5 Months Off Val With SHINGLES

[[Li...]]

I'm 5 months off Val after a CT detox.  I'm feeling pretty good but have got shingles on my upper, outer left arm.  Most of my sx have been on the left side and I'm guessing that this whole process has run my immune system down.  Is it OK to take antiviral in BWD?

[[Br...]]

@[Li...] I'm sorry you have shingles on top of benzo withdrawal. I took antivirals a few times during withdrawal and don't recall any significant change in my withdrawal symptoms.  But of course, things like this vary a lot from one individual to another.  If I were in your shoes I would take the antiviral to get on top of the shingles.

[[Li...]]

@[Br...] thanks !!! This is day 3 with blisters and my skin is burning etc BUT my mind feels so good now !!  I saw a young after hours Dr last night who knew all about BWD !!! He kept congratulating me, which made me cry.  It was just the validation I needed.  I got hit with the worst wave of symptoms you could ever imagine at 4 months off and it lasted for 3 weeks straight.  I started antiviral tablets last night.  Did you also get shingles? 2 of my buddies got it, one at 5.5 months off and the other at 1 month off.

[[Br...]]

Wow, how amazing you were treated by a benzo wise doctor!  I would have cried too. It makes this experience so much harder that most health professionals don't understand what we're going through.

I had shingles many years ago and now I'm vaccinated.  I took antiviral meds during withdrawal for cold sores (oral herpes).

I'm really glad you decided to start the antiviral meds.  I hope you feel better soon.  

 

[[Li...]]

@[Br...] I feel so good in the mind thank goodness !!! I just have burning skin and fingers and numb fingers.  Burning brain and head pressure but it's NOTHING to the earlier benzo withdrawal symptoms !!

[[Si...]]

I recommend zinc cream to apply to the blisters (you don't need to use a lot of it). It really helps to dry them and calm the inflammation. Much more effective than Zovirax...

Also, you can look into taking L Lysine, the amino acid. This can reduce the severity of shingles outbreaks, in my experience. On the other hand, avoid foods high in Arginine, for example nuts.

Personally I never found much help from taking anti virals.

[[Li...]]

@[Si...]thankyou.  I'm taking antiviral tablets.  It's really hard to tell whether the skin burning sensation and pain is the shingles or BWD?? I noticed the blistery rash about 3 to 4 days ago? Did you get shingles in BWD??

[[Si...]]

I have suffered with shingles (luckily very small patches, usually just one or two blisters and a bit of inflammation) on and off for about 7 years after stopping valium cold turkey, but also during the many years of taking small doses of valium sporadically before stopping.  I never really noticed skin burning too much with it, but it was more the headaches and general flu feeling that accompanied the breakouts that were hard to deal with. Sometimes I would also get a kind of nerve pain in my entire left leg (the blisters were always on that leg or the left buttock). It seems quite common that withdrawal or BIND affects the left side of the body...

Fingers crossed, I've only had a couple of very minor episodes during the last year so I feel that it is improving. Apart from L Lysine and using zinc cream on the blisters, taking a very low dose of ibuprofen or just half a paracetamol tablet always helped me with the shingles outbreaks. After my experience with valium I try to avoid taking any kind of stronger medicine!

 

[[Li...]]

@[Si...] thanks so much !!!