General Medical issues thread

[Pushka]

We had chicken pox going through the primary school where I taught, at the same time as I had a dose of shingles. I wondered, at the time, if my shingles might have started the chicken pox, or chicken pox kicked off my shingles or all pure coincidence?

A can get chicken pox from B who has active Shingles

B can't get Shingles from A who has chicken pox

Ooops. Seems you started the party then.

 

[drron]

You will know I have been complaining about cardiac vasospasm (also called prinzmetal) which for me seems to be a side affect of chemo. We've seen a small artery (circumflex) in spasm during an angiogram. It started with ear ache when I went for a walk as the tell tale and breathlessness etc. and progressed over time to full crushing chest pain. Last year this was happening 3-5 times a night in the early morning when I was asleep. This is now mostly under control taking a calcium channel blocker, amlodipine, but I can now count on one when I get up at dawn to use the bathroom. I have a wee, splash some water on my face and then somewhere between the en-suite and bed it starts. Because the ensuite temp is colder than the bedroom I put on slippers and a beanie. I've modified my activity in the bathroom and no longer bend down when I splash water on my face, to now not splashing water but simply wetting 2 fingers and wiping them across my eyes, but still the pain starts before I reach the bed. I am thinking now it could be as simple as the temperature of the water on my eyelids. So, that is my next experiment, warm water. Hope this might help someone else who develops something similar that medicos cannot diagnose.

Coronary artery spasm is most common overnight and early morning. A simple nitroglycerin patch overnight is one answer.
Sometimes changing your Ca blocker can be the answer. We all have different metabolic pathways.