Had a full blown attack of shingles 2 years ago having unwittingly being getting minor shingles attacks for several years previous. For me the tell tale signs are strange cold sensation in my chest (which I now know is the virus effecting my nerves) which I'd always previously mistaken for a chest cold. Other symptoms include feeling cold, very slightly feverish, sometimes tiredness.
On this occasion i.e. since October 16th I've been getting the above symptoms and after a few weeks started getting prickliness in different parts of my body and not just on one side, though I've not had the rash or pain TG.
After a delay of a week or so of the first of the symptoms I went on to complete a course of Acyclovir and have been taking lysine and B12 1000mg daily since. But I seem to be no nearer to feeling better 7 weeks later and it's driving me nuts. I'm generally quite a healthy person and have not been under any undue stress. I'm hoping the Acyclovir and supplements I've been taking have stopped the worst of it but it seems to be taking as long to get over as the time I had it full on, I don't understand. My only full blown shingles attack took me a good 10 weeks to get over from start to finish. And even for a month after that attack when I would go out for a jog I would get the shingles nerve sensations firing off after my jogging session.
Anyone know if the supplements (lysine & B12 help to ward off Shingles at all or am I just peeing money down the toilet with this quackery. There are quite a few sites on the internet saying it works but guess what they have a vested interest in saying so as they so happen to sell the stuff as well.
As you can probably tell from the tone of this message I'm really fed up of not being able to get out and exercise 
This what my dr told me to take . As well as an complex , fish oil,and hydroxuzine for the severe itching. Numbing he'll help,as well as Zotc sunburn spray and benedryl liquid.
there are so,many different things OTC can help,ask your pharmist. I don't know your allergies or health history as well as you dr.
i was also given the immunization after a break out. Helped with the duration and recurrence . Last time my dr mentioned I needed a booster that the immunizations don't last more than 8-10!years.
There re is also a new immunization out which is better than the old type.
this is a terrible disease and there needed to be more research.
there are many Ned's for nerve tingling ask your doctor to run a blood panel,to check for vit decencies.
why not have the shingle vaccination? not 100%, but better than nothing.
An aside, Glaxo Smitb Klein submitted Shingrex to the US FDA in October for approval...said to have a much greater efficacy.
Hi I had shingles may 2025 , since episodes of headaches n general feelingnlike I got hit by a truck
. Again I'm tired achy , headache n eye pain shingles were on my scalp n now I've got 2 cold sores on my lips ??? What's up
Hi F!
Sorry for your suffering. While I do not take Lysine supplements as they can affect kidney, liver, and cardiac function, I do believe in the Lysine-Arginine connection in relation to Herpes Zoster-Shingles. I would suggest that you Google Lysine Arginine Herpes Zoster-Shingles diet to obtain a list of foods high in Arginine to avoid and high in Lysine to eat. It has made a huge difference in my life.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the US.
Merry Juliana
cold sores are not shingles.
I use Zovirax Ointment.
This attack hasn't progressed to the pain or rash and I can put up with the nerve tingling it's the general overall feeling of being unwell. I'm not a good patient 
Yea, think I'll wait for the new drug rather than pay out £300 here for the old one. Fingers crossed it becomes available here in the UK. Anyone have any idea when that might be?
The purpose of my thread was to illicit advice regarding my experience of shingles not yours.
Sorry if this sounds rude it's not meant to be but for the sake of forum etiquette and the fact you would get better exposure by starting a NEW thread of your own.
Arginine seems to be in the food groups I do like...typical.
Would you say avoiding Arginine has stopped you from getting shingles or just lessened the severity?
Dear F
Glaxo-Smith-Kline submitted Shingrex for approval October 26, 2016 to the FDA. I would assume, but we know what that means, that they also submitted for approval to the UK agency and European Union agency.
It takes 6 months to 2-1/2 years for approval.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes
Merry Juliana
March or April if it passes on fast track
how unkind, how very selfish, how downright rude...I regret having responded to this thread
Ever since I had the shingles, I have been getting little "shingle like" blisters occasionally on my lip, hairline of my forehead, and in the same spot behind my shoulder blade that I had it originally. My doc says they are not related. She said my lip was a cold sore and my hairline was a zit. No it wasn't!!! I know what a zit feels like, thank you. I think it is all related as I feel tired and mildly sick when these things appear. Good luck and ignore that other person who was rude. She/he probably doesn't feel well. It makes us angry😂
I noticed very recently that I have not had Herpes Zoster-Shingles in three months, which for me is a miracle, as I have them every three weeks. Yes, carefully maintaining a low Arginine diet has more than helped.
Best wishes
Merry Juliana
3 months Merry!!!
I am sooo happy for you. The diet that I mentioned to you before, is just that, but way more extensive. I'm starting it after Christmas. However, i wanted to let you know it includes a glass of whole milk every morning and night. Supposedly the milk helps your gut with the absorption of the lysine. Also, Salmon and Chicken are the meats they highly reccomend twice a day. I hope your shingles free life continues. Keep us posted!!
That's brilliant, glad for you. You said you would normally have an attack every 3 weeks. So was it the case you would get over it quickly and it would come back or you never fully recovered in between bouts. Any time I get shingles it lasts for at least 2 months.
One thing I was curious about about when should you take Acyclovir, is it?
When you notice the shingles sensations in your nervous system
When you start feeling the prickly sensations on your skin
When you see the rash starting to appear
When you start feeling the pain
Hope you stay shingles free
Thanks will be keeping an eye on this for sure.
You missed one....How logical !! 
Nope wrong on first 3 counts, oh and I can't blame it on feeling unwell either 
Unlike other forums I contribute to I've noticed people on here seem to jump on a thread and fork it instead of starting a thread of their own which would make more sense. This allows people to decide on responding based on the thread heading.
Oh and it stops threads from getting too unwieldy and diverse.
Just my 2 cents that's all. So Azbella if I offended you I'm sorry. Michelle & ihavenoname seemed to have lost perspective and got offended for you.
Seems like I hurt everywhere , headaches , shoulder blade n neck pain now fingers joints are warm n tender I'm so tired ..?i know I gave birthday approaching but sheese .., ENUF Help ...