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Thu 15 Jan, 2004 07:10 pm
During the late summer I lost my desire for all foods. I lost weight and became ill.I became very depressed and had alot of stress. I developed a case of "Shingles" on the left side of my head.The doctor gave me"Valtrex" 3 aday for a week.Soon the blisters were replaced with scabs and then they went away but for the past two months the left side of my head is very sore.
Have anyone of you out there had the same situation ? If so please write to me for I dont know what to do to take the soreness away. I have tried medicine,pills,E-Oil with jell Aova Vera.
Nothings seems to work.The doc said this condition can last for months.
Joe Harris
Hey Joe, sounds very painful! I knw that shingles is part of the herpes family and the meds prescribed by your doc supports that. Try looking up info about herpes in general for some tips. Have you tried good old ibuprofin?
Have you looked at sites like these?
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/shingles_doc.htm
http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/shingles.html
http://shingles.mgh.harvard.edu/index_shinglesGone.htm
This last one has a page devoted to postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that is, what I assume, causing your current discomfort. The virus travels along nerves and causes nerve inflamation and damage.
Joe, littlek provided good sites for you. All I suggest is to make sure you have been treated completely. It is very, very serious with terrible results if not treated fully. My aunt had shingles for years, without getting the proper care from her doctor. Please make sure you do.
Good luck to you and please keep us posted on your progress.
The pain after shingles can linger for ages after the actual lesions have disappeared.
There are some drug treatments for post-herpetic neuralgia. In Australia, one of the trreatments is one of the anti-epilepticx drugs.
You should ask your doctor further about effective treatments, or try another doctor.
My husband went through the same thing, and a number of years later, there are still remnants. It is called post-herpetic neuralgia, and needs to be treated symptomatically.
If the shingles were on your head, did you see an ophthalmologist? Shingles that go along the nerve paths around the eyes can cause serious eye problems.
Margo- Are you talking about Neurontin (gabapentin)? They gave it to my husband, but he was sensitive to it.
My mother also had shingles and was sensative to the meds, so she roughed it out. It was very painful for her.
I had shingles base of spine,part of gluteous maximus and scrotum.
Difficult...very,forabout a month then numbness with nerves still partly weak there and minimal numbness.
The only thing I could use was a precribed creme that was made from hot peppers that seemed to deaden the pain a bit after a while.
Don't know if it would be suitable in the location you have symptoms.
It will gradually subside over time if it's like mine.
I couldn't bear to touch the area affected.
pOOper* - You are talking about capcaicin cream. Brand name is Zostrix, and there are a number of much cheaper generics. It comes in .25 & .75 strength. I find that the .75 strength is VERY effective. That stuff is great for all sorts of pain, including arthritic!
i have been sufering for years with on again off again case of shingles. It seems to affect me the most when i am pregnant. This is my fourth pregnancy and the first time they finally diagnosed me. Many doctors have looked at it and noone new what it was. Even though we now know what it is there is nothing they can do for me. I am pregnant. It itches so bad i cant stand it. And burns. Some how mine has some type of yeast on it. Like atheletes foot. therefore the itch.... I dont wish this on my worst enemy......
so my prayers are with you Joe, and I surely hope all is well
littlek-diane-margo-montana-phoenix 32890-canicallu-pOOper.
My friends please accept my apology for being so late in answering your replies to my brief concerning my severe case of Shingles to the left sideof my head.
I still have the soreness from the Shingles(now going on six months) But now I have started a new treatment (Pills) named VIOXX 50MG-one a day.
I can now sleep at night and if I take it real easy I can comb the left side of my head. The doc said that he believes that in another two months I will be o.k.
Thank you again for writing to me.
Joe Harris
joe harris - Glad that you are feeling better.
Joe, no apologies needed!! It is so good to hear from you, especially with the good news that you are improving.
What I didn't mention in my first post was that my aunt actually lost the sight in her left eye due to incompetence on her doctor's part. At the time, I didn't think you needed to hear such a sad story. Thank heaven there is effective treatment available and that you have found some relief.
Here's here is my wish winging it's way to you for a complete recovery.
good to hear you're improving, Joe!
Hi, Joe, I am glad to hear of your good recovery too.
OSSOBUCO;
You made me very happy to have received your very thoughtful reply to my post. I also followed your instructions in painting my computer room. The room came out good.Thank you.
Joe
Phoenix 32890-Diane-Margo.
Thank you for holding my hand. Its with much happiness that I read your post.
Joe
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