Shingle

I have had it twice in the same place right hand side of my face. I had flu like symptoms and felt quite ill. I did have anti viral tablets from the GP and usually this helps shorten the attack. Do take some painkillers a mixture of paracetamol and ibuprofen is good until you begin to feel more yourself. Rest plenty you will be really tired ( or at least I was) you usually get shingles because you are run down. Mine didn't itch a lot maybe calamine or anti histamine cream would be better than calamine lotion.

I felt really unwell for about a week but below par for several weeks more

Have you had the jab? Dh has and when his clever wife correctly diagnosed shingles he went to the gp and started the antivirals early and it only lasted 10 days. He wasn't in much pain

Try applying Zovirax cream. I know it's mainly used for cold sores, but they are part of the herpes family, as is chicken pox and shingles. Do go to GP for the anti viral tablets though, they helped DH when he had shingles a couple of years ago.

Shingles is caused by stress. I had it big time and then got ill with the symptoms decribed.

My eye was infected, and I was given drops. Looked like zombie, however the only effect I now have is PHN.

That will be with me for the rest of my life, and I can cope

I had it some years ago during a period of extreme stress at work. I just felt horrible for a few days and laid about bewailing my lot I didn't have any treatment for it but i did decide to give up work.

Thank you all for replies,yes Dr gave me antivirals. i dont feel too bad in myself, just a bit below par
I have had a very stressful year last year,so that is probably why i have come down with this
I have got some aqueous calamine cream, but there is somehing called virasoothe for chickenpox i might try,its quite expensive but at the moment i dont care,anything to reduce the pain, mainly stinging sensation
I have a detist appointment on monday, but not
sure if i should go or not, will probably ring and check

I had shingles for the first time a couple of weeks ago - around my back and waist. It was really painful - lots of shooting pains and skin that felt like it had been badly sunburnt. Anything touching the area was impossible. I felt a bit under par but not properly poorly - I think not sleeping well because of the pain was the real cause of that. It took 3 weeks to go away (and that was with early anti virals)

What really helped (at least for a while) was cold packs from the freezer to the area

I have got some aqueous calamine, but it doesnt last long,the effect
Someone has recommended something used for chickenpox, so might try that,expensive but if it works will get some
I mainly have a headache and blurry eyes,apart from the sore rash

I took anti-virals, and also painkillers; it lasted about a week and wasn't too painful once I was at home and wearing loose clothing.

I have had it twice, the last time the pain lasted for months and the blisters lasted a month. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced, do not dismiss this as a trivial condition.

I asked about the shingles vaccination,he said i wasnt in the right age group, [im 75] [yesterday]
I thought i would be the right age,my sister is 3 years younger and has had the vax
I have got some of the ViraSoothe now, the one i mentioned before, feels like being stung by nettles
My eyes have felt very blurry more than anything, and bad headache today
I have"nt been sleeping well for ages,usually only 3-4 hours at a time,
I have had to cancel my dentist appointment as until the blisters have gone wont see me [understandable]
If it only lasts a week i will be happy, but the Dr said he thought 2 at minimum and could be weeks or even months after that, and the pain could last years

remember you can pass on the chickenpox virus from shingles . You do not get shingles from chickenpox .

I am not likely to see any children to give chickenpox , or pregnant women,to, and my Dr has said for anyone to catch shingles from me would have to touch my rash, or me touch their skin with my hands if i have touched my rash, and not washed hands
After looking all this up ,there are varying things said about it being contagious or not, some say it is for as long as the blisters are there, and others say its not contagious at all, but of course i will be very careful anyway

Well that's will be my next big birthday treat sorted out. Oh dear! Getting older is not much fun.

Woke up in agony this morning, excruciating pain, took some ibuprofen and my antiviral, and put gel on the rash, took a while to ease though
I also looked up about vaccination for shingles and you can only have it at 70 and 78 apparently
When my sister asked for it she was 69 and she had to wait until she was 70, she had already had shingles twice by then
I wouldnt wish this on anyone
Looks to be drying up now,

I got flu over Christmas and then got shingles. It seems to leap on board when your immune system's compromised. The band of spots was right where my bra band sits so I couldn't wear a bra (and I NEED to wear a bra!). Someone gave me a gel-filled silicone strip that you can put in the fridge when I finally had to go back to work, which helped a lot. The area where the spots were still feels sore - as if someone's dragging a hot teaspoon over it and I still feel absolutely knackered - but that might be the lingering sodding cough I got with the flu that keeps me awake half the night. You get no sympathy or time off with post-viral knackeredness.
Nasty condition.

What about trying a bicarbonate of soda soak. Put it in the bath and just sit in it and use a jug to pour it over the affected part. Was great for chicken pox in children....very soothing.

I have read on Facebook that you should not take ibuprofen for chickenpox, so presumably the same could apply to Shingles.
Worth a Google.

Oh i will google that about ibuprofen, thank you, although it really does help,feels much better this morning, but something has given me the runs, not sure if its the antivirals,will have to check that out too
I wasnt given any advice at all about pain relief though,
I think i have got it quite mildly though compared to what my sister had

Just googled what pain killers to take for shingles and it says Drs may suggest Ibuprofen or Noxopran
So i will keep on taking it

Hellsbella i hope you feel better soon, i dont feel too bad really,had a bad headache for a couple of days, and a bit under the weather, but then i dont have to go work etc, so i can take it easy if i want to

I took amytriptaline 10 mg and it helped greatly.

Tho I have just been to NHS for 'Medicine for the elderly"

Best bit was being given a 'Robin' a 3 wheeled aid, which has stabilised my 'falling over'.

When at the medicine course, a trainee , junior Dr said I should not take Amytriptaline , Its old fashioned'

Told my GP that and she said its her first go to medicine, I still have some on hand.

Noxopran? Do you live abroad?
valeriej do you mean Naproxen?.