Six weeks on after first ever attack of shingles at the age of 75, I am Completely physically, mentally and emotionally drained, despite plenty of sleep and rest. Appetite is fine. Still suffering some ache in head owing to an effect called Cradle Cap which I have been prescribed ointment.
View 1 RepliesI have lost hearing in that ear and bad tinnitus and imbalance. what can I do
View 1 RepliesI had shingles in October 2013 followed by what was assumed to be postherpetic neuralgia. I have tried all the various medication prescribed but appear to be allergic or react to all of them and none take you pain away. I don't know what to do next, seem to go from pillar to post.
I had an xray done about a year ago as, (because I was involved in a car accident 3 months prior to the attack of shingles) it was thought the pain could be due to something else. It wasn't but the radiologist said that if I had a certain nerve 'snipped' in my back (left hand side) all should be well. Has anyone else heard of this. My doctor said they didn't have anything in writing from the radiologist to confirm this. I really feel as if nobody is much bothered about this sort of pain.
I do know for a fact that having nerve ends burnt off can stop pain. I had this done (privately when I was covered through work) in my neck which stopped the migraines I had suffered badly with for years. I no longer have private medical cover unfortunately.
I can can only sympathise with others who have suffered following shingles. The pain is HORRIFIC but the advice seems to be to take pill after pill and then If that doesn't dork have another ruddy pill.
I am just recovering from shingles. I have never felt so ill in all my life or been so tired. I have been left with intermittent pain in my hairline where the blisters were and also in my eye. It seems to come on every afternoon and last all night. My eye waters and I have developed floaters and blurred vision. I have tried paracetamol which helps with the pain but not with the sensitivity to light and blurred vision.I go to bed with a cold damp flannel but it doesn't seem to help much, my scalp also itches unbearably.
View 1 RepliesMy 88 year old mother who has dementia has developed odd sensations and pain in her upper back. She's had two bouts of extreme pain which moved around but were in a similar area of her back - lower ribs on left side. The pain lasted only for a day each time and each time I saw what looked like sweat pimples but they were on her upper chest at the front - ie a different place. Now she often feels cold and shivery (when in fact she is hot) and puts more layers on to the point where she starts sweating, feels pain in her upper back and gets very anxious when she gets it (most days in the afternoon/evening). She gets night sweats. Does this sound as if it could be left over from shingles?
View 1 RepliesI've been suffering from PHN for about 2 and half years. The pain is mostly around my eye, temple and forehead, sometimes the top of my head. Lately I've been finding that I get very drowsy after an "attack" of pain. Does anyone else ever get that? I can't work out if it's an effect of the pain or a side-effect of the medication I'm on (which is a mix of Cymbalta and Pregabalin).
View 1 RepliesMy 91 year old father contracted Shingles in November 2014 and from being totally independent - living alone and driving a car he had to move into care as has suffered postherpetic neuralgia since. He has shooting pains going down the sciatic nerve in his right leg. It seems like he has been on every drug known to man and although some of his pain has been alleviated he still has excruciating episodes. His only means of relief is to stand so can spend hours sitting/standing/sitting/standing. He has, however, since the shingles suffered edema in his right leg also. Amazingly he still tries to maintain some independence and tries to walk, however, this is so difficult now that his leg is so heavy and swollen. I don't seem to be getting any answers as to why he has this Edema. He never had it before the shingles and although he had it mildly afterwards it is now extremely bad. I'm wondering whether it could be the medications that he's on and would be interested if anyone else as experienced this and what the cause was.
View 4 RepliesFrom reading many other threads, it seems to me that one frustrating thing about this condition is that there's no one-size-fits-all description or solution. Is there anything outside of heavy prescriptions that soothes your pain, and are there any triggers that make it worse?
Here are things that usually provide some relief:
1.Epsom salts compresses - help calm down the skin sensations
2. Rose geranium oil - helps with the skin pain and stabbing, and the scent is calming to me
3. Heating pad - helps when the pain is deeper, or maybe it just relaxes my tense muscles
4. Ibuprofen - helps with the aches
5. Acetaminophen - I don't think this works as well as ibuprofen, but I haven't given up on it.
6. Sleeping. I usually wake up at a level 0 or 1, and it builds up as I go about my day.
7. Sitting quietly. No friction when I'm not moving.
8. Exercise. Maybe it's true what they say about endorphins.
9. Sometimes stretching or scratching provides relief.
Things that make it worse
1. Coffee
2. Lack of sleep
3. Possibly my hormone cycle; I'm not certain about this one
4. Sometimes, it's worse if I stretch, scratch, exercise, or sit still. Yup, these are also on my list of things that sometimes help. [eek]
5. Random triggers I may never be able to identify.
Do any of these things sound familiar to anyone else? Or is there a good possibility this isn't PHN but something else? Like, losing my mind?
Having deal with PHN now for 7 years it still is important to me to share information with others that are afflicted by this terrible condition or with others that suffer from chronic pain. Important because it is reassuring is to hear how others are impacted and trying to cope in their lives. It is terrible to constantly have to turn down or cancel social engagements because you cannot bare the pain, are so distracted that you can't focus on a conversation or do an activity that you enjoyed before. You get tired of responding to people "how do you feel" "how is it going" and many times you don't look that bad. One doctor said PHN is like the pain of cancer but without the relief of death. Not looking for sympathy from others but it is tough on family and friends given they don't really understand. I tell people now best the pain of a stinging nettle and worst is like a bad burn/scalding and rubbing sandpaper on it. People also don't understand (as I dont as well) why it strikes when it does. Everyday for me - but usually later in day after I have had too much irritation from the clothes. I want to say thank you to a number of people on this site for giving me my sanity back.
View 57 RepliesI was diagnosed Trigeminal neuralgia last July and MRI has shown a vascular compression of the nerve as it leaves the brain. My question is, I was prescribed Carbamazepine originally and had an allergic reaction within 3 weeks so was put on Gabapentin. I'm taking 1600 mg a day at present and can go up to 2700mg a day. My memory seems to be suffering and I get various other side effects such as vertigo. Recently though my finger tips have been swelling, turning red and painful to touch, the last few days my ankle has double in size and is also red, and I'm getting areas on the soles of my feet that are large marble sized and very painful to walk on. I asked my pharmacist yesterday if these could be caused by Gabapentin and she said there is a possibility?
View 7 RepliesIt is now two months since I had an attack of facial shingles. Although I am almost totally recovered, I still have bright red spots on my face which are not blisters and are not crusting over. They show no sign of fading and still (rarely) itch. Is there anything I can use to get rid of them? I've tried calamine lotion and am currently rubbing an ointment containing aciclovir on them. I'm worried they may be permanent - I have sensitive skin and can't use make-up to conceal them.
View 1 RepliesI am in pain, tired, no appetite, diarrhoea, vague. Are all these symptoms shingles related or are some of them due to Acyclovir, co-codamol or Ibuprofen.
View 2 RepliesI am 27 years old and I had chicken pox when I was 2. When the shingles came out, it took me down like nothing else. It has been almost a month since I noticed the rib pain. It started with sharp rib pains that hurt really bad and thought it was my spleen. Then about 4 days later I noticed a round sore right under my breast where the rib pain was occuring. Then a couple of days later, it showed up on my back, directly across from the other ones. I had no idea what this was... I waited to go to the hospital because I thought it was poison ivy! I waited about 8 days to go to the hospital. Had I had known what it was, I definitely would have gone immediately. Oh, the pain was excruciating! Ibuprofen did not even touch it. I was prescribed Acyclovir, Prednisone, and a cream that did not help. I was also prescribed Dilauded for the pain and Promethazine for nausea. It has been a week since I finished all of the medication. The shingles are almost gone but there are about 4 really bad areas and they do not look like they are healing. Since last week, I have developed little pimple like things all over my shoulders, face, neck, back and buttocks. I have no idea why they are there. Did anyone have the same reaction? They will not go away! Please help!
View 1 RepliesI was diagnosed with shingles in my forehead and eye 6 weeks ago,( the worst kind!!) and after weeks of discomfort with eye and forehead re-infecting, watering eye, headaches , itching etc, I now feel better in myself and my vision is ok, but unfortunately I have had complications ands am left with such painful neuralgia, my head hurts just to touch it and my temple is so tender, I have been told that this can go on for months or longer.
View 1 RepliesHello! I am a 34 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with shingles. I have had them for about a week and am quite uncomfortable, but not miserable. I have had some stomach pains for a few days that I believe are associated.
One problem I have is in all the information on the net and from doctors they stress the point "you can NOT get shingles from someone with shingles"... well, I disagree. My mother is a non-hodgkin's lymphoma patient who was diagnosed with shingles about two weeks ago. I live by her and help her and I find it hard to believe my shingles didn't come from being exposed to her!
Just wanted to let others know.
I've just been diagnosed with Shingles. I have been told you can't get Shingles from Shingles, only chicken pox from shingles. But I am the third person in work in a week to come down with Shingles. If you can't get Shingles from shingles, how come so many people in work have it?
View 25 RepliesI have been recently diagnosed with TN I'm 27yrs old I have been taking tegretol 600mg and I have been referred to see a consultant and awaiting a MRI scan has anyone had the scan or went private for treatment? Waiting list ATM is 39 weeks. Having really bad flare ups and constantly exhausted have now changed to palexia twice a day and feel horrific both pain and weakness. Only been taking this a few days has anyone else taking this tablet before?
View 1 RepliesHas anyone tried the laser treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. I have read that people have great success with it. As I understand it the laser is low level and non invasive.
View 2 RepliesFor nearly two years now, I have had a severe pressure pain at the base of my skull on the right hand side of my head. It has steadily got worse, often flaring up whilst I have been in the gym, but now, like tonight, it has been throbbing/stabbing so badly that I am unable to sleep.
I have been back and forth to my doctor about 5 times so far and every time she has sent me for a blood test and concluded that I have low iron and to take supplements for that. My whole family are susceptible to iron deficiencies and I am a regular blood donor who has never been turned away, so I am confident low iron has nothing to do with it.
I was getting quite frightened that I could possible have an AVM in my head, or something putting pressure on my skull, so after much persuasion, my doctor referred me for a CT scan that came up 'normal'. She called me and suggested that I keep taking iron tablets as this must be the cause of my 'headaches'.
I do NOT have a 'headache'!! I keep reiterating to my doctor that it is a constant pressure in that area, sometimes my head even hurts to touch, but she is insistent that it is a headache. Occasionally I get a pain behind my right eye and over the top of my head, so I am getting a lot better at wearing my glasses any time that I am reading or studying. I have looked online at my symptoms, and I think it could possibly be occipital neuralgia - does anyone have symptoms like this? I have looked on other threads but there seem to be a lot of associated physical symptoms, for me it is just the head pain.
If you would believe it, my doctor actually asked me if I wear my hair up at night as she thought having my hair in a loose ponytail could be causing the pain. When I said I wanted a scan, she told me she would 'have to make something up' that sounded worse than what I told her because if she sends a person for a scan and it's not serious, she gets a slap on the wrist, as scans are expensive and she can only request three per month.
I am going back this week to discuss occipital neuralgia with her (let's hope she knows what it is!) and to insist on maybe an alternative treatment to injections or meds - maybe acupuncture?
initial trigeminal neuralgia in my case may have been triggered by a gum infection.
I have suffered migraines since the age of eight. Is this condition related, a correlation between the two ?
Last August 2015, I drank 2 glasses of wine two hours after having taken Carbamazepine - I'd mixed the two before, coincidentally, not deliberately, of course! The result was that I had 2 seizures, passed out, vomited, bit my tongue and wet myself - the full works! I have only just been given the 'all clear', after waiting over 6 months for an MRI scan and EEG to confirm that I have no permanent brain damage or possible tendencies towards epilepsy!
So, if you are taking this drug - usually the 'drug of choice' for TN, be warned! Don't drink! You may have been fine so far, but so was I and then.....