Touching skin

Yes mine was very sore like a burn and warm to the touch.  

Hi there, I'm back to the Dr tomorrow, I'm 6 weeks in with burning and tenderness to the scarred areas, plus pain on my side and back which isn't getting any better, I do hope he can help. I also hope you and i feel much better really soon - all the best.

Babs x

Oh yes..had an area where no visible rash but still feels sore and like cuts in my skin. This stuff is up and down. Different sensations on various days. I used some msm cream and it has helped. Also the Aspercream with Lidocaine really helps. Feel better my friend🛐??

Yes I have it too. Ten months later and still tender when I run my hand over it. Find hard touch doesn’t hurt.. it’s all to do with the nerve endings which take a long time to heal. Aloe Vera gel helped me and solarcaine with lidocaine helped also. Some days if it was burning I would allply cold wet towel

And it would give temporary relief. 

Hi friend. So sorry you are hurting. I hope you will be feeling better very soon. I have recently taken the newly approved shingles vaccine called "Shingrix", so the following information that I offer you now is from my experience having suffered with shingles for 8 very long years. My case is ongoing but truthfully, until 3 days ago, i could not have said with any confidence that it truly works. But the improvement i've had these past 3 days, i can NOW say, it DOES work. So first of all, I would strongly advise...go get the shot, friend.

Unfortunately, yes, the pain you are having is a common issue, following shingles.

Shingles can and does often reoccur and WILL cause damage to your nerve endings with every outbreak. It is called Post Herpatic Neuralgia and is one of the most common and major side effect of shingles that can last for weeks, months and even years if left untreated. PHN can even return without the shingles rash even being present.

Consider the very nature of shingles. To put it in simple terms, the actual nerve within your body became infected with this virus. This is why you are having this burning sensation after the shingles rash has gone, much like the tenderness of an open wound after it has stopped bleeding and begun to heal.

Many have said that topical ointments work for them but most use a cold compress. For others, it is heat. I suggest you start first with the cold compresses to see what works best for you. Also, treat this tender or burning area much like a temperamental child in the middle of the Shopping Mall at rush hour. Silly as it sounds...DON'T make it mad. Try to wear lose clothing when you can. Rubbing against this area even slightly WILL make it worse. If it's on your beltline or somewhere inconvenient, use a generous amount of topical relief covered by a large bandage until you get home. Then uncover it and do whatever it takes to keep it from being irritated or rubbed against. This will help both an open wound and a healed one that is still tender. Lidocaine ointment works well.

There are some people who will get shingles repeatedly and it will not even bring them much pain or interruption to their daily lives. Lucky them! Not everyone is so fortunate and a wound the size of a quarter can bring you to your knees. These lucky ones won't understand your agony, so try to resist the urge to strangle them. LOL.

You will find alot of important information here on this forum from people who have found natural cures for what you are going through right now. The wonderful people here on this forum are sufferers like you and like me and they know their stuff. I found this forum when i was at my lowest point and i am daily thankful for the wonderful people i have found here. Listen to their wise advice. They have lived it.

Unfortunately, meds like Tylenol, Ibuprofen and Advil have little to no effect on PHN, so save your liver and kidneys the additional stress. Try the natural remedies first but also unfortunate, it often becomes necessary to take prescription pain meds for this condition. Use great care with these, friend. The best rule is to NEVER self-medicate. Once you take your first pain pill, consider yourself no longer mentally capable to decide, for yourself, when to take that next dose. Let your spouse or a family member take part in your taking ANY narcotic. We've already lost too many good people to opioid addiction.

If you are already having this nerve pain, you are at higher risk of a reoccurrrance and what you are feeling now will not only increase in intensity, it can also move to other parts of your body. So please don't delay getting this new vaccine, "Shingrix". It is a two-dose vaccine you take 2-6 months apart. The creators of this new vaccine claim it has a 97% success rate and that's very high for any non-live vaccine. You didn't mention your age but you will likely be told that it's for ages 50 and older. This is the CDC recommendation and most pharmacies and clinics will adhere to it. Call around and find yourself a privately owned pharmacy. If your doctor writes you the prescription, many privately owned pharmacies WILL give it to you.

I took my first dose April 2nd and scheduled to take my next dose this coming Saturday, on June 2nd. It took nearly this ENTIRE two months to see improvement but in these past 3 days, i've had major improvement to my shingles,

My shingles began reoccurring every week to 10 days, so i've taken antivirals every day for over 5 years now. Taking 3000 mg Acyclovir and most recently adding an additional 1500 mg Famciclovir every day. I still got the shingles though but the daily antivirals offered me some protection against the same nerve damage you are suffering from now.

This is also why you need to have a private physician treating you. Don't subject yourself to Med-stops and Emergency Room visits. You deserve better care than that. Often, the treatment of shingles goes far beyond clearing the rash and you will need a trusted medical doctor readily available because time delay is significant. The recommended time frame to begin taking antivirals for a shingles outbreak is 72 hours. I don't suggest you wait that long. The longer you wait increases your chances of developing PHN. Most medical doctors will write you an antiviral prescription with refills, so you will be ready, just in case the shingles reoccur.

At the pace i am going, i am actually hopeful that this new vaccine will allow me to come off all antivirals. Because my shingles is mostly on my face and eye, hospitalization is normally required because sedation is all that will relieve the pain. After countless hospital admissions over the years, i am now sedated in my own home. When i'm not sedated, pain meds are the norm. As i mentioned, it took nearly the full two months to see any improvement but now i've seen great improvement and have had NO pain and NO pain medication in 3 days. Today will be my 4th day and i am STILL in NO pain.

Keep in mind, this new vaccine "Shingrix" was just approved and released by the CDC this past January 2018, so ask for it by name. Most doctors and pharmacies have little information on it. They know about it, if course, but it is THAT new. The CDC has posted the research, testing and results online, for public view.

Again, i am truly sorry you are suffering and hope you will find relief soon. Take care and try to avoid stress these next several days, as stress is a major trigger for shingles outbreak. Take care, friend

~Rhonda

Boothy,

Sunburned skin is a good description of what shingles can feel like. Your sensory nerves are highly stimulated, and it is up to you to decide out ways to quiet them down. You didn't mention exactly how long it has been since the onset of the rash, the location of the pain,or truly how disabling the pain is.

Many individuals find Solarcaine with Aloe soothing for the pain.

Others use cold compresses and or ice for the pain.

Some find Gabapentin or Lyrica in tapering doses beneficial.

Many use a cocktail of medications for Post Herpetic Neuralgia PHN and or recurring episodes of shingles.

You need to find what works for you and work with your Physician, if necessary, if you need prescription medications.

Best Wishes

Merry Juliana

Hi boothy 

After the rash leaves we usually stay with burning pain and itching!  Where did you get your shingles?  Did your blisters heal completely?

This is my second bout!

Hope you feel better from the sensitive skin