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Eye shingles

Posted , 6 users are following.

lynn1947
lynn1947

I developed shingles on the left side of my forehead up into the hairline went to a doctor within 24 hours of the Breakout. This happened while we were on vacation. The original Dr give me an antiviral prescription and a prednisone pill because she was afraid it was going to affect my eye. This happened on Thursday came home and saw my physician on Tuesday, he immediately sent me to an eye doctor. He also took me off the oral prednisone. Saw the ophthalmologist that afternoon. He was very concerned because I had high eye pressure. put me on three different eye drops. And saw me again in 5 days. Eye pressure drop so he put me on prednisone eye drops 4x a day, while still using all the drops for the pressure. Try to shorten this. I am still having issues. Now my vision is blurry in the left eye. He can see the lesion on the cornea. We are now in April. I have been seeing him off and on every 1 to three weeks. Last week he said the pressure my eye was good and to continue with the prednisone eye drops and glaucoma eye drops and see him in 5 weeks. The vision in my left eye is extremely blurry and very itchy. How long can this last, he tells me up to 2 years. Is there anything more I can do. Thanking everyone in advance, Lynn

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Merry19451
    Merry19451 lynn1947

    Posted

    Lynn,

    I would see a cornea specialist. I have had Herpes Zoster-Shingles twice in my right eye and scleritis bilaterally, which is autoimmune, several times. The specialists tend to know what they are doing. When I had the scleritis, I felt I was a boat drifting. When I finally saw the cornea specialist, he knew what the diagnosis was, and how to definitively treat it.

    Best Wishes

    Merry Juliana

    • lynn1947
      lynn1947 Merry19451

      Posted

      Are you clear now was the cornea specialist able to remedy the situation so that you can see clearly in both eyes?
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 lynn1947

      Posted

      Yes,

      I see clearly, now. My vision is 20/20 and clear.

      Merry Juliana

    • lynn1947
      lynn1947 Merry19451

      Posted

      What did the cornea specialist do for you? How long did it take for it to clear up? Thanks for the info Lynn
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 lynn1947

      Posted

      Lynn,

      When I had Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my right eye twice, I already was on Famciclovir for Zoster-Shingles in my right ear. The virus just hopped into another dermatome. The ophthalmologist extended the Antiviral to two weeks and placed me on prednisolone ophthalmic drops.

      When I had scleritis, several times, which is an autoimmune disease, the general ophthalmologist couldn't diagnose it. It is exquisitely painful, as well. The cornea specialist placed me on prednisolone eye drops.

      I rested. I had blurry vision with that, and a deep boring penetrating pain. It took weeks to recover, each time, both eyes.

      Merry Juliana

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 lynn1947

      Posted

      I was also on oral prednisolone for the scleritis to reduce the inflammation. I would have been on NSAIDS, but I am allergic to them.

      Merry Juliana

    • lynn1947
      lynn1947 Merry19451

      Posted

      Mary,. Thank you for the update. I guess I just have to be patient, but the eye does hurt and the blurry vision gives me a headache. I can take NSAIDS. I do want to be careful as they can cause bleeding if you take to much or too long. Lynn
  • Guest
    Guest lynn1947

    Posted

    Hello

    I hope you are doing a bit better! Well I got my on my scalp and started within the needed 72 hours!  It’s been week 7 since it started!  I still have pain and the itch was terrible where I went back to the ER and with tramadol and decadron shots the itch is better!  

    I still have this stabbing pain and the doctor told me I can have that for a long time because shingles affect the nerves!  That is why it’s important to start the anti viral meds in those 72 hours 

    What I don’t understand is why your doctor stopped your prednisone meds?  I took it for five days!  Also they gave me allergy meds for the itch!  You got everything to combat the shingles like I did,  but the prednisone is important!  

    We know that once the nerves are damaged the pain can stay for a long time!  I can’t even comb my hair!

    Pls let me know if you have the itch on your forehead too!

    Be well

    • lynn1947
      lynn1947 Guest

      Posted

      The shingles that erupted on my skin were very minor and disappeared Within 10 days. I did have pain for about 10 days. But it is my eye that I'm having a major problem with. I am on Prednisone drops for my eye along with drops for the eye pressure. This has been going on since October of last year. I have taken 3 doses of the antiviral medicine in hopes that it would clear up the eye. The pain is not bad I just have very bad itching in my left eye and headaches from the eyes not focusing . The left is blurry. I hope you feel better soon too.

    • Guest
      Guest lynn1947

      Posted

      Lynn

      I wanted to ask you if your blisters dried up and if there were any scabs or scars?  Mine crusted and I have scars from the scabs!  I do get pain and stabbing pain 

      Hope you are better!  Let me know if you have the scars where the blisters were

  • roger94598
    roger94598 lynn1947

    Posted

    Lynn,

    I I am going through the exact same thing that you are as I read your description of your condition I'm taking all the medicines that you are taking and going through the same thing and we'll see how it goes over the next many weeks. The doctor has me on the Prednisone eye drops four times a day for a week, then 3 then 2 then 1. I am also on Valtrex 3 times a day for 2 months and then will be on it one pill a day for the rest of my life because I have MS. She also gave me Gabapentin to take for some pain and two pills before bed to help me sleep. the only pain medicine that I've been taking is Tylenol and now I've started taking some Excedrin small amounts was that tends to upset the stomach. I was really glad to find this site to find out about the stinging pains in the eye that come and go. I didn't know about that until I read some of these replies. I have an appointment with an cornea doctor Tuesday another appointment on Wednesday with the Eye Institute to see how I'm coming along. I'm expecting all of this to take a while before we get any complete healing.

    • lynn1947
      lynn1947 roger94598

      Posted

      Roger,. Sorry to hear that you are going through this. I had my initial Breakout in October. It was on the left side of my forehead. The eruptions very minor but the pain lasted 14 days. I saw my regular doctor 4 days after the first break out. Because I had three eruptions on the left side of my nose he sent me to an ophthalmologist the same day. That doctor was more concerned about my eye pressure because it was quite elevated. He put me on glaucoma drops and I saw him a week later. At that visit he put me on Prednisone 4 drops a day for a week 3 drops for a week and 2 for week and then I saw him again. I did not having a eruption in my left eye until after Christmas. At that time he could actually see it. Still having trouble with eye pressure in left eye which is where the shingles are. Approximately 4 weeks ago my vision in the left eye became blurry. I am also having headaches as the eyes try to focus together. The left eye is also very sensitive to light and still have some pains in that eye. Still on prednisone and eye drops. Prednisone four times a day. I certainly hope my vision clears up. This all started last October, 6 months ago and 4 months for the eye. I sincerely hope that you do not follow the same path. Hope you find a treatment that can cure this. You're in my thoughts. Lynn

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