General Chat

Susie, Call the Doctor and get him out. If you are in that much pain then you need to be seen and treated straight away. They now use tablets (Zovirax...used for cold sores...as chickenpox, shingles and cold sores are all forms of herpes (zoster and simplex) and this helps to reduce inflamation and pain) and you need something now. I had shingles on my back and midrif many years ago before this drug was around and I was in agony for months. Please phone the dr now. Love Viv

Phone NHS direct and someone can tell you what you can take for the pain - a paracetamol/ibroprofen alternate combination works every 3 hours and is safe for most people, but do check with them. Sending healing thoughts to you.

mum had a major stroke 2 weeks ago and im feeling really low. thankyou for all your replies,i really appreciate it. susie

Shingles, the common name for the virus Varicella Zoster, is introduced to our system along with chickenpox. Most people carry this virus and it stays dormant; but for 10-20% of the population, it erupts during weakened immunity or increased anxiety. Shingles brings mild to severe pain, some flu-like symptoms, and most recognizably, blisters in a line or wedge on only one side of the body. Most shingles outbreaks subside in two to three weeks. The first signs of shingles, on the first to fourth day, are headache, upset stomach, fever, chills, and fatigue, similar to coming down with a cold or flu. By the third to fourth day, a certain body part will begin to ache, prickle, or hurt, with tender, sensitive skin accompanied by redness or a bumpy rash. This could occur on the face, torso, back, and hips, or even the neck, arms, and legs. Around the fifth day, blistering on the skin develops along a nerve, which is why the shape of the rash is always a stripe, line, or triangle. The nerve carries pain to the affected area, varying from a dull ache, to intense, shooting spasms. At this point, a physician can usually make a correct diagnosis. From here, the blisters worsen over the next week, filling with pus and weeping. At this stage, it is important to keep the skin clean and dry, even applying compresses and wrapping the area in bandages to prevent a bacterial infection. Soon, from ten days to two weeks of the onset of shingles, the blisters will drain and scab over as they begin to heal. The pain will continue during this period, gradually lessening as the scabs diminish. Longer, more serious breakouts, especially in those with severely reduced immunity such as AIDS patients, might cause swollen lymph nodes and a continued cycle of blistering, developing postherpetic neuralgia Paul

Hi My aunt got it last week in her leg & that was & still is really painful I googled it & got really confused. You can get it though if you are mega stressed!! Penny

Hi Susie Sorry to hear you are unwell Hunny :~( I have never had shingles thank goodness I have heard it is bad.... I would see if there is an emergency doctors that should be open even though it is easter...We have one a couple of miles away and its great to know you dont have to wait in Pain just coz the normal docs is shut.... Hope you are felling better soon hun.... Hugs (Gently) Lesley :~))) xxx

Hi Susie So sorry to hear you aren't well. Shingles can be brought on be stress, I believe, but you can only get it if you had chicken pox as a child. Try Googling Shingles pictures, there are several there you can compare your rash to. But I would get to the Doctors as soon as you can. Love Joan xxxxxxxxxxx

I was only a wee girl when I got shingles so dont remember too much about it....but I do remember mum covering the affected area in calomine lotion to soothe it ...... doesnt help with the pain unfortunately but mite cool it for you a little bit... hope you get better soon x x

im going back to the dr on tuesday.so maybe he can help the pain disappear. when my mum had it she was in pain for 3 months!! she ended up having acupuncture to kill the pain. susie

Don't know. When I had shingles it was painless but follows nerve lines. I would seek real advice.

You need a doc' that sounds like shingles, when I had it (across my scalp) I thought my head would fall off. You have ALL my sympathies.

last tuesday i woke up and thought i had slept awkward,because my neck was really painful.by thursday i couldnt stand the pain any longer and my gland was also swollen.the pain was that bad that i was pacing the floor crying. my dad took me to the drs and they said i had an infected gland.but yesterday when i got up my neck was covered in red blotches!!.the pain is immence!! im taking neurofen every 4hrs but they dont seem to last long. again im in tears and pacing the floor. my neck is so painful and the skin is sore to touch.could it be shingles?UPDATE