<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I had shingles twice, the second time just before my CD diagnosis three
years ago . I had very few CD symptoms other than a history of autoimmune
disorders in my family.  I believe that shingles is a symptom of stress -
but particularly stress on the immune system.  You can certainly get it more
than once. If I got shingles again I would seriously want to check out the
possibility that I was hatching some other autoimmune problem (last year I
was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis).
***************
I have had shingles many times on the face and once on the back. In fact
once had it so bad went into encephalitis ended
up with seizures from it. What fun! I am now on a maintenance dose every day
of 6 valtrex 500mg a day, 4 famvir 500mg a day and 1zovirax 800mg a day. If
the symptoms get worse than I increase the zovirax. I also now have trigmeal
nerve.
***************
Shingles is the reoccurrence of childhood chicken pox as an adult. It is an
indication that your immune
system is weakened, and allowing the virus to become active again. If you
are not currently receiving
B-12 injections, I can recommend it. I have also found that the ointments
currently available by
prescription that contain 5% or more of the antibiotic 'acyclovir' will work
very well if you start applying
it when the spots first appear. I started receiving B-12 injections with the
first outbreak, and have not
had any continuing outbreaks.
***************
Have the blisters been cultured?  This would be the logical thing to do to
determine if it is, indeed, the HZV or whether it could possibly be the
HSV—the latter, of course, is classically recurrent.
***************
I can't say that shingles are my problem but I have had chronic herpes for
over 30 years.  I regularly had 2-3 outbreaks/month (that is most of the
month since the outbreak can last ~ 1 week).  I thought it was excessive but
nothing explained it till going gf.  My outbreaks subsided significantly.
They have now returned with vengeance since I am having undiagnosed GI
problems beyond gluten intolerance.  Do you think you could have other food
allergies that are compromising your immune system?
***************
Shingles is not like chicken pox, where you can only get it once.  You can
have repeated episodes.  Herpes Simplex (a cold sore) is the 3rd of these
similar viruses, and it too is a recurring problem.
***************
As you say, stress gets blamed for everything but it is amazing how it
explains nothing. Everybody has stress. Why do I get CD and someone else,
also stressed, maybe more stressed, does not? So to me, stress explains
NOTHING.
More to the point about shingles, my dad, who is undiagnosed but who I have
long suspected of being celiac, has had shingles twice, both during
stressful times. Shingles is caused by the same virus, herpes simplex, that
causes chickenpox. Hint: he has a virus in his body. He is not a guy just
simply under stress.
I do not believe stress CAUSES shingles. I suspect it triggers it in persons
who are vulnerable to shingles because of previous infection by herpes
simplex.
I don't believe in stress as a CAUSE for anything. I do suspect it is an
excuse for doctors too lazy or too ignorant to find out what the real
problem is with a patient.
I do not doubt that stress can TRIGGER many problems, but what the CAUSE is,
that's another question. Why does one stressed person get shingles and
another one gets migraine headaches? They are both stressed, sure, so that
doesn't explain the difference.
***************
Please see:  http://www.gluten-free.org/hoggan under heading: Shingles
***************
I had shingles when I was about 19.  For many years after that I thought I
would get strange tingling throughout my body and mouth sores after I had
come in contact with someone having Chicken Pox.  I couldn't make a definite
connection of course, but that was my working theory.  If it's any
encouragement, I haven't really had any problems like that in about 10 years
or more.  I am now 43.
***************
About 4 years ago my husband (non-celiac) got shingles.  It was a miserable
experience and so you have my sympathies for having to go through this 3
times.  However, he was told at that time to avoid stress because people
who are prone to shingles will get them over and over again.  We have also
talked to a lot of people (I do not believe any of them were celiac) who
have had recurring cases and each time their doctors have told them that
this was normal.  I do not know why your doctor is saying it generally only
occurs once.  That does not seem to be shared by the doctors we have dealt
with  nor by the experiences of others who suffer from shingles.
***************
my daughter has had "shingles 3 times" all on her buttocks.  Now I question
if this wasn't dermatitis herpetiformis.  She's an adult and lives in Fla.
so I'm not able to see them at their onset, but from the pictures I've seen
they look very similar.
***************
My understanding is that you can get shingles over and over. We had a
neighbor who was a kindergarten teacher some years back, and every time
chicken pox went through her class, she'd get shingles, and this happened
year after year.
You're not supposed to be able to get the herpes zoster bug but once, but
people can have chicken pox as children, then get shingles over and over.
***************
I had shingles four times last summer/fall. my doc and I don't know why it
keeps recurring for me but a partial guess is that I'm immune compromised
(have an autoimmune disorder in addition to gluten intolerance).
since last year, I've gained some weight and get more sleep now (I was
underweight and chronically exhausted before), and my system seems stronger
than it did. haven't had an outbreak for a few months (knock on wood!)
I've noticed that certain foods tend to promote outbreaks: too much
chocolate, peanuts, corn, wheat, too much sugar.
I also get outbreaks from too much sunshine, windburn, too much exercise,
too little sleep.
**************
Shingles are unrelated to celiac disease, however, shingles and celiac
disease are both affected by the immune system.
If you have had shingles 5 times then you have low immunity, and shingles
can
be caused by stress, too.
You will probably have to build your immune system up by maintaining a
healthy gluten free diet with a good GF multi-vitamin.
***************

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*