Bless your heart... I hope the pain goes away real soon.. I know that it is extremely painful, as my brother had them and he suffered so very much. His was on one side of his face and in his eye...

I've had the shingles vaccine, and just hope it prevents my getting them...

Blessings on you...

I have been told that once you have had shingles, the vaccine does no good. If you haven't had them, I cannot encourage you enough to get it ..... anything to avoid this horrible disease.

Forgot to tell you... my FIL had them, and used a vibrator on them. He said it helped relieve the pain. I don't know if I would recommend that, but it helped him.... Hugs...

I had them about 2 1/2 years ago. I also had an ear infection and the flu at the same time. They were mainly on my neck. The doctor hospitalized me for 3 days, until I was no longer infectious. I do not know what medication was given. As far as pain, maybe I was lucky and didn't have any to speak of. The one issue I did have was I had a hard time holding up my head for about a week. I didn't have chicken pox until I was 27, and my shingles when I was 49. Where the shingles were located on my neck, it took away the pigmentation in my skin. I have patches that are albino white.

When my mom had her shingles they were on her butt and hip. She also was suffering from sciatica. She was miserable.

I see that they are now offering vaccination to prevent shingles at some pharmacies where I live. If you have them, I'm sorry, it's too late. But for those of you who haven't, I would go get the preventative shot.

I was told this is only 50% reliable (better than nothing I guess). My elderly neighbor has suffered with shingles and ice packs helped with the pain and itching. Good luck to you.

My DGS had shingles when he was about 4. Talk about an unhappy child. The doctor told me it was in the chicken pox family, something about the nerves. He had red welts all along the nerves in his back. Doctor had us give motrin and tylenol for pain but said just had to run it's course. Sorry you feel so bad. Hope you get better soon.

My first time I had them was back in 1998. Didn't know what I had, but first I had a red rash that followed a line of nerves in my back, they were itchy at first, then a few days later, they started to hurt enough, I went to the emergence that night and yeppers had shingles...The doctor told me at the time, that I was luck that I had come in when I did as they were continualing to travel the nerve path and were heading into a full circle from back to front (which by the way can possibly kill you if the circle is complete) Wow I was scared. So pain meds, and some kinda of cream was given...I don't remember how long it took for them to go away...Then for the next 3years at around the same month I got them the first time, they came back. So for about 4 years after that I had nothing...Then suddenly 2009 I got them again, but this time, I got them on the bottom inside of my feet. Wow didn't know they would go there...There is a vacine for shingles, and I was told that even though you have had them, you should get the shot. I feel for you....good luck on a fast healing

Had them twice and you need to get to a doctor. The longer you wait the harder it is to get rid of them and they are definitely painful. The second time I got them I got to the doctor the next day and it went away quickly. The cream they have is great, but must be obtained by prescription only. Feel so bad for you, they are not fun. Good luck.

For cold sores, chicken pox, shingles, try L-Lysine it is an amino acid and you can buy it at almost any store which sells vitamins (Safeway, Walmart, Raley's, King Soopers, CVS, etc., etc.) We take 500 mg 3-4 times a day when we first realize what's going on. If I start taking them at the first signs of a cold sore beginning I can almost totally avoid getting a cold sore. I gave them to my daughter when she was in the 5th grade and had chicken pox. The chicken pox began to dry up and scab over almost immediately. My husband had an outbreak of shingles and took them, ended up being a 'minor' outbreak.

i just had a spot break out near my right ear on my face. the Doctor said it might be shingles. i've had the shot. i have one spot of herpes near my tailbone on my back and it breaks out once a year.
for this face spot i put on Cortisone 10 several times a day and it helped the itch a lot. never did take my medication. the cortisone 10 seemed to help enough. took over a week to go away.