Shingles

[foxglove]

Could anyone suggest how to deal with the after shingles pain? (PHN)  I have been suffering for about 5 months.

[ukmsmi4]

Sorry, still haven't figured that one out after 15 years.  I don't think it ever goes away.  I take Tramadol, Paracetomol and low dose Fluoxetine as pain killers for a variety of things (mostly for lower back disc problems and ME and Fibro all over pain) but nothing completely gets rid of any of the pain.  Any flare of ME or Fibro  means the PH neuralgia kicks in again too, as well as all my other aches and pains so it all seems to meld into one most days.

[foxglove in reply to ukmsmi4]

Thanks for reply.  Doc. says the longest he's known PHN to last is 2 years.  My heart goes out to you for your 15 years of p[ain  I think I'm a bit of a wimp, I'm 76 and really haven't had much experience of pain at all.  The shingles thing made me more kind to those who do suffer...feel I'm a bit of a fraud logging on to Pain Concern so many brave souls!!!

[ukmsmi4 in reply to foxglove]

To be fair the PHN pain is not as bad these days as it was originally and I don't usually get it on it's own.  It's when my ME or Fibro is bad that those areas can be troublesome to with anything from discomfort and tingling to pain.  

My GP (at the time) said that shingles usually starts at one particular part on the nervous system and that part can differ from person to person.  Depending on where it starts dictates where you get the shingles.  Apparently mine was seated in the area at the base of the neck/top of the spine and the shingles appeared from half way down my upper left arm to fingertips, with one blister taking six weeks to grow out underneath my index finger nail (that was hellishly painful).  I find that area at the top of my back permanently feels sore and painful like a gravel rash these days, and if my ME or Fibro is bad, then the areas where the shingles were will tingle and have a painful sort of numbness to them.  

On the whole, compared to my other aches and pains, it's not that bad.  It just adds to the list of problems. My elbows and hands are sore a painful a lot these days, especially the left, but so is the rest of me and it's often difficult to know if it's ME, Fibro, neuralgia or arthritis or any mixture of them. In some ways it doesn't really matter, it's just pain.  

[linlow]

Try spraying a dilute solution of apple cider vinegar over the area that is causing you problems.  Rubbing with coconut oil might help.  Or you could try capsaicin or turmeric healthdiaries.com/eatthis/2...

[foxglove in reply to linlow]

Thanks - have tried asv didn't help, so I'll give the coconut oil a go!

[linlow in reply to foxglove]

don't know if there is anything in this link that might help - that you haven't already tried myhealthtips.in/2015/07/get...

[foxglove in reply to linlow]

Thank you for a link to a very interesting site. One I hadn't come across. A lot of the suggestions I have tried but lots more new to me . Will give some of them a go!!!

[linlow in reply to foxglove]

it was one I found for a friend of mother's when she had shingles a couple of weeks ago, I'd forgotten about it until I was chatting to her yesterday. Hope one of them helps.

[Sazntef]

I had used paracetamol when I had shingles but seem to be one of the lucky ones as the nerve band affected has just remained numb these past 14 years since affected.  Would lidocaine patches help? 

[foxglove in reply to Sazntef]

Haven't tried patches but have used lanacane cream which does help

[Nick_]

Try capsaicin cream 0.075

[foxglove in reply to Nick_]

Have tried this but made things worse as it inflamed skin.  Thanks for reply though - anything worth a try!

[foxglove]

Thanks for suggestion. The patches are beyond my price range and difficult to get without script. However, doc. has increased strength of amitriptyline to 25 mg, been on for a short time but have hopes for this!!

Area affected WAS very large ( from left shoulder down to waist and across to navel, this has localised to an area across centre of back to ribcage so not so bad now and I find if I try not to"stress2 this helps.

[Cmacc in reply to foxglove]

I was on amitriptyline but found the side effects where quite debilitating, extreme drowsiness, concussion, fatigue etc so asked the doctor to switch my medication to nortriptyline. It's basically the same medication but a lot less side effects. I also take pregabilin, the combination helps.

[foxglove in reply to Cmacc]

Thanks for reply, not too fazed about ami. at the moment - think I'm getting used to it, but PHN still comes and goes. Appt. with GP 8th June so if still bothered will ask then!

[foxglove]

I AM in UK, it's not that I cant get versatis but that it seems to be available only on script. Next appt. at docs. is 8th June (I,ve had to wait 6 weeks for this!) so if still "suffering" will ask about patches. Thanks for reply

[Cmacc in reply to foxglove]

You should ask the doctor to do a full blood count. I have precocious anaemia, b12 deficiency, which resulted in my nerve pain. It could be something underlying as to why you got the shingles/ Post heretic neuralgia.

[foxglove]

Thank you, have an appt. with GP on 8th June so will ask then Last FBC was done in Oct. 2015 and all well then, but things can change ! What is precocious anaemia?

[Loujoan]

I have been suffering fron PHN for almost a year. I had a case of shingles(my 2nd, 10 years after the first one). I received anti viral medication and it was a mild case, my PCP recommended I get the vaccine, which I did about 3 weeks after a complete recovery. A week later the nerve pain began and is a constant in my life, never goes away completely. I was prescribed gabapentin beginning with 1 capsule a day and 10 months later am taking 8, 300 milligrams each. All I can say is it helps, but there is never a moment where I am "pain free", it's especially bad at night. There is not a part of my body that has escaped this relentless pain, in my arms and upper back I mainly have burning sensations, legs feel as if they're cramping , especially my thighs, feet and hands stabbing pain. Occasionally my mouth is affected and that feels like a toothache, which is about the worst.

An Urgent Care Dr was the one who made the original diagnosis and she suggested, based on the time line, that the PHN was caused by the shingles vaccine. My PCP and the neurologist I'm currently seeing are skeptical. Has anyone ever heard of that?

[Astridnova]

Megadoses of vitamin D. I read somewhere else on health unlocked about Vit D and tried it because I know that it really helps with autoimmune diseases. Then a friend told me that if you rubbed Codliver oil on the skin where the pain it, it helps. So that's another form of Vit D. I told my doctor today that I thought the Vit D was really helping. He had not heard of it and looked it up. He found several medical references to Vit D as a determinant in recovery from shingles and post shingles neuro pain. He also read out that rubbing the contents of a capsule of Vit D on the skin would help the pain. I started with 3000iu Vit D twice a day and then 6000iu. I continue to improve.

[kjmn]

dear. Would you please describe your symptoms and in which part of the body you developed shingles? I develop shingle 9 months ago. I will be grateful if you could describe what are your symptoms? I do wish you well. Margaret