How to best achieve recovery from PHN?

Dear Avey,

You have Ramsay Hunt Syndrome if you have the vesicles-blisters in your ear canals and headaches. Do you have a facial droop?

I am so sorry for the suffering from the disease.

Best Wishes

Merry Juliana

Merry Juliana, I never thought about Ramsey Hunt syndrome although I have thought of you once or twice with your similar monthly symptoms.  i just didn't think these were the same.   Although I keep getting these small vesicles-blisters in the past months they are not very painful. They tingle and when touched they also itch. But then the shingles blisters were not too painful either.  I had the other usual symptoms of shinglesthat lasted for the usual time but the tiredness was devastating probably due to having polio as a child which left no trace, and of Malta Fever as an adult.

I have a bit of puffy eyes under my left eye and an eye infection (Doctors are calling it dry eye and blepharitis) on my right lower eyeld which keeps recurring.  These last three weeks the eye infection has not totally cleard with chloramphenicol and then fucithalmic eyedrops. I do get these wierd tingles and mentioned them in passing when talking to a young doctor. She mentioned they could be shingles but did not associate my ear or eye problem with shingles.  I certainly need to change my nice old doctor.  

Now what would you suggest as this has been going on for some months now?

Twice in the past months I went to emergency due to sudden severe pain in my upper left chest, and was given all kinds of tests.  My heart is just fine and all tests came back normal.  I have had lower abdominal pain but not then and am careful of my diet.  Now I'm wondering if the sudden chest pains were internal shingles.

 

Yikes!  I want to be  healthier and more active in life. An evening of country dancing leaves me tired and/or exhausted the next day and more and I've done nothing the whole day in anticipation of enjoying that night out!.  Why with all the health issues that shingles causes I cannot understand that more studies haven't been made.  Maybe there is research out there I am not aware of.  Thanks for listening.  You have such wonderful background and treatment for all this and I so wish you did not learn by going through these experiences yourself!!

I wonder if an antihistamine would help at some point.

Bless you always, Avey

I totally agree about wondering why there's not more info about there that's helpful and accurate! Just showing photos of wide-spread rash, doesn't help without mentioning the type of pain symptoms which may occur first.

That chest pain sound just like what I had, so it could be the shingles. When mine started, I wondered if it were gall bladder, angina, pulled muscle,  heart attack, pulmonary embolism?  Then chalked it up to over-exertion at high altititude and muscle strain.  My doctor said he's had patients with the same issues, ran all the big tests which were negative and it was shingles.

Thanks for that .  It does make me feel better knowing I won't have an emergencyvisit again...just shingles! Ugh!!  

Are there tests for shingles itself? I was in Spain, then the UK too late for much. The pharmacist in Spain sent me directly to the hospital where I was given Aciclivar and then in the UK Gabapentin plus Amitryptyline but since then I have had no meds except for a slight blood pressure and the eye antibiotic.  I Spain I had a lot of back pain and has massages, etc. when the vesicles were gone.  At least I felt I could walk a bit, eat a bit and now obviously I am much better only now concerned these little tingles and problems plus being more tired are coming back!I I may have to work on something to allay the PHN.  

When we speak out and talk to each other we learn so much!  Thanks.

Avey,

Usually,

Antihistamines are great if you are having an allergic reaction, have hay fever with itchy eyes, throat, and ears, have runny nose and sneezing. I don't see it being beneficial in your case. Regarding your symptoms, it is difficult to know whether it is shingles. Shingles pain last for days or weeks, not just a few hours, and is a constant, burning, lancinating pain. My point is if you had sudden severe sharp pain that came and went within hours it is not shingles. I am glad you were smart and had it checked out. I'll chat more tomorrow

Best regards

Merry Juliana

Babs, your posts have been most helpful and Merry Juliana knows the answers.  I was getting the blisters days and days after the initial bout  but they were not as severe. I did have pain but did have a high pain threshold ...I doubt that last statement for now as I have constant muscular pain in my back plus tiredness more often, almost daily and it has been two years since having the outbreak of shingles.  It appears the older I get I am feeling an almost daily change to being less fit and more tired.  For me this is/was? not normal!. 

Rest, rest and more rest and go slow enough on recovery.

Avey

Babs,

I would not worry so much as to whether this is PHN or acute shingles as it is an arbitrary definition that changes frequently. What is important is that your pain is treated aggressively and that you rest.

Pay attention to your own body's needs and rhythms.

Best wishes

Merry Juliana

I owe you a PM, thanks for your patience.

Hi Merry, how are you? I was wondering if you could tell me if it is common when you have phn for the pain to be consistent for 8 months now, of course it isn't excruciating as it was when I first got it but the pain has been consistent and some days I have a little relief mycase is the shingle rash on my foot but the pain is internally by my lung and liver I'm wondering could it be something else I've had two CT scans and ultrasound and a pet scan I know you're well educated that's why I would like to ask you personally thank you so much and I hope you're feeling good

Lori,

I am so sorry it has been going on so long.

I do remember you, but not your age or any other medical diseases.

I don't know for certain if it Herpes Zoster-Shingles or another condition causing the pain. I am not your treating physician. Has the pain by your foot disappeared? Is the pain by your liver/lung a similar burning lancinating pain, but with less intensity?

Are you on gabapentin or Lyrica for the PHN?

Did they test your gall bladder for gallstones?

Are there any other accompanying symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion, malaise, fever, chills and sweating, aches and pains, headaches etc?

BTW, on October 24th, GlaxoSmithKline announced they had applied for approval for the new and improved Shingles vaccination, Shingrex, which has a 93-97% efficacy rate. Zostavax, the Merck vaccine has a 37-53% efficacy rate.

Best Wishes

Merry Juliana

Thank you so very much for your reply Merry, I'm 52 years old, and I Get Sharp pains just once in awhile the rash comes about at least once a month, my big toe and second is numb too the touch, but I still habe the dry scaly skin...when I first got shingles on my foot 4 days later, unbearable pain began..yes they checked my gall blatter, it feels like a round ball of heavy burning pain where my liver sits, they found cyst on my liver but claims that wouldn't cause the pain I'm having, in the morning when I wake up that area inside feels dry and sore, when I cough I habe to hold my side and I noticed I can't take as big off breath as I use to...it's a mystery to me, my doctor is sending me for another scan and a Hida scan and ct chest, he said he had them test me for cancer already, I'm just confused and going for the best..and insite would be so helpful.. Thank you Merry.

I'm so sorry for my typos..also Merry he did prescribe me Gabapentin but I'm just too scared to take it also where the actual rashes it isn't too bothersome it's the pain that I'm getting in my side I think maybe the nerves traced it to my side I'm not sure if that happens