Hi,
Ive had shingles now for about 2 weeks. I only noticed the blisters about 7days ago. Though I had pain under my breast and round to my back. I was treating the rash for a day or two with sudocrem thinking it was a heat rash. (I've quite large breasts) then noticed blisters and it spreading.
after reading this forum I'm assuming I had a mildish attack.
it painful but I try not to take much pain relief. Only at night. I had to ask gp for Amytriptline. She only gave me antiviral meds.
I work for a palliative community team.
My gp did not think I needed to go off on the sick. I took a few annual leave days and with my usual days off, will be off for just over a week. Is this enough?
My family and friends are telling me different.
I feel,ok except for the pain. Get a fairly good nights sleep now after taking amytriptiline.
Indont seen to suffer the awful,fatigue some of you speak off.
Though I did at the beginning.
What should I do? Go off on the sick? Or try to go back to see how I am.
Well I'm on week 8 and mine sound just like yours. Back to front around the ribs. I have had prickly pain and severe swelling. I am 8 weeks in now and my shingles just healed over still a little painful BUT the prickly pain and tazer hits are still happening and i feel aweful and fatigue is horrible. Here's hoping you recover quickly but i wasnt so lucky. Hard to say each journey is different. Good luck!
Hi I have had shingles twice and if I had tried to work I don't think that I could have. Shingles is an illness like non other. You may be different but I wouldn't even think that you have completely broken out yet. I had them for 6 weeks and I broke out behind my right ear down my back and on and on. First thing my right ear stopped up. I admire your desire not to take pain meds but I had no such desire what pain I had. And I have to fight them off continuously. Good luck. Hope Merry sees this she is our shingles guru.
Diane
This sounds unusual, but you could be lucky. What is sudocrem. Yes go to another MD to get another opinion.
You should rest , you really need to rest.
A week does not seem to be enough.
i was out for nine weeks.
I have had PHN for six years.
LisaLisa
Taser is a great description. I never thought of that
Dear Ruth,
I am sorry you are going through this. The problem with Shingles is the pain can become much worse the third and fourth week, or just be milder. If you overdo the activity at work, the pain can increase markedly. I do not know how your bosses are regarding sick time. As your rash is covered by clothing, you would not be infectious.
Your GP doesn't know how severe the pain of Shingles is, or he would have offered more time. If the pain is truly mild, and you have no fatigue, go back to work. However, if the pain is moderate to severe, don't try to power through it. You need to rest and sleep. Activity does make the pain worse.
Best Wishes
Merry Juliana
I had `taser' hits for about a week out of my 3 month Shingles journey. Now `just' have PHN on my face. Still not nice! Good luck.
Thanks for your posts, Merry. I am a reasonably well muscled 70 year old male, so a bit past my prime ! About 7 days after the first scab appeared on the side of my nose, it once took me 20 minutes to work myself out of bed and onto my feet. I could barely raise my arm high enough to reach the light switch. That fatigue was scary, but luckily that bit of the infection cycle only lasted 2-3 days. Regards, Colin (England)
I have been suffering with scalp temples forehead eyebrows for six years. I hope you do not suffer too much longer
Colin,
I would writhe in pain with spasms over a mere breeze passing my ear. It is terrible how the younger medical doctors fail to medicate for the pain.
As a nurse since 1973 and NP since 1999, I could never stand to see a person suffer.
Best Wishes to you.
Merry Juliana
Ruth, Merry's response was the first I've read about the pain starting weeks later (and I've been following these since my back/breast shingles 10/2016) and she's absolutely correct. I had tiny bumps, but some bad pain for 24 hours, then almost no pain for two weeks, then a few more tiny bumps and tremendous pain that increased for the next week. That's when I got the fatigue, nausea and severe pain. It was almost like I had it twice in 3 weeks, but now I understand it better. Maybe you'll have a mild case, but usually if you don't get the anti-virals, that's not the case.
Ruth,
I would take more days off and rest. The problem is, if you overdo the work, the pain becomes more severe, and it is harder to relieve it.
Your GP put you on Antivirals for 7 days, didn't he? They stop the virus from replicating, so it is important to finish them.
I do hope your case is mild. May I ask your age, Ruth?
Best Wishes
Merry Juliana
I agree with all the helpful posts here. Shingles vaccine is another way to go once your symptoms have gone. The vaccine can be given even if you have a shingles break out. The vaccine has helped the breakouts and are less severe and not as frequent as they were before the vaccine for herpes zoster virus was given.
I am surprised that you were not advised to have the herpes zoster virus immunization which helps control the outbreaks .
My GP failed to diagnose shingles.Basically told me to go away-It's a virus -no treatment.I returned after the weekend to a different-very young-doctor who in seconds said-classic shingles.But as it was then over a week since the start of my shingles he said that it was too late for anti virals .He gave me opatonal eye drops and Fexofenadine hydrochloride-neither of which are making much difference.My right eyelid and eyebrow are so itchy and sore it's driving me carzy.I has a few shooting pains last week-my original GP said -go to the dentist.But I'm not in pain.I just have this sore intensely itchy eye and eyebrow.There is a rash on the eyebrow.I'm putting E45 cream on my forehead,eyelidand eyebrow but it doesn't sem to help.I feel that I have insects crawling over the whole area.
Is there anything else I should do at this stage please?
Hi Juliana,
I’m just turned 60
I’ve Been helpng look after my mum who has cancer, working full time , palliative care which is very intense and took a chest virus which was very severe.
Whilst I feel ok I’m worried if I go back to work after only 1 week that this may get worse ?
I haven’t been of work sick in nearly 12 years.
Op
I am so sorry you went to a total moron. You must go immediately to an ophthalmologist and a neurologist.thr first moron might have caused you blindness and I hope you are okay now. What is e 45 cream.
since I am a long term veteran, I know what you feel in the same places exactly.
I have used magnilife painful rash relief cream for many years. Don't put it any where close to your eyes. It will help the pain. It's a little $$$ , but you will get relief. Go to a competent doctor and get some opoids .You don't have to be tortured 24/7.
lisa
thank you , Lisa. All the best, Colin
Thank you,Lisa.I telephoned the second doctor and asked if I should see an opthamologist.He said as I didn't have pain-no..It's the itching which is driving me crazy and the antihistamine tablets are having little effect.I'll be back to the doctor next week if no improvement.My life has stopped.I suggest you google E 45 cream.I think it's for dry skin conditions.He said moisturise the skin and as I happen to have a tub of E45 I'm using that which he said was a good idea.Although he immediately diagnosed the condition he is newly qualified and wthourt experience.I'm very unimpressed with my own GP .What are opoids please?
Ruth, for me Amytriptiline had no effect for me at all, even after 2 months. I could not tell I was taking it. Currently in the early days of Gabapentine, but too early to tell if it is beneficial ........ Regards
I would ring up Moorfields eye Hospital for advice - my GP told me in no uncertain terms to get an eye check at the Lister hospital in Stevenage ..... your call, but not impressed with your Docs ! Regards, Colin