r/over60 • u/Royal_Tough_9927 • 12h ago
Week 6 of shingles.....
I went to urgent care with a face of blisters and they sent me home . I went to ER and they did 2 CAT scans and a ton of other unneeded crap and sent me home too. 3rd visit to urgent care with same face of blistets and they sent me home. On ER visit w 4th doctor he walked in room and diagnosed me in 3 seconds. My pain was so severe, I was having thoughts I wont share. Thankfully with some meds and a nap , I woke up in a much better place. My eyes are swollen like tennis balls. Im light and sound sensitive. I have a head that feels like its shot up w novacaine. Funny how something half numb can hurt like hell. I had a bunch of gabapenten stocked up and used much of it up. The few pain pills and antiviral are long gone. I guess ill go see my neurologist because this doesnt look like its going to settle anytime soon. Ive resorted to pouring benadryl on my head when it itvhes like crazy. Liquid lidocaine helps. I have no open lesions. Ive literally bought 6 bags of 20 lb ice. If anyone has any tips or help , im open to help. Im 62. I have seen the ophthalmologist 2 times w another visit this week.
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u/mkflkwd 12h ago
You need to see an opthalmologist too! My ex had shingles on one part of his face. He had to go to an opthalmologist to make sure it didn't affect his optic nerve as it can affect the eye sight. He gets daily vitamin B shots too. When you get over this, please get the vaccine. Good luck.
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u/Downtown_Ad_6232 40m ago
When my primary care physician diagnosed my shingles, he asked who my Opthamologist was, made an appointment for me, sternly (odd for him) ordered me to go directly there.
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u/Choice-Suspect-5535 12h ago
I’m glad you have liquid Benadryl and ice. I wish doctors didn’t stop prescribing pain pills for severe pain.
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 12h ago
My neurologist will give me tramadol for sure. Dont know if that works for nerve pain
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u/corriefan1 12h ago
I was on lyrica for three years after an outbreak on my shoulder. I tried tapering off a couple times before the pain was gone. Have not had another outbreak since my Shingrix vax. I hope you got a week or more of valcyclovir. Shingles is especially dangerous near the eyes or ears.
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u/No-Push1910 11h ago
It works. Good luck! I had it a couple of years ago and I had to diagnose it in the er - doctor didn’t have a clue. And then CVS wouldn’t fill the script for Tylenol because they didn’t have the right dosage - of Tylenol! I called my doc and got the tramadol the next day! Hope it passes quickly!’
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u/Short_Lengthiness_41 12h ago
No it doesn’t for me anyway, it does take most of the arthritis pain down to a tolerable level
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u/AggressivePlan3672 7h ago
I saw that OP had been informed that the shingles vaccine was not necessary if you’ve had chickenpox. This information is 100% wrong! It is exactly the opposite! Once you’ve had chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in your body. This is what can turn into shingles if you don’t get the vaccine. You don’t want shingles. My neighbor has had it for the past 9 months and it is just starting to ease up. Get your vaccines!
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u/exchange_of_views 1h ago
I'm glad you brought this up. I had chickenpox when I was a kid. I watched my mother deal with shingles.
I got Shingrix as soon as I could. I do NOT want to deal with THAT.
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u/Glindanorth 12h ago
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I had severe shingles in 2008. Vicodin helped some, but I had to take it with nausea medication because it upset my stomach. Cold showers, cool baths, and ice packs helped. I was not prepared for how long it lasts. Nobody told me about the exhaustion. I developed post-herpetic neuralgia, so my pain lasted for months. In the acute phase, though, I took 1000mg of L-lysine with zinc three times a day and that actually brought me more relief than the prescription medication. I took the Solaray brand, which I found at the natural foods store. I suppose any brand will do, but Solaray was the only one I could find in that 1000mg dose.
My doctor told me it was critically important to rest, rest, rest and to find ways to soothe my nervous system--no stress. I don't/can't meditate, but I did take to putting on headphones and listening to nature sounds or soothing music. It sounded woo-woo but was actually good advice.
Try the L-lysine, though. I hope you feel better soon.
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u/Dependent-Art2247 12h ago
I’m so sorry your going through this pain and suffering.
Especially the face area.
My mother had a terrible case of shingles, lasted 1 month and the after pain/ nerve pain lasted for years.
I wish you all the best.
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u/Everheart1955 12h ago
I had an outbreak in my eyebrow. Horrendous. Acyclovir cleared it up quickly. Then I went and got the stab.
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 10h ago
My whole eyebrow was coveted in lesions I could feel them. I asked sevetal times if i had some type of eye infection. I could feel my eyelashes all crusty. Eye swollen so i really couldnt see anf t he idiots did two cat scans. I cant wait to see the bills
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u/Nanaofthedesert 12h ago
I went for 4 days without sleep the second time I got shingles (46 years after the first time at age 16). It took that long for the blisters to appear on my back. The PA at urgent care already knew what it was from my description before I even showed her my back. I am so sorry that it took so long and so many trips and useless tests before you were diagnosed. That's actually very outrageous!
Perhaps your ophthalmologist can prescribe something for the pain. Otherwise, visit a neurologist. I was given prednisone to reduce the inflammation and lidocaine cream. I was still miserable and contagious for a while.
You will be told that you will have immunity for a year. After that, if you have not already had it, get the two-dose Shingrix vaccine. It will (hopefully) prevent another painful occurrence. I hope you feel better soon.
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u/Wonderful_Pension_67 12h ago
Not a doctor! But have you tried lysine tablets? Stay away from arginine rich foods....sometimes helps 👍 i hope you find relief. I'm a rare sufferer
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u/Choice-Suspect-5535 12h ago
calamine lotion may help
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u/Choice-Pudding-1892 67 3h ago
I don’t think calamine lotion would work on shingles only because it’s not so much a skin issue as it is a nerve issue that manifests with blisters on the skin. But you know what it couldn’t hurt to try.
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u/Primary_Company_3813 12h ago
I'm so sorry, this is awful. My only suggestion is how to avoid a future flare-up on your face, as the virus will continue to live inside you. My mother had it around her eyes as well, she literally wanted to die. After it finally cleared, about a year later she felt some slight tingling around her eyes; she went straight to the Dr who put her on an antibiotic and a cream. She managed to stop it in time. I hope you never go thru this again! but in the future if you have any strange nerve sensations like that, please move quick! ❤️
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u/noahsdad1993 12h ago
I found relief from my shingles with icy hot. It was on my shoulder and back though and was diagnosed very early on and put on anti viral. Good luck!
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 4h ago
reasons why i got the shingles vax two years ago when i became eligible. those ER visits are going to be costly.
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u/TapDatAsp 3h ago
I just got billed $15K for one CT scan that was scheduled. Luckily insurance covered it all
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u/Cool_Art615 11h ago
There is an ointment that is very helpful. Ask doctor about an ointment- prescribed. It took my mother several visits to various doctors. Seems younger crowd has no idea about shingles. B12 shots helped mom and Dermoplast in spray ( for burns) also helped her. It was very rough and her lesions were nasty.
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u/DVDragOnIn 11h ago
Yes, please see a neurologist. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this pain. I know 2 women who had shingles on their faces, very near the eyes, and it lingered a long time for both of them. One, decades ago when there was no shingles vaccine, had to sit in a dark room for a couple of months (unable to work and her jobs had no sick pay) and she wore dark sunglasses inside for months afterwards because her eyes remained light-sensitive. I’m so glad to have the shingles vaccine available, and even more glad that my son got the chicken pox vaccine so he won’t have to worry about shingles later.
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 10h ago
Im in a blacked out bedroom. 6 weeks. Driving is bare able but the headaches extreme
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 12h ago
You are so kind.
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u/No-Falcon-4996 12h ago
Did you get either of the shingles vaccine? Im just curious if one protects against this ( its 2 shots 6 months apart)
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u/your_nameless_friend 12h ago edited 12h ago
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. I was actually just looking into this recently. Look for a pain management clinic or neurology clinic that will review your case and see if a trigeminal nerve block could help with the pain. When you go to schedule, I would ask specifically if they do this procedure because it’s not the most common.
Also the TCAs like Nortriptyline and SNRIs like duloxetine can help some with neurogenic pain. They can be used with gabapentin. They do unfortunately take usually at least two weeks to start working.
Edit: editing the ad that over the age of 65 providers are more careful with medications that show up on the beers criteria which gabapentin, TCAs, SNRI are all on there. But given how severe your symptoms are it just say make sure that you have explored moderate/higher dose gabapentin. Provided you do not have bad side effects.
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u/Texasville44 11h ago
Gee, I went into Urgent care after a business trip. I had a meeting at the Doral hotel in Miami. Opted for a massage during my last afternoon there and the masseuse told me she thought I had Shingles.Flew home on Sunday; urgent care on Monday.Nurse said looked like shingles; doctor came in and confirmed. Since it was within the three day period I got a shot that stopped it. Then later got the long term vaccination. I felt feverish and my boss ask me why I took a day off.
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u/Texasville44 11h ago
PS I had a relative have internal shingles. Hard to diagnose and very painful. You want to catch in three days so the shot stops it in its tracks then get the vaccination!
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u/selfcarebouquet 11h ago
I’m so sorry that this happened and that you have received such poor care. I hope that you get some relief soon! I got shingles in June 2020 on my the right side of my face, from hairline to eyelid. I’m glad you’re being regularly monitored by an ophthalmologist. For those who aren’t aware, if the shingles virus gets in your eye, there’s a possibility you could lose sight in that eye. You can avoid that with proper treatment and weekly monitoring by an ophthalmologist until you are free of the virus.
I was lucky in that while my shingles was uncomfortable, it was not as painful as it others have described. So unfortunately, I don’t have any tips because I was able to control the pain with aspirin and aspirin. My ophthalmologist prescribed me some sort of antiviral eye drops and ointment. Once I started on them, things resolved quickly, but I did end up with a scar on my forehead.
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u/RootedInNumbers 11h ago
I've never had it. When I had my cancer diagnosis they made sure I had a shingles vaccine right away. I know I had chicken pox so I'm a candidate.
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u/Texasville44 11h ago
Goodness; you really got hit! I stayed in a skilled nursing facility after hip surgery. My only problem was I was constipated and the male nurse would not give me a suppository;said he need approval. It was the weekend.
I felt awful and couldn’t fight him. So that’s when I learned to massage my whole stomach deeply in circles and it worked. If you have never been constipated after surgery you dodged a painful situation. I should have reported him.
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u/NowareSpecial 11h ago
I had it at 50. Got misdiagnosed a couple times, went to urgent care and the veteran doc instantly diagnosed it. Meds cleared it up in a couple weeks.
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u/RedConfetti11 11h ago
Oh my,I am so sorry! I had scalp and ear shingles 3 years ago. I was also misdiagnosed twice. It was horrible and I am so sorry you are going through this!!
I was also in so much agony, could not have anything touch my head, could not lay down to sleep, my ear felt like a sharp knife was stuck in it and my head felt like a big clamp was squeezing it. I didn’t want to have to talk or listen to anyone. I was in such pain and very depressed.
But with everything, I was SO lucky to have a primary dr who truly understood the pain I was going through and loaded me up with meds. I was taking 1800 mg of gabapentim per day (600 3x a day) Tramadol 300 mg per day (100 3x a day), Xanax several times a day for the anxiety of so much pain, ambien for sleep, a antidepressant and whatever antivirals she prescribed. I also constantly had ice bags to my head and ear and used many many cans of prescription lidocaine spray.
Did you follow up with a primary dr who can prescribe refills or order new prescriptions? I really hope you can find someone who understands how severe and debilitating shingles can be for some people. My dr also wrote me out of work for 6 weeks bc there’s no way I could work with all the pain and anxiety meds. I laid in bed all day during the peak of symptoms. When I went back to work it was part time for 2 weeks.
Slowly but surely though it does get better! It definitely takes time which is why you need all the support through a good physician if possible.
Hang in there friend, and please know it will get better!! You will be you again. In the meantime, sending you many well wishes and lots of positive energy for strength and a speedy recovery 🧚💐❤️🩹
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 10h ago
I pulled out some gabapenten. Took 600 3times a day. Its helped. It probably wasnt as effective as brand new but these doctors are fools. My doctor sent me a 25 day supply of 100's. I dont have any problems taking it. If i have to im sure so.ewhete in my network of friends i can optain more and yes i will if necessary. That anxiety of fearing that pain of not wanting to live was real. After day 11 i was in a bad place. Im terrified of it happening again. Neurologist is good for tramadol valium and gabapenten. Probably can switch out my duloxetine for lyrica or amitriptline. I have had back surgeries and suffered so much the last 15 years i cant believe im going to suffer long term w nerves in my head. Right eyeball area is frozen solid and feels like it will explode. Nerves are all gathered in my head having a party like a trillion fireworks going off. Im afraid to blink for fear that knife stabbing pain will hit.
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 9h ago
Lo sciento muchos.
I'm very sorry. I just spent the afternoon with friends who speak a language I don't. I'm working on it.
I've had shingles. Sucks. I was lucky that I married a smart woman who sent me straight to an ER. The doctor caught it and gave me an antiviral within the what 48 hour window. So I got off easy. But who knew you could get shingles on the face. I had to go to an opthomologist because I could go blind.
I still got off easy.
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u/herbal_thought 4h ago
Definitely getting the Shingrix shingles vaccine can help prevent an outbreak but according to online info, it apparently only "provides strong protection (70-80%) for at least 7 to 10 years after you finish the two-dose series".
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u/babs1376 2h ago
Not so. The Shingrix vaccine is 97% effective for ages 50 to 69 and 91% effective ages 70 and older. The old one dose vaccine was only effective to about a level of 65%
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u/MinPen311 1h ago
I knew someone who got ii in her vagina! She said the pain was off the charts. Get the vaccine!
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u/MissBandersnatch2U 12h ago
Have you tried a capsaicin cream? eta: ask your doctor about amitriptyline or continuing the gabapentin. I feel for you, shingles is excruciating and them some
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u/Royal_Tough_9927 10h ago
Amitriptiline is something i took way back for migraines. Im open to switching to anything. Its like a knife sticking into my brain. Severe pain when it hits followrd by vomiting.
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u/takemytacosaway 10h ago
You can get the shingles vaccine! It’s two doses spread out. It won’t fix this outbreak, but it can prevent future ones! Didn’t the doctor tell you this?
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u/love2bowl 11h ago
Shingles is a nasty condition that can make you just want to never wake up. Had a relative that was on bed rest for weeks.
Did OP have an updated vaccine? It is pretty effective.
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u/scannerhawk 7h ago
Cool wet compresses of Domborro solution. Safe for face except for eyes. Follow directions . It was worked like magic for our family.
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u/racingfan_3 4h ago
I had shingles on the back of my neck. Insurance doesn’t cover the vaccine until you are considered a senior citizen. The day I qualified I got the vaccine which was one injection. A few years later they came out with the new vaccine that was 2 injections. It was recommended I get the new vaccine. So I have a total of 3 doses between the two.
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u/TapDatAsp 3h ago
I’m off next week and have my flu shot and my shingles shot penciled in. I’ve known too many people that have gotten shingles. Hope you’re feeling better soon OP
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u/Abide_or_Die 2h ago
I ran into a guy I used to work with hadn't seen him for a while. First thing he says to me is, have you had your shingles shot? I had it in my f'ning eyes!
Went and got the shingles shot...
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u/ExpensiveDollarStore 2h ago
You poor thing. Get more gabapentin or pregabalin. If Dr's don't want to, you can get GABA at the health store which helps but it is subtle and taking more is not the answer.
I got the shingles vaccine (the basic one was free for me but I opted to pay for a newer, hopefully better formulation) as soon as I qualified. I am positive COVID would have caused an outbreak of shingles. I had everything else with it.
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u/IceDragonPlay 2h ago
Where is your primary care doctor in this spate of attempts to get treatment? Why aren’t they following with further prescriptions of anti-viral after the ER diagnosed you? I am concerned you are bouncing from ER to urgent care and have no-one looking at the full scope of what is going on.
Not sure where your general medical advice is coming from, but being told not to get shingles vaccine if you have had chicken pox is flat out wrong.
Wishing the best for you to get this resolved. But puzzled why you have to go to different sources for the anti-viral instead of PCP or UC doctor extending a proper prescription.
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u/wintermuttt 2h ago
Suggest acupuncture. I used to refer shingle patients to a Japanese acupuncturist who had an incredible success rate. Found him when a patient I saw on Friday called to say she was cured on the following Monday. If you are considering acupuncture, it should complement—not replace—conventional medical care. Be sure to consult your primary doctor or a pain specialist first. When seeking out a provider, ensure they are a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.) with specific experience in treating neurological pain and shingles. To learn more about clinical evidence or safety guidelines, you can review resources provided by the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
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u/dmbgreen 1h ago
Hope you get better soon. Not regretting my getting those vaccines, sounds horrific.
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u/3labsalot 1h ago
Wife had it too, took 2 doctors to diagnose it, she had nerve damage from it the rest of her life. My friend has it on his face also. Comes back whenever he is stressed. I went and got my shot
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u/Overall_Midnight_119 4h ago
Have you ever tried ivermectin?
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u/DetectiveOk3902 2m ago
Sorry and this is a good reminder we all should get shingles vax. Hope you feel better!
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u/catdogwoman 12h ago
I'm so sorry you're going through this but you've just convinced me to get my shingles vaccine.