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?
13 likes, 453 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
elainet79 MsM81
Posted
I got shingles just over a month ago and tried to go to work yesterday and nearly fainted. This is a new symptom but has been coming in waves regularly since yesterday morning to the point I had to sit on the toilet to brush my teeth!
Please could anyone advise if they have had this happen to them and if so are you taking anything for this, I'm suddenly weaker than I was at the beginning.
I have very little pain, and am eating drinking regularly despite a sudden loss in appetite.
Please help!!
X
Merry19451 elainet79
Posted
Hi Elaine,
I am sorry you are feeling this way. Fatigue, exhaustion, lightheadedness, fainting, all can occur after contracting Herpes Zoster-Shingles. You are recovering from a major assault on your entire body. I do not know where your rash and pain were, but the Herpes varicella virus was circulating in your blood stream. It can take months and in some, up to one year to recover.
One month would be considered premature to resume work full-time. Perhaps you could start more slowly, part-time?
Many of us need a lot of rest, sleep, and excellent nutrition, before we start getting better. If you have a family and you are the mother, I know it is more difficult to be kind to yourself.
I have to rise slowly from a chair or bed to prevent myself from fainting.
I know you wanted to hear something you could take, that would quickly get you well, but there just isn't anything.
Just be kind to yourself. Rest. Sleep. Eat well.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the States. I have Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my right ear every 3-5 weeks for the past 20 years and in my right eye twice.
Best regards,
Merry Juliana
elainet79 Merry19451
Posted
Oh Merry I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences! That is a lot worse than mine.
I had a patch of a few inches in the middle of my spine going down my left side into my belly button.
I am a flight attendant and was almost fainting before the passengers got on and had to sit with my legs elevated most of the return flight. I had no idea of the timescale.
Luckily I have no children, so don't have to worry about that!
I will go to my Dr tomorrow and see if there may be something I can be prescribed?
Do you think this dizziness will be long term?
Thank you so much for responding! It's nice to speak to someone who gets this! X
Merry19451 elainet79
Posted
Elaine,
It is never about who has it worse, as when it happens to YOU, it is the worst! Being a flight attendant is exhausting, anyway, and there are no part-time jobs, I am sure. Are you on any other medications? Have any other illnesses? I am very careful when I rise from sitting to standing, taking my time for my body to adjust. Stay hydrated, avoid caffeine and alcohol, which dehydrate you, eat nutritious food, and rest. Stay out of the sun.
There really aren't medications that I am aware of to help you. If there were, I would tell the world instead of being a scam artist.
Best wishes.
Merry Juliana
elainet79 Merry19451
Posted
I hope you feel better soon!
X
Merry19451 elainet79
Posted
Thank you,
I hope your passengers are kind to you. I know as a Nurse Practitioner, it only takes one patient to make it trying.
Best regards.
Keep me posted how you are doing.
Merry Juliana
susan26904 elainet79
Posted
wendy84261 Merry19451
Posted
Hi Merry. I got shingles in my head in March 2016and now where I had the worse blisters I still get aches and itching after 5 months. I am so tired and exhausted. I am in uk and took the anti virals and now take paracetamol for the pain. But the tiredness is the worst. Prior to shingles I had a heart closur operation in August 2015 as I was unwell and felt so much better and then this shingles thing hit me and I feel so tired I can't believe it after feeling so well after my heart op
elainet79 susan26904
Posted
I have managed about 4 hours walking today, but my left side (where it was) is now sore and if I try to hold anything in my left hand it just shakes! Have you experienced this? X
susan26904 elainet79
Posted
connieb55 MsM81
Posted
It has been 3 yes for me, I have about 5 scabs that won't go away. I still have flats of feeling very sick. Plus neoraphty pain. Sire wish it would stop.
Merry19451 connieb55
Posted
Has it been three years? That is a long time to suffer with this disease. Does your physician have you on any medication to help with the neuropathy?
While no medication may completely take away the pain, some remove the pain partially so you can live with it.
I am sorry for the pain you have. I have recurrent Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my right ear every three to five weeks for the past twenty years and in my right eye twice. I understand your pain.
Best wishes
Merry Juliana
Duke_B. MsM81
Posted
By the time I went to the Emergency room my vision was much worse and the numbness was a burning pain around my left eye and forehead on the left side. The doctors ran a full panel on my blood, a CT scan, EKG, and a few MRIs (contrasting and non) to see if I had a heart issue or a possible tumor in my head. My BP was 125/74 which is normal for me and my blood sugar was 115 so they ruled out diabetes. I am 47 and a little overweight, so they were a little surprised when everything about me screamed healthy except for my weight.
So after spending about $4700 in the Emergency room the doctor sat down and said he has absolutely no idea what’s wrong with me. He suspected it may be something neurological or something to do with my eye. He told me he will call a couple of other doctor friends of his (an ophthalmologist and a neurologist) and let me know. The eye doctor said she thinks its shingles without the rash.
I walk to the other side of the hospital to see her and she ran a few tests and exams on me and told me I had shingles and gave me Valacyclovir and Prednisone. This all occurred on June 22. I took the meds prescribed and 15 days later I saw no improvement. I saw her again and she recommended I go see an ENT. I saw the ENT and he said he also has had this and in the same area I have it. He tripled the dosage of the Valacyclovir for another 12 days and told me to return to see him after that 12 days.
I took the meds and returned to see the ENT. I had massive headaches, double vision, searing pain in my face and eye, fatigue from lack of sleep and the shingles, dizziness and nausea. The ENT injects a few nerves in my face with Lidocaine and my headaches went away for a couple of weeks but they are back again. I am still extremely grateful to him for that relief. He told me that the Virus had receded and now the damage done to the nerves needs time to heal. When I asked how long that would take, his response was vague... he just did not know.
I work as a Refrigeration/Chiller Mechanic and I have been at home since this all started. My employer is ending my employment at the end of this month and with it will go my health insurance. I’m not even sure I will ever be able to work the way I used to at this point.
So... I went and bought an eye patch. The double vision is gone but so is my depth perception and a great deal of peripheral vision. I can’t wear the patch if I work in my field but it gave me another idea. I went to an eye place in a local Walmart. I did an exam and spoke to the optometrist and he agreed to order me a contact lens that would block out all light in my affected eye. It should arrive in about 7 days and I think my career path and goals in life will be altered from now on.
I have read on other websites that the full use of my eye and the pain in my face may never get better. I am hopeful that this is not the case but I have to be prepared for the worst and hope for the better.
jane97743 Duke_B.
Posted
I had double vision after shingles in the eye/forehead/face. It has gone now, and I did see someone at the eye clinic about it and my eye vision was fine, Apparently when you cover one up and it doesn't happen it is because they have to both work together so if one isn't working properly it caused the double vision but only when both eyes are not covered. I had a watering eye for weeks after the shingles had gone, I couldn't see properly for an hour in the mornings, All that has cleared up now and my vision is fine but I am left with damaged nerves that cause terrible itching of the eye and socket, including my forehead, in fact, it is where the rash was! If I rub it , it makes it so sore so i just have to put cream on my forehead every night and something like vaseline on my eyelid, and use 3 different eye gels/drops.Nothing works!! It is so annoying as I was diagnosed at the end of March!! I really do hope nerves can repair themselves but no Dr can tell me if and when that will be! Good luck!
Merry19451 Duke_B.
Posted
I am so sorry for the pain and suffering.
Can you see the ENT and get the lidocaine blocks again as they worked so well?
The other issues regarding the pain is that you need to be on medication that helps with the severe headaches. Hopefully, you are on medication that addresses these issues, but as I had severe Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my ear and eye, I comprehend the pain, dizziness, nausea, etc.
Ask your physician for a prescription of one or some of these medications....
1. Neurontin or Topamax for headache
control
2. Amitriptyline for sleep
3. Lyrica as a possibility
4. Cymbalta or Venlafaxine
If you have drug allergies, or issues with my your liver, kidneys, heart, bone marrow, certain precautions apply with these and all medications.
Give these medications time to work.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the States.
Best regards
Merry Juliana
Duke_B. Merry19451
Posted
Thank you for your comments and response. I have and appointment with a Neurologist on September 15 to discuss my future and possible treatments, but I expect I will get the same answer that everyone I have seen so far have given me.
The use of my eye is so much more important to me than the other symptoms I have. I can always take medications for the nausea, burning pain, dizziness and the headaches, but the loss of my normal vision is going to be a huge change for me.
I work as a Technician/Mechanic and I say those words in the literal sense as I actually work with electrically live equipment with voltages usually in the 480V range. I turn wrenches on compressors and sometimes running diesel engines. The loss of depth perception and some peripheral vision is going to be staggering for my career choice.
On a good note, I plan to search for more leadership type roles in my field that will be complemented by my years of experience and education. Maybe this will be for the best as it will pull me out of the summer heat and put less stress on me overall.
I know that many others are affected much worse than I am. Some people completely lose their sight forever and I am grateful that I still have my one good eye.
I try my best to steer clear of addiction to any medications. I am very hesitant to begin taking anything more than OTC meds. On that note, I think the headaches and nausea and dizziness will be reduced after I start wearing the block out lens. When I wear the patch, it helps a lot but the straps and patch itself are very painful to wear due to the nerve damage where it touches my face.
If the headaches continue, I think I will go back to see that ENT again but it will depend on what the Neurologist has to say.
Duke.
Merry19451 Duke_B.
Posted
I know what you mean regarding substance abuse issues as I had severe lumbar and cervical spinal stenosis requiring neurosurgeries. I did not use any Opioids prior to the surgeries as I did not wish to become addicted. I only use Opioids for 2-3 days each episode of Herpes Zoster-Shingles, and then stop immediately.
Best regards
Merry Juliana
babs99203 Duke_B.
Posted
I'm new here and had posted a reply to Duke earlier. I see that the link I included, understandably, caused it to be sent to moderators. I'm not sure what will happen next, but I'll just copy/paste info about another way to deal with double vision. I had diplopia (double vision) several months ago due to 6th cranial nerve palsy. Patches were not much help, no peripheral vision, uncomfortable and not very effective. I found this information at two different sites. Using a small piece of cellophane tape, the type that's slightly cloudy, about 1" by 2" did the trick for me. It gave me enough blocking that it stopped the double vision but I could still have depth perception and peripheral vision. I hope this helps others too. "Selective partial occlusion (spot patch)A new method of treating diplopia that does not have the limitations of traditional patching has been successfully evaluated. The "spot patch" is a procedure that eliminates diplopia without compromising peripheral vision. It is a small, usually round or oval, patch made of 3-M TransporeTM tape, 3-M blurring film (or another such translucent tape). It is placed on the inside of the lenses of glasses and directly in the line of sight contributing to the diplopia. The diameter is generally about one centimeter, but will vary on the individual angular subtense required for the particular strabismus, ophthalmoplegia, or gaze palsy. Final size and placement is determined by evaluating different sizes and shapes to arrive at the smallest one, which effectively eliminates the diplopia.
The "spot patch" works because it effectively eliminates central vision in the partially occluded eye. Diplopia is perceived as a central visual phenomena when the visual axes do not align. The size of the diplopic zone is not known for certain, but is believed by this author to correspond to Panum's fusional area, which is approximately 25 by 25 minutes of arc. Diplopia does not seem to be perceived outside of this zone.
Central vision is necessary for examining small areas of detail, visual acuity and stereopsis. Peripheral vision is necessary for evaluating space in general around the body, motion detection, orientation and mobility. With the "spot patch" central vision is sufficiently blurred so as to eliminate the diplopic image, but not so much as to completely eliminate vision. Since peripheral vision is not eliminated with the "spot patch" the patient does not lose peripheral fusion, visual field, or many of the visual components of orientation, balance and mobility."
This info was buried several pages in on a Google search for treatment for double vision or 6th cranial nerve palsy, so a lot of docs don't know about it but it was very helpful for me. Most people just thought my glasses were dirty!