 - 2007-12-29 03:12:09

thanks for all the replies. in answer to some of your questions yes each time ive had the shingles its been diagnosed as shingles and treated with acyclovoir and each time it is on the same place on my face at the side of my eye and the last time i had to go to eye casulty because the blisters had gone into my eye. i think it is definetly related to stress and tiredness and i also get chills and fever before an attack like you bambi and i think this could be causing the fast heartbeat.i guess my body must have been low when i got the first attack and the heart block was a seperate issue.anyway im trying acupuncture on the 7th jan for a stiff neck and the doctor says it may help the neuralgia pain left from the shingles. thanks for taking the time to reply. take care.

Shingles can strike more than once

by bambi - 2007-12-29 11:12:57

I have had Dr. diagnosed shingles twice. Once in '04, and once in '06. My Dr. said it is rare to have it more than once, but some people do. He said it is usually a compromised immune system, with an outbreak triggered by stress. The first time the rash and sores were along the left side of my trunk, and the next time they were along my left hip and back of thigh. Both times I was given the anti-viral drug, can't remember the name of it, and it helped keep the severity of the outbreak down. I was also told, having shingles on the face and especially near the eye, could be dangerous and carry complications. Belly, I think the fast heart rate is due to your body's response to the illness. I've had fever with my outbreaks, and that always causes my heart rate to go way up. I know how painful and sensitive these sores can be, and my heart goes out to you! Please take care!
Bambi

Singles

by POCKETS - 2007-12-29 12:12:48

From www.familydoctor.org

Shingles

What is shingles, and who can get it?
Shingles is another name for a condition called "herpes zoster." It causes a painful rash. You can only get shingles if you had chickenpox in the past or if you have had the chickenpox vaccine ("shot").

After you have chickenpox (usually as a child), the virus that causes it stays in your body in certain nerve cells. Most of the time your immune system keeps the chickenpox virus in these cells. As you get older, or if your immune system gets weak, the chickenpox virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles.

Most people who get shingles are more than 50 years old or have a weak immune system. For example, you might get shingles if you have cancer, take medicines that weaken your immune system or have the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Shingles causes a painful, blistering rash. Sometimes the pain starts a few days before the rash appears.

The rash begins with reddish bumps. In a few days, these bumps turn into blisters. You might feel a stinging or burning pain. The rash may wrap around your back and chest, or it may be on one side of your face.

The blisters usually crust over and fall off after 7 to 10 days. You may see changes in the color of your skin when the scabs fall off. In bad cases of shingles, these color changes last forever.

Even though the rash gets better or goes away in a few weeks, the pain may last longer. In most people, the pain goes away in 1 to 3 months.

Shingles can also affect your eyes, causing swollen eyelids, redness and pain. Shingles of the eye can cause scars that affect your vision. It can also lead to glaucoma later in life. Glaucoma is an eye disease that can cause blindness. People who have shingles of the eye should see an eye doctor right away.

How is shingles treated?

Shingles is often treated with acyclovir (brand name: Zovirax), famciclovir (brand name: Famvir) or valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex). Your doctor will decide which of these medicines might work for you. These medicines work better if you start taking them in the first 3 days after you get the rash.

Your doctor might also have you take a steroid medicine to reduce your pain and swelling.

Shingles Vacine

by stable - 2007-12-31 02:12:11

There is a vacine for shingles. You need only consider it if you had chicken pox and/or was vacinated for chicken pox.

You only have to take it once. it is expensive $150 to $200US and generally not covered by insurance in the US.

It will either prevent shingles or mitigate the seriousness of an attack, should one occur. My doctor and pharmasist highly recomended the use of the vacine for seniors (more prone to shingles then non-seniors -- I am 71)

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A properly implanted and adjusted pacemaker will not even be noticeable after you get over the surgery.