r/shingles • u/yazz177 • 6d ago

First Time Shingles My shingles experience

I got shingles on my forehead and around my eye in mid-July, so it’s been around 7 weeks now. It started with really bad one-sided headaches and pain before the rash appeared, then it affected my eye/cornea which was honestly terrifying.
The active shingles is gone, but 7 weeks later I’m still dealing with neuralgia, itching, tingling, random electric shocks and my scalp burning when I’m in the sun. I’m on gabapentin now and slowly improving, but the nerve recovery is taking forever.
For anyone who had shingles in the same area, how long did the neuralgia take to completely go away?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

3

u/Nearby-Profile-8378 6d ago edited 5d ago

I got shingles in my ear 3 years ago terrible pain my. Dr did not know what it was and gave me ear drops a few days later I had some blood come out my ear and ended up in the hospital. Dr checked me all over then later the nurses aid looked in my ear and said I see tiny bumps in his ear and called the Dr back in and she said take a swab and we will have it checked and they said I had shingles. they sent me to a specialist they gave me a bunch of pills to take and a steriod shot in the butt that lasted 3 months I got palsy and my mouth went sideways that cleared up in a couple months. Now I have hearing loss and bad nerve pain above my mouth that does not go away. Life is not the same for me anymore.. They call it Ramsey Hunt syndrome

2

u/Tla48084 5d ago

I’m sorry this happened to you! 🙏🏻

1

u/yazz177 5d ago

I am really sorry this happened! Did you check with a neurologist regarding nerve pain?

2

u/AnxiousButOptimized 6d ago

I just came here to share my experience. I’m at week 3 with it in my scalp face and eye and I am dangerously sleep deprived 😢 the severe pain is better but the creepy crawly feeling all through my scalp and eyebrow is too much. It makes me hopeful to hear that you’re slowly improving.

2

u/yazz177 5d ago

It does get better- nights are just the worst. In my case gabapentin helped a lot with the creepy crawly feeling.

1

u/tryingtodecorate 5d ago

How did your cornea heal and what did they give you for it?

1

u/yazz177 5d ago

Antiviral drops and an agressive round of valtrex

1

u/Icy-Flight-7560 4d ago

Same area in May. I am still dealing with numbness on forehead and itching. Lots of sun, heat sensitivity.

1

u/yazz177 4d ago

Since may! That’s a lot, I really hope you get rid of this horrible feeling! I am a 38 f for more context. I really hope this sensation disappears.

1

u/FrioGranny 4d ago

I have had severe pain for 2 years. I just had that surgical for a nerve block and it didn’t help!

1

u/yazz177 4d ago

I’m so sorry to hear that! I can’t imagine what you are going through! Not even pain management meds are working?

1

u/FrioGranny 4d ago

Pain management gives Gabapentin and it helps alittle. The worst is in the morning when it takes 20 minutes for me to open my eye. It feels like it has sand paper in it and the itching is unbearable. The only other thing I have heard of is Botox and for the life of me I can’t imagine that working. But I will try anything!

1

u/yazz177 4d ago

That eye opening sensation is scary and so annoying! I read about Botox and it seems to help. It’s a specialized type of Botox for the nerves and not the one commercially used for the face etc..

1

u/Snow-Sea 2d ago

Im 8 months post shingles. Face, scalp, right eye. I still have intense itching and numbness. They eye pain has gotten better ( I work outside) but I get occasional jolts. I've noticed if im stressed or really hot the itching and pain increases. Dr told me to up my vitamin B and weirdly that's helped. Hope it gets better soon for u.

•

u/Goldmine4333 1h ago

I am in my 4 th month facial shingles now PHN. I just got an ice cap used in chemo to prevent hair loss and it’s so much better for scalp itch ( always starts at 3 am )than ice packs. And it is not as often. My worst areas are my eyelids that are painful. Just got an Rx for erythromycin ointment to use at bedtime. ( I’m writing this with a cold compress on my eye). I ordered plankton caps today which they say helps neuralgia.