Stress and Shingles

[Allerian1004]

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How many medical students have gotten shingles from the stress? I just finished a week of 3 exams and in my current class 3 of us got shingles me included. I wonder if the occurrence rate is higher among medical students than the average population of the same age. At least most of us know the symptoms so we can get antivirals right away!

 

[Tired]

How many medical students have gotten shingles from the stress? I just finished a week of 3 exams and in my current class 3 of us got shingles me included. I wonder if the occurrence rate is higher among medical students than the average population of the same age. At least most of us know the symptoms so we can get antivirals right away!

You treat shingles with antivirals?

 

[WellWornLad]

You treat shingles with antivirals?

You sound rather surprised for someone who graduated med school...

 

[Tired]

You sound rather surprised for someone who graduated med school...

I don't treat shingles.

 

[Allerian1004]

You treat with anti-virals within the first 72 hours of the rash appearing to prevent the rate of post herpatic neuralgia.

 

[Tired]

You treat with anti-virals within the first 72 hours of the rash appearing to prevent the rate of post herpatic neuralgia.

Interesting. It surprises me because zoster is a dormant infection, and obviously you're not going to erradicate the virus if you give a cyclovir drug during an outbreak. Steroids I get. Topical lidocaine sure. But antivirals for whatever reason kind of surprises me.

 

[Ashers]

Gabapentin and pregabalin also reduce the likelihood of post-herpetic neuralgia (and treat it if someone develops it).

 

[TMP-SMX]

Shingles can be extremely painful. You should treat with antivirals if caught early on it its course.

 

[smq123]

How many medical students have gotten shingles from the stress? I just finished a week of 3 exams and in my current class 3 of us got shingles me included. I wonder if the occurrence rate is higher among medical students than the average population of the same age. At least most of us know the symptoms so we can get antivirals right away!

I've never heard of any of my classmates ever getting shingles from stress. Interesting.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I've never heard of any of my classmates ever getting shingles from stress. Interesting.

Is shingles really something that comes up in everyday conversation? Hey man you wanna go to the bar? Nah dude, my shingles are killing me!

 

[IHeartNerds]

...isn't shingles pretty rare for those of us below age 50? jesus now i really want a zoster booster

not that i've ever heard of someone in my class getting shingles. our exams really aren't that stressful. how are you guys going to like residency? 😕

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

If I had a young med student coming in with shingles, I'd definitely want to screen for other immunosuppresion going on, specifically the big one.

 

[uncbluesky]

I knew of some people in undergrad who got shingles. Apparently Student Health sees a handful of cases each semester, primarily from stress.

 

[edmadison]

If I had a young med student coming in with shingles, I'd definitely want to screen for other immunosuppresion going on, specifically the big one.

I think you'd be wasting a lot of money. 32% of shingles cases are in patient's under 50 (per UTD). I have seen several normal children with shingles. I had shingles in my first year of medical school as did one of my fellow medical students. I do not know if it was related to stress or not.

Ed

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I think you'd be wasting a lot of money.

How much does a good History and Physical cost?

 

[the12thmd]

I had shingles in undergrad. It was pretty painful.

Treated with Acyclovir.

 

[LadyWolverine]

There is apparently no real evidence that "stress" causes shingles. I watched the chief of ID enthusiastically correct a resident recently for suggesting that "stress" was the cause of his patient's shingles outbreak.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Stress isn't the cause of anything. It is a major contributing factor to just about any disease process though. If you are never infected with VZV you will never get shingles, so yes all the stress in the world won't give you shingles.

Of course we really have no idea about all the reasons for the body's immune response to stress.

 

[edmadison]

How much does a good History and Physical cost?

Ah yes, that would certainly be appropriate. I improperly assumed that you would be ordering lab tests like quantitative immunoglubulins and T-cell subsets. Sorry about that.

Ed

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

zomg pharm fail

 

[Allerian1004]

I'm pretty sure that my Lupus was a large factor in getting shingles as it lowers cell mediated immunity. I do think stress played a role as that can also lower your immune system too. Lupus + Stress=bad . I was surprised that I had 2 other classmates who are healthy who got them. Did anyone else who got shingles also have really bad malaise/fatigue?

 

[MSKalltheway]

I have a classmate who claims he got shingles some time ago, and he's always freaking out about something. Dunno about the shingles per se, but hes always sick, so I'm sure stress is a factor in that. The theory being that stress --> cortisol (read: immunosuppression) --> weakened immune system.

Id be interested to see what they find once its worked out.

 

[Abilene85]

I got shingles when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The resident mis-diagnosed and told my mom to scrub the rash. 🙁 She obviously didn't have the heart to do it, took me back, and the real doc made the correct diagnosis. We had just moved half-way across the country, I was put in day care for the first time in my life, and kids all had chicken pox.

I guess some people think being around chicken pox can call the shingles back out of hibernation. Anyone else heard that?

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I don't even really know if I was ever vaccinated against the virus that causes shingles. I was once with a patient that had active smallpox (or however the disease is called in english) and I didn't get sick...
.

You're thinking of chickenpox or varicella. Smallpox (Variola) is the super deadly virus that's been eliminated since the late 1970's.

 

[mq123]

Sorry to bump up this post from last year, but I was just wondering if anyone here has gotten shingles and can tell me what symptoms they had.
I've recently been getting this weird tingling feeling in the same area on my right upper back for a few days and now my upper back feels sore. I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow, but I'm wondering if this sounds like shingles or it could be something else. I have been through a lot of stress in the past month or too, don't know if that contributes anything. I'm just a little concerned about getting shingles

Thanks in advance!🙂

 

[Vonsmack]

Yeah as you probably know this isn't a medical advice site. Your doctor tomorrow will tell you all you need to know over medical students on an internet board. No need to be concerned though, either you have it or you don't. A little soreness does not shingles make, but if you see vesicles in grape like clusters in a dermatome pattern then there is little question.