hi guys!!
thanks for your positivity - must be working as today for first time in near 4 weeks feel FABULOUS!! Am now on medicine i demanded from doctors thanks to this wbsite and other ones (GP was non-plussed when i arrived in his surgery with list of medicines i wanted!) he finally gave me a huge box of Gabapentin and extra aciclovir (so i can self medicate as soon as feel symptoms in future) he also insisted on giving me high strength anti-allergy tablets as he was insistent the itching was skin and not a damaged nervous system problem -
i am now on day two of gabapentin (generic dosage is: 1 tab 1st day, 2 tabs 2nd day, 3 on 3rd day, 3 everyday thereafter) and this drug WORKS! i took tablet walking out of pharmacy and within 20 mins 70% itching subsided ..... after 5/6 hours i could feel itching returning and that night it seemed worse than ever, despite taking strong anti-allergy tablet (it did nothing) it came back with a vengence and i got no sleep, in fact at one frenzid moment at 4am i had to stop myself scratching and gouging my raw skin between my butt crack with a fork .... ouch .... i counted down the hours pacing until reached 8am this morning when took day two 1st tablet - within 30 mins i was in bliss - no itching!! nothing bar the occasional twitch. i slept for 5 hours and woke fine - despite back ache (at bottom of cocix) i had no itching - i could even put on jeans - rather than jogging pants as felt didnt need to get easy access to scratch!
i have just taken 2nd tablet, its 10.30pm here in England and i cant wait to get in bed!! The relief from the itching/electric shock/bubble feeling/insect feeling/twitches and jerks is immense. i have felt brilliant all day. focused and positive but exhausted and drained, however life is easier with sleep.
I still have problems peeing - it feels like ''will it wont it?" and its SUPER itchy on vulva when you touch it with loo roll - and my poo is still constipated and has a mind of its own - going once a day with laxitives, but v dry and as still completely numb in whole genital region (my ass hole is worse - honestly you could stick a foot up there and i'm pretty sure i wouldnt feel it - no joke) i do not know when a poo is coming either, other than feeling my gut twinge about 3 seconds before a start pooing - and then it just all comes out automatically until its empty. i am like a baby. Yes, i have had accidents, but am lucky in that i work from home. How the hell you would hold down a job when you have an outbreak like this is unthinkable.
i will keep you posted with results. i aim to wean myself off aciclovir from this friday, and will give myself a week on gabapentin before i try to wean off that! in meantime i have also booked nutritionist to give me full service and hair sample test to see what body is lacking in. They say Elsberg / PHN only happens really to comprimised immune systems. mine is not - blood tests say so - but maybe i need more vitamins!?
xxxx