Shingles outbreak, feels like burning

[UncleWai]

I literally feel like being stabbed with a thousand needles with a sprinkle of salt on top of the wounds. Why is this happening to me?

 

[brainhulk]

you need some acyclovir and opiates. how old are you?, are you on any immunosuppressants? when was the last time you got tested for HIV?

 

[UncleWai]

i took acyclovir meds for 4 days now. there are still new area (e.g. my left elbow) where I can feel the the tingling sensation before the blisters break out.

I really doubt I have HIV.

 

[brainhulk]

i took acyclovir meds for 4 days now. there are still new area (e.g. my left elbow) where I can feel the the tingling sensation before the blisters break out.

I really doubt I have HIV.

you have 3-6 more days to go. ask doc for moar percocets in the meantime

 

[lokiju]

Had them when I was 14 years old which is apparently not common. I had them on my left chest plate and do recall it not only itched like nothing else but was extremely painful as well.

Medications and oatmeal bath soaks were all that worked.

There was the idea tossed around by the doctors that I might of gotten it because I never had a strong or full exposure to chicken poxs as a child and this was my reaction to being exposed to chicken pox at 14.

They also say stress can cause it? I find that odd but maybe at the age of 14 I was stressing of things I'd just laugh about now days.

 

[Gibsons]

Had them when I was 14 years old which is apparently not common. I had them on my left chest plate and do recall it not only itched like nothing else but was extremely painful as well.

Medications and oatmeal bath soaks were all that worked.

There was the idea tossed around by the doctors that I might of gotten it because I never had a strong or full exposure to chicken poxs as a child and this was my reaction to being exposed to chicken pox at 14.

They also say stress can cause it? I find that odd but maybe at the age of 14 I was stressing of things I'd just laugh about now days.

Stress can cause immune depression, which can lead to an outbreak.

 

[brainhulk]

hmmm try some motrin also on top of your opiates, or you can ask for some gabapentin, lidocaine patches, or tca's

 

[NetWareHead]

Be very careful if the outbreaks gets close to your eyes or if you experience burning/pain in your eyeballs. My father caught an outbreak of shingles and had a shingles sore on his eyeball. It was an emergency trip to the physician who gave him eyedrops and cautioned my dad that if he had waited on this, there was a good chance he would have lost eyesight in the affected eyeball.

 

[SirStev0]

Be very careful if the outbreaks gets close to your eyes or if you experience burning/pain in your eyeballs. My father caught an outbreak of shingles and had a shingles sore on his eyeball. It was an emergency trip to the physician who gave him eyedrops and cautioned my dad that if he had waited on this, there was a good chance he would have lost eyesight in the affected eyeball.

Your dad had Trigeminal Shingles.
Shingles is an interesting disease. It follows usually only 1 Nerve Dermatomal distribution when it breaks out. So you end up with one very contained band of blisters and pain.

Good luck OP. Hope you get through it and you don't end up with any postherpatic nueralgia. Fairly low occurrence, but it is constant shingles pain without blisters after an infection. Can last the rest of your life.

 

[Merad]

My mom had it on her face a few years ago... Still has some scars from it.

 

[unokitty]

Just wanted to say hang in there. This will pass.

I got the shingles 8 or 9 months after I got out of the Army...

It sucks.

But then you get better!

Uno

 

[Jeffg010]

Grandfather had this last year over his right eye at 87 years old. He would have not had to go to the hospital but he got really weak. His blood work showed he was low sodium and the Dr did not know why. He was in a lot of pain from the Shingles. Ever since then he is this weak frail guy. He wants to do everything himself and has caused problems by falling on stairs in his house. OP how old are you?

 

[Tobolo]

I feel your pain. I had them on my right side under my arm about 5 years ago. I can still feel the pain from time to time. Some people end up having the full on pain the rest of their life (nerve damage) but its rare.

Good luck and I hope you get to feeling better.

 

[OutHouse]

i had it 23 years ago on my in the middle of my torso on the right side. i still get a a tingling sensation in that area from time to time. the Air Force doc just gave me some cream to smear on it.

my outbreak it felt like a zillion ants were crawling on the outbreak area. then when i scratched it burned. rinse and repeat... very unpleasant.

 

[zanejohnson]

my mother had this, said it was horrible, i felt horrible for her get well soon

 

[dud]

I literally feel like being stabbed with a thousand needles with a sprinkle of salt on top of the wounds. Why is this happening to me?

Remind me never to acquire shingles ...

 

[Imp]

Glad I got vaccinated... which will make shingles less severe when I get it!

<--- Never had chicken pox.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Herpes. Get the anti viral. It is this bottle with blue pills to help your immune system which is down normally due to stress or sosmething

 

[Mxylplyx]

Remind me never to acquire shingles ...

This.

I now have something else to be thankful for after reading this thread.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

had them on the right side of my face. Hurt like hell, especially when i woke up, it felt like the pain was unbearable. I think i remember hot showers working for dealing with the pain. In addition the gland on that side of my neck was so big i coukdnt turn my head one way.

As far as scaring goes, i have none from the experience, so i wouldnt worry too much about that.

Good luck.