Possible shingles

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Mooneymayhem

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Mooneymayhem
Hey all, I'm waiting to be seen at an urgent care clinic with what appears to be shingle symptoms. I searched the forum and there hasn't been much posted lately so I figured I'd check. Are there any prescriptions/treatments I need to decline? I'm ok with being grounded until I'm better but I don't want to be prescribed something that'll open a huge can of worms with the FAA.
Thanks in advance
 
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I dont know of any issues with medications but I do feel sorry for you. I havent had shingles but have friends that did. Best of luck and hope you have a mild case!!
 
I had it on my face in my 30s.
Having sores on my face and picking up the prescription for Valtrex was awkward.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I had it on my face in my 30s.
Having sores on my face and picking up the prescription for Valtrex was awkward.
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Don't be ashamed. You just joined all the other social influencers. Paris Hilton, the Kardashians, etc. I'm sure they had shingles too...
 
Nothing you have to wrory about FAA-wise. Just get that stopped B4 you get OCULAR shingles. Oh my goodness, then you will have problems.
 
bbchien said:
Nothing you have to wrory about FAA-wise. Just get that stopped B4 you get OCULAR shingles. Oh my goodness, then you will have problems.
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If ocular, are there any FAA issues with Zirgan and steroid eye drops?
 
Nope. But if you get ocular the chance that you'll make vision stds anytime soon are about zero.
 
Hey thanks everybody for your input. The doctor confirmed it looks like shingles (awaiting test results) but started me on Valtrex. Props to Mrs. Mayhem for recognizing it (she had it several years ago) and ordering me to the clinic asap, the doctor said we caught it very early and doesn't expect it to get much worse before it gets better.

Edit: I want to add that my AME reiterated what Dr. Chien said in this thread about it being a non-factor in the eyes of the FAA. Just ground myself until I feel well enough to fly again.
 
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I had shingles, thought it was a kidney stone, went through an MRI to rule that out, and found out that even though it was shingles causing the pain it also disclosed prostate cancer. I underwent radical prostatectomy and remain cancer free (from that) 17 years later.

Shingles was my friend. :)
 
dbahn said:
I had shingles, thought it was a kidney stone, went through an MRI to rule that out, and found out that even though it was shingles causing the pain it also disclosed prostate cancer. I underwent radical prostatectomy and remain cancer free (from that) 17 years later.

Shingles was my friend. :)
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I'm glad you're still around to tell about it. Not too many people can consider themselves fortunate to get shingles
 
Mooneymayhem said:
I'm glad you're still around to tell about it. Not too many people can consider themselves fortunate to get shingles
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Thanks. The bigger issue is allowing yourself to focus on your own health and worry about the FAA when the dust settles.

When I had two focal/aware "partial" seizures last month it briefly occurred to me that if I didn't disclose that to ANYONE I could just see how it went for a while and decide for myself whether I could keep flying or not. One of the hardest decisions I made in my lifetime was to recognize the seriousness of it all and fess up, knowing that whatever it was it was probably the end of 50 years of doing something I loved, but I knew it was the right thing to do and needed to be evaluated in more depth. I'm on Basic Med, so I'm self-certifying, just as everyone is if they hold a medical certificate when new issues arise.

The problem with mental health issues is that they are often associated with a feeling of being "fine", when in fact you are far from it.
 
Singles sucks. The second time, I was offered gabapentin for the neuralgia and declined. I didn't think it would be an issue after I was done with it, but I figured better to avoid it.
 
Lindberg said:
Singles sucks. The second time, I was offered gabapentin for the neuralgia and declined. I didn't think it would be an issue after I was done with it, but I figured better to avoid it.
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Hold the phone. I thought you could only get it once.
 
Lindberg said:
I'm sorry to say that whoever told you that, lied. And it doesn't matter if you've had it once or twice, you still can't get the vaccine until you're 50.
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My wife had chicken pox as a kid (as did I) and then she got chicken pox again in her late twenties. Right around when she turned 50 she came and said she had some skin problem and I told her I was afraid it was shingles (it was). We've both had the Shingrix vaccine now (that second dose did a number on me).
 
My wife got the Vaccine years ago, she and my health professionals encouraged me to get the vacine. I never got around to it.
Then I got it, small spot on my back. Hurt like hell. Went to the doctor and got medicine. Then had to wait almost a year to get the Vaccine after I got it. I got the vac about a year ago. I hope I don't get it again. Luckily mine was mild.

I'd get the poke if I were you before you get it.
 
Gary Ward said:
Then had to wait almost a year to get the Vaccine after I got it.
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I was told contracting shingles gives you six months of immunity, and that the vaccination should be scheduled six months after diagnosis and treatment.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
I was told contracting shingles gives you six months of immunity, and that the vaccination should be scheduled six months after diagnosis and treatment.
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Not according to the manufacturer of the vaccine. They say there's no "wait time" but you probably want to wait until the skin clears up before getting the injection.
 
My kids got a chicken pox vaccine. I was told they should never get chicken pox or shingles. I wonder if that is accurate.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
My kids got a chicken pox vaccine. I was told they should never get chicken pox or shingles. I wonder if that is accurate.
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If you don't get chicken pox, you can't get shingles. So that's certainly the plan. But no vaccine is 100% effective.
 
This is not a pleasant experience. I ended up going back to the dr. office just to get another set of eyes on this, as the blistering and pain kept getting worse. She said to finish the 7 day Valtrex prescription and then asked if I wanted a prescription for Gabapentin, which is an anti seizure medication, to help with the pain.

I had previously downloaded the FAAs Do Not Issue/ Do Not Fly list and of course, they specifically say not to issue even if prescribed for non seizure symptoms. As much as I wanted to take her up on it, I found a temporary script for a pain reliever like Hydrocodone is simply on the Do Not Fly list, so I went with that instead.

Edit: I'm using Advil during the day and the Hydrocodone at night, just to get a break from the back pain and be able to sleep.

She was confused that the FAA would accept an opiod more readily than Gabapentin. It really is confusing until you remember that critical thinking is not a strong suit of the federal government.

I won't be flying until this is resolved anyway.
 
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Do not issue means do not issue while you're on the med. Remember that there no question on medxpress about past prescriptions. If you can get by without the gaba, it may still be a good idea just so it doesn't show up if anyone ever looks at your records, but if that's what you need, I'd take it.
 
Lindberg said:
Do not issue means do not issue while you're on the med. Remember that there no question on medxpress about past prescriptions. If you can get by without the gaba, it may still be a good idea just so it doesn't show up if anyone ever looks at your records, but if that's what you need, I'd take it.
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I had a feeling there was more to it than what I had interpreted, but decided to go with the devil I know. (While applying for my Special Issuance, the FAA saw my shoulder surgery I listed as a dr. visit a couple years back, and reminded me not to fly while taking the Hydrocodone I had been prescribed)
 
flyingron said:
Not according to the manufacturer of the vaccine. They say there's no "wait time" but you probably want to wait until the skin clears up before getting the injection.
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According to my doc, it's OK to get the vaccine soon after contracting shingles, but it will have little or no efficacy as compared to the immunity one gets from shingles. The doc's advice was to wait at least 4, and as long as 6, months and then start the vaccination sequence.
 
Opioids really won't help the neurologic pain of shingles.
If Gabapentin does it, DO IT. It was not given as Plague of Job, for no reason......

My sympathies to you....
 
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bbchien said:
Opioids really won't help the neurologic pain of shingles.
If Gabapentin does it, DO IT. It was not given as Plague of Job, for no reason......

My sympathies to you....
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I appreciate the input, Dr. Chien. I just dealt with the pain during the day and used the opiods to knock me out for a while at night, simply to get some sleep. Thankfully, I seem to be on the mend, as I haven't taken any pain meds (rx or otc) for about 4 days now. Although I still experience occasional nerve pain/sensations like my teeth tingling and my whole torso feeling like it's asleep, it APPEARS to be waning.
 
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