My husband was misdiagnosied with a migraine for a week before he was finally admitted to the hospital for evaluation. They treated him for a migraine on the right side of his face UNTIL the rash appeared. Immediately changed treatment to shingles. Shingles affted the nerve on the right top of head down the tip of his nose (including eye). Started all the meds - acyclovir, sterioids, etc. He is home now recovering. Unfortunately the shingles afftected his right eye nerves (motion and lid, actual eye is ok). Doctors say it is self limiting and will resolve in time. Anyone else experience this? He is in so much pain. We started percocet around the clock wtih gabapentin. The two biggest complaints he has are severe night sweats (needs to change clothes 3 times per night) and sharp eye pain and sensations in the head. We are 3 weeks out from the initial start of the pain (2 weeks out post rash). Any advice? When will he get relief? How long does this last? How long for eye muscle to strengthen? So many questions.....
Lisa take him to the eye doctor right away he could loose his vision. Asap I know just go
His event sound similar to my own only his above the eye mine below but the eyelid and surrounding area sound very similar. I am in week 3 since diagnosis.
The eye pain the most annoying aspect of this. I foud short term relief is a wash cloth dampened and frozen then let to thaw slightly so is just getting pliable then form to face a little press against my face / eye for about 8-10 minutes. It has some discomfort but I stick to it and get some relief. I do this a few time a day. I am considering an eye patch but already know my CPAP irritates things so not too sure a patch if going to do much good. He has hopefully seen his Opthamologist for eye concerns.
Keep posting and I will post any updates I get, best of luck to him and possibly its just one of those things we have to get through on our own with regard tp pain. Meds are doing very little for immediate relief thus far. I tried alcohol, it has no effect even in large doses. Sticking to water and stubborness to get through.
My dear Lisa and husband,
I am so sorry for the pain and suffering of your husband. Fortunately, on this site, we know all too well the excruciating severe lancinating burning pain your husband is suffering from.
To begin with, this is what to expect with ophthalmolgic Herpes Zoster-Shingles.
It begins with symptoms of a severe lancinating burning headache, one sided, with fever, chills and fever, aches and pains, malaise, photophobia, and fatigue. This can last for up to two weeks before the rash appears. With Shingles affecting the eye or ear, one can also experience nausea and vomiting as inflammationation of the eye center in the brain stimulates the nausea center there, as well.
Once the rash appears, you are in the acute phase. It can take up to five days for the vesicles-blisters to appear in crops or waves. Then, it takes one month for these vesicles-blisters toform a black crust or scab over, and fall off. When all the vesicles-blisters have formed scabs, he is no longer contagious. After one month, the acute phase is considered over.
It is vital to achieve excellent pain control during this month as those who don't often are at higher risk to get the dreaded complication of Post Herpetic Neuralgia PHN. As he is on Percocet and gabapentin, plus I am certain ophthalmic drops, steroids and acyclovir, he is on the correct medications.
He has a viremia or the Herpes Zoster-Shingles virus circulating in his blood stream causing the symptoms similar to the flu.
I have had Herpes Zoster-Shingles in my right ear every 3-5 weeks for the past 20 years and In my right eye twice I understand the agony your husband is having.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the States.
Please let me know how i can help you.
Now that he is on the correct medications, including acyclovir, the fever chills and sweating should diminish, slowly.
It is difficult to diagnose Herpes Zoster-Shingles until the rash appears. I am a migraneur, and when the first episode occurred, initially I thought it was a migraine. It took three ENTs before the otoneurologist finally diagnosed it. It was 3-4 weeks before the rash made it outside my eardrum. I am 64 years old currently.
Hopefully, it is the inflammation causing the weakness with the cranial nerves and it usually resolves.
Best regards.
Merry Juliana
He's been under the care of an opthamologist since the beginning. He is still taking steroid eye drops. His actual eye is ok, but the muscle behind the eye and the one that controls the lid are not working. Thank you for your comment.
My husband's pain is awful. We changed meds to gabapentin and a higher dose of percocet. Very little relief so far. I hate these narcotics. The meds make him sleepy and very emotional.
My husband is complaining of lightning sharp pains that come and go and move around in his head. The doctor increased the gabapentin dose at night (300mg) and he also increased the percocet. I don't want him to become addicted to percocet but he really needs it. Hoping these meds find him some relief soon. Any other suggestions for pain? When will he turn the corner and begin feeling better??????
Lisa,
May I ask how old your husband is, when did the pain start, and when did the rash appear?
Also, what other medical diseases does he have? When was the acyclovir started?
Thanks.
Merry Juliana
He's 51 years old. Started acyclovir within 24 hours of rash. However, he had pre-rash symptoms/pain for about a week before the rash appeared. No other health issues.
Lisa,
The severe head and eye pain should slowly start dissipating over the next two weeks. I know that even a breeze in the room can trigger more pain. Your husband won't become addicted to narcotics when he is in this agonal pain. I also take oxycodone every three to five weeks for the 3-5 days when I need it. Then I stop as soon as the severe pain is gone. This painful episode of your husband's will stop, but the ophthalmolgic Herpes Zoster-Shingles is usually more complicated than Shingles elsewhere. The pain in the head is more severe and lasts longer. He seems to be on all the appropriate medications.
Best regards
Merry Juliana
J'ai eu la même chose, dans ma tête, mon front et mon œil, et maintenant, après 4 mois, j'ai de terribles démangeaisons dans la zone où l'éruption cutanée était, et c'est pire dans la zone de l'œil, cela s'appelle PHN, la douleur est partie depuis des semaines mais les démangeaisons persistent. Cela vient et va tous les jours, et je vois toujours mon ophtalmologiste régulièrement. Ma vision est bonne. Je suis désolée pour la douleur de votre mari, je sais que cela peut devenir insupportable. J'ai même pleuré un jour à la clinique car j'avais tellement mal, je me sentais si mal et je commençais à déprimer à cause de tout cela, mais ensuite, après avoir reçu des antalgiques plus forts et de l'amitriptyline la nuit, j'ai commencé à ne plus avoir mal et à enfin dormir la nuit. Bonne chance, j'espère qu'il n'aura pas de complications !
The 'lightening' description of pain is so accurate. I've been dealing with shingles on my head and left side of face and left eye for about 8 weeks. It does get better. I used ice packs, lidocaine, pain meds, anything for relief. Saw the eye Dr every week.
I think it varies from person to person on how long it lasts and with the eye area involved, from my experience, it takes longer. Keep in contact with the eye Dr and do not hesitate to go back and see them. In my opinion,they should be checking his progress on a regular basis
I am now dealing with this amazing fatigue that will not resolve. Some days I can almost function normally. Other days, like today, not so much. I have to plan what I am going to spend my time on and ration my energy. Taking a shower and getting dressed can wear me out completely.
I don't ever remember being so sick with anything, ever.
Kerri,
I ration my activity daily... otherwise I have been known to sleep 26 hours straight.
My phrase of Herpes Zoster-Shingles pain in the ear is giving birth via the ear canal while having a cattle prod inserted, or more modern, being tased, or electrocuted via the ear.
All My Best
Merry Juliana
I am so amazed at the variations of this stuff. I try to explain it to people and hear things like "my husband had it and its not so bad" or my dad had it and he was miserable" and "really? You can get it on your face" then I hear about people who had / have it on their face and every one is different. I think with the variations of sensory function all located on your face / head, ears, eyes, nasal, mouth, teeth and any mix or match plus more, its really anyones bet as to what you get, where you get it and how much it impacts your lifestyle.
I have a pretty good tolerance to pain and have most of one side my face and head involved with this stuff and its no fun. I try not to let it consume me but in all honesty, it sucks and my biggest drain is the loss of sleep. If I could sleep a full night I think it would be much more tolerable.
Bonjour,
Semaine 1:
J'ai eu des éclairs de douleur excruciante dans mon œil droit, presque toutes les 5 secondes. Le jour 3 de la douleur, je suis allé à la clinique, on m'a envoyé aux soins urgents, puis aux urgences. Personne n'a pu diagnostiquer et on m'a renvoyé chez moi. La douleur était si intense,
je suis allé dans une clinique ophtalmologique et le médecin a suspecté une zona mais voulait voir une éruption cutanée. Enfin, au jour 7 de la douleur, j'ai eu des éruptions cutanées. Sur mon côté droit, et à la pointe de mon nez, sur ma paupière, dans mon œil et ainsi de suite. La mère de toutes les douleurs. Au jour 7 de la douleur, j'ai commencé à prendre du valtrex.
Semaine 2:
Je me suis senti mieux, les croûtes ont commencé à tomber, la douleur était sous contrôle, j'ai commencé les tâches ménagères.. Mon œil était gonflé, ma paupière était gonflée et tombante
Semaine 3:
Je me suis senti très malade à nouveau, et on m'a dit par le médecin des yeux qu'il y avait des lésions dans mon œil à nouveau. Ensuite, la douleur brûlante de la NPN a commencé. J'étais seul dans ma chambre et j'ai eu une crise de brûlure de 40 secondes où j'ai eu l'impression que mon visage était en feu. J'ai voulu vomir, je ne pouvais pas faire de bruit, juste respirer et compter les secondes en attendant que la vague passe. Cela a commencé à la base de mon visage et a lentement remonté jusqu'à mon cuir chevelu puis est parti. Le lendemain, j'ai eu la vague, à 1h du matin. C'était excruciante. Je suis allé chez le médecin le lendemain, j'ai repris du valtrex, des stéroïdes 4 fois par jour. Mon œil était encore gonflé et tombant. Toutes les éruptions cutanées avaient disparu et il ne restait que des taches grises noires et un gonflement sur le côté droit de mon visage.
Semaine 4:
J'ai commencé à avoir une vision floue et on m'a diagnostiqué une iritis, on m'a donné des gouttes pour dilater ma pupille afin de soulager la douleur. Sensibilité à la lumière, larmes, côté droit gonflé y compris une paupière très enflée et tombante. J'ai pris deux semaines de congé et j'ai commencé à prendre du Lyrica 50mg. Maintenant j'ai une douleur brûlante légère régulière mais pas la vague de douleur effrayante de 40 secondes.
Semaine 5:
Aujourd'hui est le premier jour de la semaine 5. Mon niveau d'énergie revient quelque peu. Depuis trois jours, je regarde la télévision et je travaille sur mon ordinateur sans lunettes. Porter des lunettes me rend les choses plus difficiles et ramène la douleur car les lunettes reposent sur une zone qui avait l'éruption cutanée et ensuite mon œil entier me fait mal.
Je peux comprendre ce que votre mari traverse. J'espère qu'il ira mieux bientôt.
Je veux que ma douleur parte, que le gonflement parte, et je veux que mon œil ait l'air et se sente normal à nouveau. Mon médecin dit que le gonflement de l'œil est dû au nerf. J'attends patiemment que les choses reviennent à la normale.
Il y a tellement de stades pour le zona, mais je n'ai pas suivi comme vous l'avez fait, cela fait plus de 4 mois depuis que j'ai été diagnostiqué et bien que je n'aie plus de douleur maintenant, mon œil qui démange est un ENFER et tout ce que disent les ophtalmologistes c'est d'utiliser de la crème pour le visage sur la paupière, ce qui est beaucoup trop douloureux ! Les produits utilisés sur le front ne peuvent pas être utilisés sur les yeux, et les gouttes n'arrêtent pas les démangeaisons, j'espère vraiment pour vous que vous n'aurez pas cette complication !
Merci, j'espère que les démangeaisons disparaîtront bientôt pour toi. Je n'imagine pas à quel point cela doit être difficile.
Un ami est passé avec du chocolat noir, m'a conseillé de me végétaliser et de regarder la télévision en mangeant du chocolat. Et c'est ce que j'ai fait pendant deux jours. J'ai aussi remarqué que j'avais des démangeaisons de PHN assez mauvaises que je n'avais pas avant. Plus de chocolat maintenant et les démangeaisons sont un peu meilleures.
Quand le gonflement a-t-il disparu pour vous ? Je n'en peux plus d'attendre que mon œil retrouve son aspect normal.
Je n'ai pas vraiment eu de gonflement, mais le matin, mon œil droit est un peu gonflé juste au-dessus de ma paupière.
This stuff is HELL.
I'm eight weeks and it is a lot better but still dealing with left eye and extreme fatigue.
I still have to use the steroid eye drops at least 5 times a week. It helps with the pain and burning and irritation. I also had some pressure type pain in that eye, so eye Dr gave me a drop that is for glaucoma, even though I do NOT have glaucoma. It relieves the ache from behind the eye.
Good luck.