symptoms year and a half later ...

[bluebirdy]

I had shingles the summer before last ... on my face, head and in my eye (yes, in my cornea).

I have regular flare-ups that are more annoying than real painful. My left eye gets very itchy for days, old shingles "spot" on my forehead itches and turns red. One very painful day a migraine followed the head-splitting path that my shingles did - THAT was painful.

I'm appalled at how very little pain relief I received from doctors in spite of having shingles, and having headaches from them at the time that felt like an ax was splitting my head in two. It's shameful if this is how most folks are treated - especially the elderly. I'm not elderly - just "lucky" to get shingles for whatever reason :rolleyes: .

take care all, bluebirdy

[McIrish]

I happened to see you here just now as I was scrolling the forums. geez, I hate to hear your flareups. that stinks.

my friend's hub was diagnosed last wk with shingles cuz he had gotten the spot on his forehead, but that's the only symptom he has had, ... the doc gave him some med. his spot is almost gone. I'll ask her more about it and let ya know.

I'm thinking of you and waiting to hear.

I agree with you 100% about the lack of help from docs. you have been thru hell with the pain.

thinking of you always, d

[911]

I had shingles the summer before last ... on my face, head and in my eye (yes, in my cornea).

I have regular flare-ups that are more annoying than real painful. My left eye gets very itchy for days, old shingles "spot" on my forehead itches and turns red. One very painful day a migraine followed the head-splitting path that my shingles did - THAT was painful.

I'm appalled at how very little pain relief I received from doctors in spite of having shingles, and having headaches from them at the time that felt like an ax was splitting my head in two. It's shameful if this is how most folks are treated - especially the elderly. I'm not elderly - just "lucky" to get shingles for whatever reason :rolleyes: .

take care all, bluebirdy

to bad i went thru a simalar situation where no pain releif was offered it was likely because i have pain coontroll thru a pain doc yet my shingles took me to ew hights in pain yet noting was done , i was given steriods wich sent me into a steriod induces psycosis and off to the psych ward i went what an exsperiance dave

[bluebirdy]

to bad i went thru a simalar situation where no pain releif was offered it was likely because i have pain coontroll thru a pain doc yet my shingles took me to ew hights in pain yet noting was done , i was given steriods wich sent me into a steriod induces psycosis and off to the psych ward i went what an exsperiance dave

Dave - you are so right! That may be why I didn't get any pain relief because I too was in pain management. I did see my pain doctor who only offered a stellate ganglion injection - which I readily agreed to. As I told him, he could have cut off my head for all I cared :rolleyes:

But I spoke too soon. As I laid there recovering from the injection, I suddenly felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest :eek: Very scary. I told the nurse and she just casually commented that it was nothing to be concerned about - it was just from the injection. "Just" from the injection?? OMGosh! Then I realized I couldn't cough or clear my throat. Turns out that was "just" from the injection too. The nurse brushed that off as no big deal as well, saying it would wear off within 6 hours. Tell someone to go 6 hours - starting right NOW - without a cough and without clearing their throat - with an elephant sitting on their chest! It was one scary day.

I don't think everyone has this reaction to the injection, but WOW. My pain doc tried to schedule a 2nd injection for the following week. Let's see: choice 1: axe in my head; choice 2: feel like I'm dying for 6 hours. Hmmm....

And Dave - my GP doc had also given me prednisone when he couldn't dx shingles - and I also had a bad reaction to it. I was at yet another doctor (it took 5 doctors to dx the shingles and by then I was outside the window for the anti-viral med to be most effective :rolleyes: ) trying to get a dx, and couldn't quite remember what I had or hadn't done that day. It was bizarre. I had to stop taking it.

My heart goes out to those with shingles. And to be offered nothing for the pain - except maybe Neurontin - give me a break? It should be malpractice.

bluebirdy

thanks, d, for the heads-up on this post!

[clouds z]

i had it on face around eye

i think raw garlic is helping eat it with bread etc

[Chablis]

Try listerine topically. I had shingles on my forehead and eyes. My doctor put me on valtrex and my ophthalmologist prescribed an antiviral eye drop. But I also put listerine on my rash. It seemed to lessen the itching. :D

[clouds z]

Try listerine topically. I had shingles on my forehead and eyes. My doctor put me on valtrex and my ophthalmologist prescribed an antiviral eye drop. But I also put listerine on my rash. It seemed to lessen the itching. :D


listerine? or any generic brand?

i heard it causes throat cancer
one year and i still have phn

isnt life just grand-no cure i guess

[clouds z]

i think eggs make it worse

[bluebirdy]

I saw your post and wondered how you are doing one year later? bluebirdy

[clouds z]

i can walk and see and do this and that
about the same before i had shingles but phn bugs me at times
hypnosis i read can help it

i feel i should avoid all stress

im depressed i guess but it has nothing to do with phn i doubt

how are you bluebirdy

[bluebirdy]

I had a big flare-up again after I went off of Cymbalta - everything went bad from Cymbalta withdrawal. But that has calmed down now thank goodness.

Sending BIG HUGS your way and hope your depression gets better. Be good to yourself - bluebirdy

[clouds z]

I had a big flare-up again after I went off of Cymbalta - everything went bad from Cymbalta withdrawal. But that has calmed down now thank goodness.

Sending BIG HUGS your way and hope your depression gets better. Be good to yourself - bluebirdy



hello

i think sugar makes it worse

[cbsw11]

I am in my 3rd month since shingles on the left side of my face. I am thinking I just might be at the end of my phn. Doc gave me Lyrica in heavy doses and it makes you feel like crap. I experienced more severe itching than pain though.

[Cattop]

My mother had her first bout of shingles approximatly 5 years ago. Then she had another flare up about 2 months ago.

Remember, your immune system is low during a shingles attack. Even after we told her oncologist that she had just gotten over the shingles again, and a UTI, he gave her a Rituxan infusion anyway...to prolong her remission....well, it did just the opposite and she is dying now, on hospice care here at home with kidney failure. long story...she has post herpatic Neuralgia and the pain is so bad for her, it really is sad. She tried pain management and that worked pretty good, until she had the 2nd breakout.

Cattop

[clouds z]

My mother had her first bout of shingles approximatly 5 years ago. Then she had another flare up about 2 months ago.

Remember, your immune system is low during a shingles attack. Even after we told her oncologist that she had just gotten over the shingles again, and a UTI, he gave her a Rituxan infusion anyway...to prolong her remission....well, it did just the opposite and she is dying now, on hospice care here at home with kidney failure. long story...she has post herpatic Neuralgia and the pain is so bad for her, it really is sad. She tried pain management and that worked pretty good, until she had the 2nd breakout.

Cattop

sorry your mother suffers so much

i think coffee makes it worse so i cut back

[cbsw11]

I am going in my 4th month of phn, on my left side of face. The itching is driving me insane. I am now taking Claritin, it helps a great deal.

[clouds z]

i got nuerontin last year for it but i was afraid to even try the med



almost 3 years now of phn

stress makes it worse-the stress people seem to be everywhere though

[clouds z]

some say peppermint or hypnosis may help

and i wonder about medical marijuana

[Bokeelia Brian]

I've had the PHN for less than a month and the Lyrica seems to help, if I get enough dose. I started at 100mg per day up to 200 mg and soon (I hope) 300 mg per day. Some times I feel almost normal, and a few hours later it's like a never ending toothache. Worse yet the nerve issues fouled up the nerve (C5 root?) that controls my right arm so I've had to learn to do many things left handed. All in all, I just ambidextrous, and the pain is bad enough that I don't care to eat much of the time. I've even lost weight, though it's only been going on for two or three weeks)

Interestingly, I was just Dx with right sided Parkinson's two months ago. I still have the tremors, gate and face issues. The Neurologist says it's unrelated and I have no ideas that it's is related or not.

It's reallly true, growing older is not for sissies (not that there is anything wrong with that)

Bokeelia Brian

[Bokeelia Brian]

Sorry I forgot to ask, has anyone tried acupuncture?

Brian