GKL
Forum Supporter
I had chicken pox when I was a kid so I knew there was the possibility of getting shingles.
It sort of sneaked up on me though because at first I wasn't really having the rash you associate with it.
I started having sharp pain just on the left side of my head and face, which well over a week later after the rash started to appear I realized in hindsight was from how shingles affects your nerves.
The only skin appearance at first in the beginning when the pain started was 3 small bumps in a row on the left side of my forehead which I just thought was a skin irritation of some kind.
Then within the past 2 days a small rash started to appear on the left side of my nose and left eye, that's when my wife recognized it as shingles.
I went to the doctors the very next morning (yesterday) as it is dangerous when it gets close to your eye and you need it treated asap.
They prescribed Valacyclovir (an anti-viral used for shingles) and a low dose of amitriptyline (used in low doses to ease nerve pain) which makes you extremely drowsy, it zonked me out much of yesterday afternoon and usually I rarely am able to sleep in the daytime.
(though there were times I was tired enough I wish I could have taken a nap )
I'm sure there are at least a few others on the forum who had had shingles, so how long did yours last before clearing up ?
It sort of sneaked up on me though because at first I wasn't really having the rash you associate with it.
I started having sharp pain just on the left side of my head and face, which well over a week later after the rash started to appear I realized in hindsight was from how shingles affects your nerves.
The only skin appearance at first in the beginning when the pain started was 3 small bumps in a row on the left side of my forehead which I just thought was a skin irritation of some kind.
Then within the past 2 days a small rash started to appear on the left side of my nose and left eye, that's when my wife recognized it as shingles.
I went to the doctors the very next morning (yesterday) as it is dangerous when it gets close to your eye and you need it treated asap.
They prescribed Valacyclovir (an anti-viral used for shingles) and a low dose of amitriptyline (used in low doses to ease nerve pain) which makes you extremely drowsy, it zonked me out much of yesterday afternoon and usually I rarely am able to sleep in the daytime.
(though there were times I was tired enough I wish I could have taken a nap )
I'm sure there are at least a few others on the forum who had had shingles, so how long did yours last before clearing up ?