Posted , 107 users are following.
I was diagnosed with shingles 2 weeks ago. Compared to some, it was a mild case with just a small rash on my back. I caught it early and was given antibiotics which I finished last week. The rash has pretty much cleared but now I have overwhelming bouts of fatigue. Yesterday I literally couldn't move. Is this to do with the shingles and if so, how long does it take to be 100% better?
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davideastchurch MsM81
Posted
What a relief to find this discussion! So many of the comments here mirror my own experience.
It started two weeks ago with what Ithought was a pulled muscle in my side. I couldn't think how I had done it, but that's what it felt like.
I was away from home, in Spain, at the time and, flying back to the UK the following day I felt really ill - achy and fluey. I thought I was just exhausted as it had been a very busy time away (cooking for a retreat). I slept a lot over the next day or so but began to feel very sore to the side of my abdomen. I'd had kidney stones 20 years ago and wondered if it was a gall stone, but it seemed too low. I wondered about a hernia, but there was no evidence. I wondered about lots of things and told myself that I should go to my GP is it persisted beyond the weekend.
On the Sunday night I became aware of a new sore patch on my side and, when I looked in the morning, there was a blister-rash. I knew straight away what it was and was able to get an immediate appointment with my doctor, who put me on antivirals.
I have two rashes, one on my side and one on my back, which are only about an inch across, and a peppery rash on my abdomen, but the whole area from my abdomen to my side is sore. It feels a bit like a scald and a tooth that is on edge.
I'm sure I'm fortunate in catching it early, and the rashes are diminishing and the affected area slightly less painful, but I am feeling really low, lacking in energy, and depressed. I've also been coughing up a bit of phlegm from time to time. I have athsma and often have a bit of a cough, but it is usually dry.
It has been such a relief reading other people's experiences of the sort of things that seem to accompany shingles - feelings of exhaustion and depression, fluey/cold symptoms - and I just wanted to say thank you.
Merry19451 davideastchurch
Posted
Your description of symptoms certainly does read like a textbook of how Herpes Zoster-Shingles presents. As it is a viremia or virus circulating in your body, you certainly feel the malaise, aches and pains, low grade fever, chills and sweating perhaps, fatigue and exhaustion that accompanies the pain and rash. Excellent job on getting on the antivirals immediately as they will attenuate the intensity of pain and course of the disease. Hopefully, the pain is decreased by the analgesics your physician prescribed. If not, please make certain that you have excellent pain control. A major complication of Herpes Zoster-Shingles is post herpetic neuralgia or PHN, in which the severe pain lasts for over a month and sometimes even more than a year or years. This occurs more frequently with inadequate pain control.
Please let me know how I can help you. I am a nurse practitioner in the States. I have had Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my right ear every three to five weeks for the last 20 years.
Best Wishes
Merry Juliana
jane97743 Merry19451
Posted
Hello merry,
I don't get any pain now, just the annoying itching especially in my eye socket!. I saw an orthoptic Dr yesterday about my double vision when I wake in the morning, but after doing a few tests she said there was nothing to worry about, as it's just the muscle causing it, and she explianed that if that happensone side, the eyes don't work properly together, it is improving now and i only get it in the morning for a few minutes, My eye was so red that day that she asked if i would like to see the eye dr so I did, and luckily didn't have to wait long, I now have Maxidex, which were the eye drops I used at the beginning of my shingles 12 weeks ago, Today my eye looks less red and a lot clearer, If only there was a cure for the itching all would be ok!
Merry19451 jane97743
Posted
The Maxidex, as it is a steroid, should help a bit with the itching...I am glad the double vision is no concern for alarm...
All my best
Merry Juliana
davideastchurch Merry19451
Posted
Thank you Merry.
We all understand shingles as a painful rash but there seems to be little or no warning of the rest.
I've come to the end of my antiviral course and I've been on codeine for pain. The pain is diminishing and I've stopped taking the codeine as it plays havoc with my system. I'm watching things like a hawk!
i think I've been very lucky in getting on top of things so quickly. I'm aware that it could all have been much worse. I just hadn't anticipated quite how draining it would be, but that all makes such sense now. People who'd had it said about resting but they seemed no obvious reason. Fortunately my lifestyle is fairly measured but I'm finding I have no energy for anything much. So I'm just going with it.
Thank you for your advice; I'm very grateful.
David
jane97743 Merry19451
Posted
Ellie1943 davideastchurch
Posted
Hi David. Sorry to hear you have the dreaded shingles. Look out for Merry Juliana's posts, she has loads of info and help for sufferers. The cough is probably just the virus as it goes around your body, a viremia ,which is why you feel so exhausted and fluey also. Try to rest as much as poss and don't try to work yet. It should improve soon if you listen to what your body tells you and 'obey'!
Hope you've got some some strong pain relief from your doc, you should ask him if not as over the counter stuff doesn't always help much with shingles. Take care, Pollyanna UK
james18211 MsM81
Posted
I got shingles again, for the third time in two years, while on holiday last week. I had been having general headaches for about a month before the rash appeared and they are still happening. I had no access to antivirals but requested than for my return home. I plan to keep them to take with me in future as it is too late now as the rash is fading. i am in my early sixties and have found the episodes to be very tiring indeed. The rash has appeared on my right torso, both inner upper thighs and my left hip so both sides which my doctor told me doesn't happen. It sure does. I plan to see if I can get the vaccine even if it. Is not that effective. Just wondering if others have had the the headaches problem as I did?
Merry19451 james18211
Posted
I am truly sorry for your suffering.
First, of course Herpes Zoster-Shingles can cross the mid-line, as you have indicated and know by experience. The virus is in your entire body, causing a viremia in your blood stream.
These are the prodromal or preeruptive symptoms: headache, fever, chills and sweating, aches and pains, malaise, fatigue, and photophobia. These symptoms can last through the eruption phase (rash), as you have also discovered.
Many clinicians are abysmally ignorant regarding Herpes Zoster-Shingles, the understatement of the year.
There is a new vaccine for Herpes Zoster-Shingles that should be available for distribution by 2017, pending approval by the FDA and European and UK Drug Agencies in 2016. It is called Shingrex by GlaxoSmithKline and has a 97% efficacy rate. The old vaccine Zostavax has an efficacy rate of 53-37% that dwindles with age.
I am 64 years old and have had recurrent Herpes Zoster-Shingles every 3-5 weeks for the past 20 years in my right ear and twice in my right eye. The headaches are excruciating and feel like I am giving birth through my ear canal while being electrocuted there. I have lost my hearing in my right ear and become ataxic, or stumble around. I start Famvir immediately at the first inkling of Herpes Zoster-Shingles.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the States.
Please let me know how I can help you.
Best wishes.
Merry Juliana
irenemg MsM81
Posted
Hi MsM81!
I'm just coming across this forum and actually just joined this site to participate in this conversation
I had the shingles across my chest area reaching around my back 6 years ago. Over the past 6 + months I've noticed myself declining greatly. No energy, fatigue, numbness to the point of almost disassociation, lack of focus and conentration, totally not myself. I used to be an energizer bunny. I do have a full plate as well, so stress I can totally see playing into this. Today I went to an NAET practitioner, and she said that my shingles are manifesting themselves in my body and attacking different systems as I'm getting weaker. It wasn't a formal diagnosis of shingles, but the dormant virus is finding ways to show its ugly head into me if that makes sense. So I'm now going to begin an anti-viral diet. Feeding my body live food, raw fruits and vegetables, lots of them, will help me fight it she said.
Any thoughts on this? Has anyone had any experience like this... where WAY later down it shows up not as strong but very debilitating?
I do trust my NAET practioner. She has been treating my daughter who has suffered from gastritis and gerd, on Nexium for a few years (she's only 15) and discovered she's celiac. No more drugs and is being healed by changes in her diet and her NAET treatments. So I trust her because I am seeing results with my daughter.
Thoughts? Experiences?
pina64171 irenemg
Posted
Yes, feeling desperately low to the point that I was questioning my purpose. ( my mother who had it a year before me said she felt the same) I felt the lowest I have ever felt in my life. Being medical I kept my head although it was very hard and kept sight of what was happening.Â
I now have joint pains, skin stings and feels hot if I get hot. Â Generally a great decline overall. Fatigue! Horrendous. I was the woman who had 20 things going at the same time, took care of my grandmother and daughter, worked full time and now have the energy of a snail.Â
I believe your NAET practitioner is right. I’m in London. Do we have them here? Would welcome any info am desperate to get well.Â
You are definitely not alone!
susan26904 MsM81
Posted
Merry19451 susan26904
Posted
I am sorry for your suffering.
How much total gabapentin, tramadol, and codeine are you taking in mg, daily?
Have you noticed any improvement since this started?
Merry Juliana
susan26904 Merry19451
Posted
I started taking 50mg tramadol 1 30mg codine 3 times a day.The gabapenton did make a difference as did the tramdol codine but have cut back 2 1200 gabapenton today have cut out tramadol taking 2 paracetamtol 3 times a day may take tramadol tonight i think Imay have pain under control hopefully.It is the energy levels i find hard to cope with I,m taking Amunio shield and spirulina daily
Merry19451 susan26904
Posted
Herpes Zoster-Shingles, certainly does cause the fatigue issues.... The most important thing we can do for our bodies is rest and sleep. That is difficult to ask for, as many of us are high achievers, but sometimes you have to rest in order to get better.
Best wishes
Merry Juliana