Follow up on 15yo with shingles

Hi friend. I am so sorry to hear your daughter is suffering. You will find many good people on this site who will give you great advice and support during this tough time you and your daughter are going through right now. As a chronic shingles sufferer myself for the past 8 very long years, i know this must be brutal on both of you. Please know you are both in our prayers.

I hope i have not misunderstood your posts and only wish to offer some helpful advice or at least support all i can and please know that i only suggest the following because the pain of shingles on a 15 year old girl is painfully unimaginable for all of us here on this site and it is my sincere hope that the doctors are wrong with her diagnosis. As a Mom, my heart goes out to you....to you both. If lab work has already confirmed the shingles diagnosis, please forgive the following advice.

As others have told you here, shingles is different for different people and reading your daughter's symptoms from your post, i am wondering if a doctor's second opinion is a next best step. No offense to her doctor but her doctor getting the initial prescription levels wrong to treat a case of shingles, is also reason for concern because it hints that he/she may not be qualified to give your daughter the care she needs and deserves. And if your daughter actually has a shingles rash on BOTH sides, this is rare and she is needing a true Specialist as soon as possible before she is left with extensive nerve damage.

A mis-diagnosis is quite common, as most of us here on this site, had MANY mis-diagnosis before eventually being diagnosed correctly with shingles. This is due to the fact that most doctors are accustomed to seeing the elderly develop shingles, because before 10+ years ago, mostly only the elderly did get shingles back then. Now, people of ALL ages are getting shingles. Unfortunately, much of the medical community are still behind in their knowledge.

Your daughter's diagnosis might be correct but certain symptoms you described she was having, would cause me myself to seek another opinion. As others have told you, shingles is different for different people but there are some normal "constants" for most people in the early stages. For example, some people do suffer from shingles on BOTH sides but this is rare and typically happens after several outbreaks of the rash. It would also be rare for especially a 15 year old unless they were immune compromised, like having Muscular Dystrophy or Lupus. Also, you described her rash being present for weeks and itching also being present at same time during. Typically, shingles in the beginning days is so sensitive to the touch that scratching would resemble being hit with a cattle prod. The pain of shingles in first 5-7 days resembles electrical jolts or extreme burning type pain that is unmatched, when touched even lightly. The extreme itching normally comes after inner nerves are beginning to heal. My concern is also that if she were on the correct meds or dosage, she should be seeing at least some relief by now. For the past 8 years, i've had shingles more than 200 times, in various places and many needing hospitalization. My heartfelt suggestion to you, is that if your little girl is STILL suffering daily after all this time with constant itching and pain, then this would call for immediate medical intervention. She has a right to be out of pain and i would demand the doctors admit her to the hospital till they can find the right diagnosis or the correct medication and dosages to get her out of pain in the meantime. Any doctor telling a 15 year old girl that she has to "ride it out" has obviously never felt the agony of shingles...and again she is only 15 years old...what was he even thinking, i wonder.

In addition, whether they are right or wrong with their diagnosis, then the medications that are not even working for her, are causing unnecessary stress to her kidneys and liver and she's way too young to begin that path. If she does have shingles for sure, then it will be an unfortunate path you both must follow, that will require many strong medications just to control her suffering but i pray the doctors are wrong and she won't have to walk down that painful road.

Again, please know that you are not alone in this and you will both be on our constant prayers. Take care and reach out anytime you need a friend.

~Rhonda

what happens is that the sores become irritated and when you scratch them open is where all the pain comes from. my heart is going out to her because i was there once and never again. you learn after the first time that you cant scratch. as hard as it is, you cant rip them open. it doesnt help much after but it will going forward. there are a few things she can do. pain medication, increase the antivirals, ice and heat, very little movement. going to the bathroom is beyond painful so honestly dont drink much liquid. there are two pain creams that i have used but the zoverax is better, the other was a vaginal lidocaine. they both come in generics. if you dont have the zoverax call you dr asap, they will call it in for you. i would also find something to help her sleep, over the counter sleep aid from costco is really good. i wish her luck. its the worst thing i have ever experienced and i am going back 30 yrs yet remember it like it was yesterday.

I agree with r.f 0903 about the doctor. Your daughter is suffering greatly, and to tell her to "ride it out" is not only unprofessional, uncaring and cruel, but tells me the doctor doesn't know what to do for her and doesn't understand how much this is affecting her life both now and in the future. Be your daughter's advocate and find another doctor immediately. You didn't say what kind of medication the doctor prescribed for her initially, but hopefully it was something appropriate for shingles.

Ice and heat are great, and I used an ointment called Terasil..if you can find it. I didn't try zoverax or lidocaine, but those look like they had good results from Deborah DLF.