New diagnosis

There are many here better than I to help, but the tiredness and lack of energy is symptom of shingles.

Because the virus is activated. The chicken pox.  It's sort of like getting Chicken pox again but these are bigger deeper larger blisters. The fever and aches and fatigue seems to be worse with shingles than what I remember with chicken pox.   

My husband feels tired sometimes a week or more before the pain and blisters start. 

Not sure what course of treatment you're going to do but my husband takes 

1000 mg B-12. 3 times day

1000 mg lysine 3 times a day

1000 mg Vit c 

3-5 x day

Olive leaf capsules

I make a paste of raw honey and olive leaf powder with tea tree oil also. I apply that on the blisters and that makes it go away a lot faster.   He took nothing the first time he had it because he was away on work. Didn't know it was shingles and had no doctor to visit.   When he found out it  was shingles from the Pharmacist it was very sore very deep pain.  Something he doesn't want to go through again. All he was given was ointment  so he starts the vitamins when he feels this comming

I take Benadryl and it saves me its one thing to survive the horrid pain and all the other mess but itching is just too much😥. 

I am so sorry you are going through this awful disease! My heart goes out to you!

Hopefully, you were sent home.

It is contagious to anyone who has not had chickenpox including pregnant women with their unborn children.

Shingles is one of the most painful afflictions of mankind. It hibernates on the spinal cord, waits until your immunity wanes, and then attacks via your nervous system. It is also circulating throughout your entire body. The lancinating burning pain of the nervous system is difficult to control by over the counter pain medications. You absolutely need to be on an Antiviral for seven days.

You should be home in bed, as the pain worsens with any movement or activity or exercise. You need rest and sleep. Please eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

You will probably need a prescription for an Opioid and Gabapentin. Ice and cool compresses help with the pain and itching, as well. Avoid heat!

Lidocaine creams or Solarcaine with Aloe can help with the pain and itching too.

Besides the severe pain and rash, individuals can also have the following symptoms preceding or during the days after the onset of the rash:

Headache, fever, chills and sweating, aches and pains, malaise, fatigue, exhaustion. Fatigue and exhaustion can continue long after the rash is a distant memory.

Please also know that the pain often can get worse as the first week progresses. I advise you to get prescription medications before the weekend.

I am a Nurse Practitioner in the States. I have had Herpes Zoster-Shingles every 3-5 weeks in my right ear for the past 21 years and twenty-one years and twice in my right eye.

Best Wishes

Merry Juliana

Moral support to you, Kerri.  I am new to the nightmare of shingles, too.  We'll get through this together.

Hi Kerri, I had the same type of symptoms since last Monday, I went to the doctor right the way and he prescribed Valacyclovir 1000 mg, my rash was on my left side over the middle of my neck for the first 3 days but the pain was on my whole neck, shoulder and after the 4th day the pain/numbness was on both side of my belly and my whole left arm. Now a have at my chest and front neck and a little bit on the left side of my face. Looks like when you got this shingles in the neck it's the worse because the nerve in the middle of the neck is connect with all nerves of our body,  Hope and praying for this to get better soon, sometimes the pain other symptoms are so bad. Wishing you the quickly recovery too.