Have had this for 1 1/2 years post the shingles .... itches and so tender to touch
I sure can relate Mary, I’ve had it now going on 3 years. I still have hope it will be better but hasn’t happened yet!
So Sorry Mary , I know what a nightmare this disease is as I have been dealing with it for 7 years, Take care!
Hi Mary
There are many threads on this site. One that offers some positive reports and information that’s useful is titled “PHN gone 100% for months...can the pain come back?”
So it’s important to know that PHN pain can and does decrease over the years. Mine has gone from really severe to just an annoyance over the 28 years I’ve had it. More important, it really is possible to learn to enjoy life again, and even be happy, even while we still have the pain.
There is a name for this process, and it has a strong scientific track record: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Many books are available on it, and many therapists offer it.
Check out out the other threads about PHN on this site. Lots of people have offered what works for them to minimize the pain. For me, two creams help. Aspercreme and triamcinolone acetonide (a prescription cream used for eczema). For itching, drinking water really makes a huge difference, hard to believe but true.
Hope you discover helpful things things that work for you here, Mary!
is postherpetic neralgia caused from hsv-1 or hsv-2 herpes virus (as in the std one)? or is from the chickenpox virus that we all have?