eye swelling

I am so sorry for your pain and suffering. The head area is the worst area to contract Herpes Zoster-Shingles.

Hopefully, you were started on the oral antivirals immediately. You should have seen an ophthalmologist that same day and be followed by the ophthalmologist closely. Usually, you are given opthalmic antiviral drops, sometimes corticosteroid ophthalmic drops, and strong Opioids to help relieve the pain.

If that it not enough, ask for a neurologist referral ASAP to help with pain management.

If you have no other co-morbid conditions, other medications a physician might prescribe are:

1.Neurontin-Gabapentin or Lyrica-Pregabalin to tone down the neuropathic pain

2. Cymbalta or Venlafaxine to also help with the neuropathic pain and suffering and help avoid depression that often occurs with severe pain

3. Other medications anticonvulsants

You might try ice compresses twenty minutes four times daily.

You also probably have accompanying symptoms with this such as headache fever chills and sweating, aches and pains, fatigue and malaise, exhaustion, and photophobia. It is important to try to alleviate the pain initially as Post Herpetic Neuralgia PHN occurs more frequently in those whose pain is poorly controlled the first month.

You need to stay home and rest.

Please allow family and friends to help you.

I am a Nurse Practitioner in the US and have Herpes Zoster-Shingles every three to five weeks in my right ear for the past twenty years and twice in my right eye. I understand your excruciating pain.

Please let me know how I can help you. Where do you live, how old are you, and what medical conditions do you have? I will be 65 years in one month and am immunocompromised.

Best wishes

Merry Juliana

Treatments I use anti virals nuerorotin nerve pain supplamants, lidocaine to numb the area and ice. It's a catch 22 what works. If nerve pain is severe then try Lyrica. 

Wow on of all the ruf places to get it. If it around you eye see an optamologist for meds.

You need to immediately get to emergency care....shingles in or near the eye can blind one...go now

I have been there...now hurry so you can be helped

big warm hugs

judith

within 8 hours, my head had quadrupled in size. I was hospitalized in isolation and placed on IV acyclovir twice a day for 30 days. This was my third go around with shingles so the doc wanted to knock then right out of my system.

Mine were the left half of my head and my left eye was of great concern and vigilance. Shingles can scar the cornea.

Since then, with medical care my eye recovered completely.

Since that third episode, I have had shingles two additional times...the head and the internal organ episodes were the worst.

I found ice helpful, especially those gel ice packs because they last so much longer and are moldable to the shape of the head. Mine went down my left neck as well and inside the ear. I truly understand your agony.

Because shingles affects the nervous system, they are brutally painful...perhaps ask your doc for Morphine Sulfate Extended Release, with some Morphine Sulfate for breakthrough pain.

I caution you, all narcotics are potentially addicting and with shingles taking weeks to subside you should only take the bare minimum. When you stop, your body will go throughsome withdrawal symptoms for about three days...profuse sweating, increased fidgeting, appetite increase.

May you quickly recover

judith