Exhausted post shingles

Hang in there.  Rest as much as you can.  Don't push yourself.  This will get better.

Hi Kate,

How are you feeling these days? I got shingles about a month ago. Your case sounded very much like mine (I too thought it was a muscle strain) and I thought I'd got over it but then came the faitigue, weird numbness and general flu like symptoms. Began to feel better again but the last couple of days it seems to be back. 

I'm feeling a lot better. For me, the fatigue was far worse than the shingles themselves. Then because my immune system was low I ended up with the flu in April (about a month after my shingles started) and that absolutely floored me. I started taking a multivitamin supplement and overhauling my diet. I now have a smoothie every morning consisting of banana, blueberries, spinach, almond milk and cinnamon and that's really helped building my energy back up as well as cutting down on all refined sugar and eating as healthily as possible. If you're still feeling under the weather, now is the time to be kind to yourself and take it easy. I underestimated shingles in a big way and now realise that it takes a while to get over. You'll start to feel much better as the weeks pass

Oh and I still get the numbness where the pain was. My friend who had shingles 5 years ago still gets that sensation too. It damages the nerve endings so it's something I'll probably have forever.

See my other reply to Kate. PS, I got a chest infection about 6-7 weeks after shingles. That knocked me for six too. Doc said I was run down! lol  Viremia is another word for it so I understand. I think I've learned more on here than from the GP! Rest, rest and more rest is my advice to help get rid of the virus more quickly. 

To everyone. Hello I am new to this Forum.

I am sorry to hear all these accounts of shingles. I only found out today that shinhgles is responsible for my signs and symptoms.My illness started with severe headaches and a throbbing ain in my right eye. Has anyone else experienced this with shingles?

Whoops ..

I just left a message but it got sent before Ihad finished it.

I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced the following signs and symptoms.

Severe headache. Throbbing pain in the eye. Dry eyes, concretions of the eyes, blurred vision, loss of apppetite, severe anxiety and depression, fatigue but preceded by five days and nights of no sleep whatsoever.

Demotivation and a sense of futility about everything.

Food intolerances as well as hypersensitive reactions to medications. peripheral neuropathy, light headedness, inability to concentrate, feeling afraid of everything and everybody, sense of doom and gloom, back pain and sciatica, diarrhoea, cystitis, saddle numbness, sorry to ask these harrowing questions but like others on this forum I did not appreciate what could possibly  be wrong with me and am searching for answers.

Four years ago small blisters appeared on on my left upper chest , preceded by intense tingling and pain.

Next 3 blisters appeared on my abdomen, one quite large filled with clear fluid the other  two were smaller and also filled with fluid. These were very painfiul and I never suspected that they coould be due to shingles because I always thought that shingles/blisters followed a nerve pathway!

I also developed a blister on the back of my hand. Pior to the appearance of this blister my skin on the back of my hand started to itch and tingle. I rubbed it and within minutes  a large blister appeared!

Unbelieveable. Then I got another blister but smaller on my my left wrist.

I still have the scars. That was about four years ago.

I developed peripheral neuropathy and it was only yesterday that the possibilty of shingles has been raised. I see a dr in the morning for some tests.

Meanwhile I feel stunned at what I have learned.

I also started with a thyroid disorder.

Lucy.

Which thyroid disorder have you been diagnosed with? Sounds like you might have an auto immune disorder which would account for reoccuring shingles. The neuropothy or nerve pains are associated with shingles. It's called PHN or Post Herpetic Neuropathy. When you've had the tests, your GP will explain what happens next. It will depend on the A I illness you have I think. I'm not an expert and can only write about my own experiences unfortunately. I had shingles in April and still get some pain and irritable scalp especially if I get too hot like when it's very humid. As it is now here in UK. Very muggy and rainy! uhhhhg!  I find also that I get very depressed and fatigued when the shingles or PHN start again. My GP gave me some Amitriptylene to try, a type of anti depressant which help with pain in Shingles she said. Tell your Doc all that you've written on here, write it down as I did and let him/her read it. I forget what I want to say otherwise!!  Get back on here when you have some results or sooner if you'd like to chat. There are loads of people who will listen and try to help you. Take care, Best Wishes Ellie. UK

Yes that's exactly how mine were , lately headaches are returning , feel better 🍀

Yes, i got severe headaches in the back of my head on the right side, and a pain in my eye, and 5 days later I noticed a slight rash on my forehead, I have just got home from the eye clinic almost 3 months after the shingles, as I had it in the eye, head and forehead, the worst place!! My vision is fine but the eye where the shingles was has become inflamed and red, also sore, I know this was caused by shingles as I have had complications and neuralgia, which thankfully has now gone and i have no more pain apart from the fact my head is still tender, and forehead and eye itch like CRAZY at times!! I believe this can go on forever!!

Hi Lucy,

I was just diagnosed about 2 weeks ago. I have had symptoms for 4 week but wasnt putting together that I had a major issue. I went to the dr thinking I had an ear infection and server acne. Thankfully They knew it was shingles. You need to be on steriods and antivirals immediately. if you are not, go to urgent care or your dr TODAY. it has really helped to heal my face. Resist the urge to itch. Instead wipe your wound with diluted rubbing alcohol to dry and clean it. Then put on triple antibiotic ointment to prevent secondary infections. Has your dr sent you to an eye dr?. im very concerned for your eye. A rash on your nose or around your eye means it is following a nerve path that could lead to vision damage. A good eye dr will be able to see it starting and give you drops.

Also rest and avoid stress. even fun stress. I attended a friend's wedding and it set back my healing process. You must tell your lovedones that your health comes first these next few weeks. You will be exhausted. Dont push it or you will get worse

I think you mean resist the urge to scratch the itch!

My dr thought that preparing for my Mum's big 90th  birthday party didn't help, as it was arranged for 5 days after I was diagnosed, my sister and I were hosting it and had 80 people coming, it was in a hall, vintage theme and we worked really hard to organise it all.but I loved every minute of it!  I was told by the nurses and dr that it was ok to go ahead as long as I wasn't close to any expectant mothers or small babies, I was very careful not to hug people and nobody was at risk, I didn't feel too bad that day but after that weekend I started to feel really washed out and in a lot of pain etc,My younger sister died from cancer last year too, so there was a lot of stress building up!

Im sorry about your sister. that's very difficult. My dr gave a good scolding about stress impacting my health a month ago. shortly after, I got the shingles. Its hard to say no and not contribute to things.

I just didn't think that enjoying something even though a lot of work, was stressful, i enjoyed it all but the dr said he thinks that could have caused it, I think it was a build up from a lot of other things too! The night the excruciating pain started was the day that I had to have my cat put to sleep after he had suffered a few months of illness!

Yes! I had exactly the same symptoms when it started, Excruciating pain at the back of my head and an ache in my right eye, It is almost 4 months ago that it started, and  although the shingles eventually went, i am left with terrible itching in my eye socket and eyebrow/forehead, where the rash had been. I have no pain but my eye gets very sore when I have rubbed it as it get too itchy to leave alone. I am on steroid eye drops and a couple of other types, to stop my dry eye.I still have to attend the eye clinic for check ups.