1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Postherpetic Neuralgia

Intensified pain while sleeping

Posted , 3 users are following.

judy44014
judy44014

I'm only 4 weeks into the Shingles which seem to be clearing up nicely. My Shingles outbreak was on the left side of my face, scalp and in my ear. The ear pain was a killer. Like someone ramming an ice pick into my ear. My issue at this point is the PHN which can be pretty bad but I've come to notice is intensified while I'm asleep. At first I thought it was from lying down so I began to sleep sitting up. Sadly, that didn't make a difference. At this point I think that if I could sleep standing up, the pain in my ear and head would still be worse . I'm talking about hanging head in hands, eyes closed, cant speak, excruciating pain. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue? I'm so tired but wake every couple of hours with intense pain that I don't have while awake.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • sue2910
    sue2910 judy44014

    Posted

    I don't know if this will help, because I didn't discover it until 3-4 years after my shingles outbreak and the PHN on my entire right side. But acupunture is the only treatment that kicked my pain's butt. Not for good, but the first session knocked out about 80% of my lingering pain, and the second and third sessions took care of the remaining 15%. Now I just have some itchiness and sensation of tightness from my right foot all the way through my right shoulder. But I'm mostly pain-free, and I wish I'd found a good acupuncturist much earlier in the outbreak. GOOD LUCK!

    • judy44014
      judy44014 sue2910

      Posted

      I've heard a lot about acupuncture. The problem is trying to find a reputable acupuncturist in South Florida. Lots of options but few are good. I'll definitely keep this in mind. Thanks so much

  • babs99203
    babs99203 judy44014

    Posted

    Judy, you felt your shingles was clearing up nicely, but the rash is only one component of shingles. As you're posting in the PHN forum POST herpetic neuralgia, I'm not sure if you were already diagnosed with PHN or you were just assuming that's what it was. The pain from shingles can linger a while, doctors have their own views as to when PHN is the actual diagnosis.

    I hope by now the pain has decreased but one thing I wanted to mention is that if you're taking gabapentin or other meds, missing doses or changing doses can cause withdrawal. For many increased pain is a component of WD. Also, pain always feels worse at night. We have fewer distractions and it's the only thing we notice--pain and exhaustion. Nights were the worst for me too the first few weeks.

    Four weeks is quite early in the shingles journey, but I hope you're better now.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.