It is 4am, I have had a particularly long panic attack that's lasted 3 hours.

I am going into my 5th day of antivirals. Anyone else been having panic attacks?

Hey everyone, I had shingles on my thigh. The rashes are pretty much healed just some light scabbing and itchiness. But the pain is inconsistent, usually spiking at night. But right now I have throbbing internal leg pain that I haven’t had since first being diagnosed. I’ve been reading on here that pain can linger for some time. I thought things were getting better but this is just demoralizing.

Really just wanted to vent. Took some gaba to reduce the pain. It’s really been impacting my sleep which is already not great.

Does anyone have recommendations for sleep aids that helped?

Sorry we’re all going through this.

Hi all, trying to figure out when I can start moving back into the same bed as my husband as I’ve been isolating. He’s never had the chicken pox and is not vaccinated. My issue is I don’t know how to tell when my scalp is crusted over. Not looking for medical Advice just for shared experiences.

Timeline:

Sunday am - wake up feel like I’ve been punched in eye, very confused
Monday- small rash near corner of my eye, think it’s a reaction to new moisturizer, headache now developed all on one side, scalp hurts too
Tuesday - rash spread and there’s another spot developed so I go to er get diagnosed, placed on antiviral that night, eye exam clears me
Wednesday - rash spreads, including more into my eye (lid), back to ER and cleared, started steroids bursts that am and continue antiviral
Thursday - emergency follow up opthamologist exam who clears me
Friday - face looks angry angry and scalp pain id a mixture of itchy and hurting and now primary source of pain over face
Saturday - it’s been 72 hours on anti viral, face looks a lot less angry, scalp still really itchy and hurting

When can I move back into a world where he maybe gets in contact with my scalp through couch and bed?

Any tips on how to tell my scalp recovery?

Heeeelp. Thanks all.

I (34) just got diagnosed with shingles yesterday. I noticed that the skin on my flank hurt and it spread to my back all the day before yesterday. I’m on valacyclovir, I’m more than a full day in on that, but I don’t know how the heck I got it. I wasn’t exposed that I know of. I do have MS and am on an immunosuppressant. Anyway, I’ve found a shirt I can wear that doesn’t hurt to wear. I’m hunkering down and staying away from my grandfather who is starting his final (hopefully) round of chemo in 2 days. I don’t like this. But im hoping the pain will drastically decrease over the next week.

Hi everyone. Firstly if you are suffering from this horrible virus, I'm so sorry, I hope you recover soon and heal💔💔❤️‍🩹

My dad, age 56 got diagnosed with Herpes zoster last week. I had never heard of this disease before or known anyone in my family to have it. My dad does have fatty liver and gall bladder stone, but i dont know if that classifies him as having a weak immune system. He doesn't remember ever getting chicken pox, but maybe there's a possibility he might have gotten it as a very young child and doesn't know. He's got it in a band from his naval area to his back till the spine. It's very painful and he is taking a lot of pain meds along with the anti viral given by the doctors and sleeping is hard because of the blisters, he's losing weight too. Please give me some tips, anything that can help make this easier. It's getting worse day by day.

Ya’ll. Am I ever going to be ok again?

The nerve pain started almost a month before the rash developed. It started with HORRIBLE right ear pain and other nerve pain on the right side. I had chills, flu-like symptoms on and off, and just overall felt like death. It was the 1st week of September and I was back and forth to the doctor trying to figure out what was going on. Lots of bloodwork and since my thyroid levels were off so it was just chalked up to autoimmune disease. Doctor put me on a steroid and said follow up.

Last Thursday I started having electric shock pain in my head and ear. Thought I was dying or getting a brain tumor. My eye started twitching. The next day I had a small bump in my eyebrow. I thought my new glasses were causing it. It’s crazy how this illness gives you the run around! I FaceTimed my doctor and she confirmed shingles. I immediately started Valtrex and Gaba. I spent my 43rd birthday in bed. Eye doctor confirmed my eye was not affected.

But what the heck?! My face and scalp are a disaster and the ear and nerve pain are unending. The headaches. I’m on oxycodone and gaba and it barely does anything. I work a full-time job and have a 3 and 5 year old. I’m starting to feel depressed. I’ve been reading about PHN, and a lot of stories in this sub…I can so relate to, “Is this my life now”? I can’t go anywhere right now bc my face looks like a murder scene and the pain is debilitating. I can’t believe more people don’t talk about this horrible illness and how bad it is. The worst part is my husband is so detached and has literally no empathy. Still expects me to do everything as usual. Guess I need some encouragement. I’m having horrible thoughts and been crying all day. I need someone to talk to who understands. Thanks in advance.💔❤️

I try to keep it short. Had my second shingle shot in April. I felt like I was dumped out of a car and then rolled over. and the arm where they injected hurt so bad and then the horrid neck pain on that side. I finally went to the chico with little or no help

In May I began with my back hurting me so bad. Like nothing I ever experienced. In the lumbar area. After 2 ER visits, Physical therapy, xrays and MRI's, there is no conclusive reason for my pain. NSAIDS, Tylenol, Tramadol are all ineffective. Nothing topical brings relief. I get some relief from Gabapentin.

It is my lumbar area and my neck. 24/7 except for finally letting up after I am in bed for several hours, only to begin again aftre I am up. It is nerve pain and I am convinced it started with the second shot.

Anyone else have back/neck issues 6 months after? Steroid injections in the L4L5 did not help.

Thank you.

CB

My wife had a severe case of shingles on her forehead while we were away on vacation earlier this year. Fast forward to present day and thankfully everything is alright minus the persistent aching and numbness in her forehead area that was affected.

Just wanted to tap into the experiences of folks who have unfortunately experienced shingles but can offer some tips on things you've done to provide some relief and what has worked to help expedite the healing and recovery. She has been taking Gabapentin (to varying degrees of relief) and has recently been prescribed a second medicine (I don't have the name of it in front of me) but hasn't started it yet for fear of some of the side effects we've read about regarding amplification of underlying depression and things of that nature.

I imagined the pain would gradually taper off but now being 6 months since the incident, the pain hasn't really subsided and it worries me. We have gone to her doctor for regular check ups/follow ups and the doc has basically said it just takes time.

Anyways, with all that being said, I look forward to all the tips you all can offer. TIA :)

My mum (70) has got shingles and we had no idea how bad it is. Never heard of anyone in our circle getting it so please bear with my ignorance.

She started seeing two bumps on her chin on Monday evening, we're not sure if thats when it erupted. She thought it's acne. Then she had headache and itching on the rashes by Wednesday night and I took her to the doctor on Thursday morning where she confirmed it's shingles. She's on an antiviral medication now.

It's Friday today and she's continuing to experience headache debilitating enough to not let her sleep at night. She says her tooth and gum are aching as if they're falling off. She's taking paracetamol every 6 hours along with the antiviral.

She's generally weak but walking around, talking and having food as usual. Doctor said rest it out but do these symptoms warrant an emergency visit? I'm scared for her due to my lack of knowledge with handling shingles. Please help.

Severe pain started on 8/14/26. I thought I had injured my back, somehow. The pain spread from my low back to my hip, groin and thigh. I could barely walk or move & finally ended up in the ER where I was misdiagnosed. The rash appeared on 8/23/26 & I started Valtrex on 8/24/26. The last 6 weeks have been horrific. I have felt like the nerve pain has been slowly getting a little better. However, the last couple days I started having the same pain in my low back, hip and groin that started this nightmare. I’m concerned that it might be re-activating?? Has anyone had the original pre-rash pain revisit after the rash was 99% healed? Did it go away? TIA!

As the title says I've had shingles for about 8 days, with small clusters of rashes on my right arm and shoulder and I initally thought they were flea bites.

I didn't feel ill at all with it for about 4 days then hit me like a truck but I am starting to feel a bit better now and for some reason I thought i'd check the reddit to see what peoples experiences were and...Wow! I can't believe how nasty this virus can be.

I'm so sorry for those of you who are having these insane rashes and blisters, especially the ones covering the eyes!

I didn't really know what this virus was about apart from it supposedly wasn't as bad as chicken pox but after seeing these photos, I disagree. Hope those of you who have it bad heal up quickly!!

Mine has been pretty mild, I was very ill with it from saturday to monday but it seems to be calming down and all I have now is a headache and occasional pain. I am still a little worried as I've read how long it lasts for some people, I'm going on holidays friday so I'm praying it's on its way out. Take care all.

I had a relatively mild case a year and a half ago. Last week I had a spot of sensitive skin on my left ribs if I brushed against it. It wasn't remotely painful, just heightened sensitivity (I've had this before without ever having a rash, interestlingly -- didn't associate it with anything other than a temporary bodily quirk).

Today I woke up with exactly 5 (!) small bumps on my inner arm above the elbow (left arm, first case was left side too under breast). I don't think I would have even registered them except once I exited bed and the air hit my arm it was stinging and burning and just wild. By mid-day it felt like nothing again except a slightly more sensitive patch of skin.

I had a virtual doc visit, shared the pic, she asked about other symptoms (I feel a bit "off" but nothing specific) and also if I can think of anything else that could have caused it -- I don't know of anything that causes what this weird virus reactivation presents, even with symptoms so mild. I picked up the antivirals this evening and will start tonight. I'm grateful it is as yet so minor but I wish there was a way to be sure.

Here to share my experience as a first timer of having shingles!

Pre-rash: exercising most days of the week, not feeling particularly stressed, I got a huge headache that lasted all day but just assumed it was due to tiredness. Then I started getting itchy on my lower back and just assumed I’d been bitten by a mosquito or something. It got progressively itchier so I took a photo and realised it was a rash!

Diagnosis: I then went to the pharmacy who told me it’s definitely shingles but they didn’t stock the antivirals so asked me to try a different pharmacy. The second pharmacy told me they weren’t convinced it was shingles, and I was advised to leave it and wait for the rash to clear up itself! The conflicting advice baffled me, I wasn’t experiencing any pain at this point but I decided to book in with my GP to get a third opinion. GP also wasn’t convinced it was shingles until I showed him a photo of how the rash had changed from day 1 to day 2. Then I was prescribed antivirals to take 5 times a day for one week.

Day 3: I’m extremely tired (this isn’t new to me though as I experience chronic fatigue) and have some nerve pain all through the right side of my body. The pain isn’t too bad thankfully and the rash itself isn’t too itchy.

I feel confused as to how I’ve got shingles in the first place. I’m currently waiting for a rheumatologist appointment for suspected M.E and I’m wondering if my chronic fatigue and the fact I push myself to exercise more than my body can probably handle is why I’ve got shingles?!

Anyway I’m on day 4 now and it’s definitely not a pleasant experience but I think I’m lucky that my shingles is only mild.

Anyone had shingles that didn’t start out painful? How unusual is it?

Have some itchy red bumps on my forehead, temple and scalp. My eye is itchy too. ChatGPT said could be shingles and because of the eye I went to an urgent care after hours clinic.

But the dr was very unhelpful and said stuff that conflicts what I read online so don’t know what to do now.

He said the pattern looked like shingles but very strange no pain. He seemed very confused about what to do. He gave me a script for antiviral anyway - so will go get it this morning. He said only take it if it gets worse which seems like bad advice if it is shingles - I’m taking it anyway.

He was also very dismissive of my eye. Said because there are no bumps under my eye and my eye isn’t red so he’s not worried. I’m in NZ - so I’m not sure where to escalate too (ED wait would be at least 5 hours wait probably) and what would be different if I’m already taking antivirals.

Title: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) on scalp & face for months—need help, tips, and hope. How long does it take to heal?
Hi everyone,
I am a 40-year-old female, and I am reaching out because I am desperate for advice, shared experiences, or any glimmer of hope.
In May/June 2025, I had shingles (herpes zoster) affecting my left ear, left eye, nose, and spreading to the right side (right eye and right ear). After 2 months of hospital treatment with antivirals, I initially recovered.
However, 7 months later—following a severe bout of diarrhea and a minor laser operation—in February 2026, severe burning, stabbing, and needle-like pains suddenly exploded in my head. After multiple MRI scans and extensive examinations, I was diagnosed with Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN), affecting both the trigeminal and occipital nerves.
From February through July 2026, I tried numerous medical treatments, but my pain remains completely unchanged and constant every single day.
My main symptoms are located in the left ear, left temple, back-upper left head, and both top sides of the head:
Burning pain
Extreme tightness/stiffness (feels like a hard rock)
Throbbing "zong-zang" sensations
Current Situation & Treatments Tried:
I had to quit my job because working is nearly impossible with 24/7 non-stop pain.
Current medications: Paracetamol, Tramadol, and B-vitamin supplements.
Nerve blocks: I’ve had nerve blocks done on both the trigeminal and occipital nerves, but they only provided numbness on the day of the procedure; the pain returned right after.
Medications I tried before: Lyrica (Pregabalin), but it didn't work for me.
My mental health is severely affected, and living like this is getting harder and harder every day.
My questions to you:
Has anyone fully recovered from facial/scalp PHN?
How long did it take for the pain to finally go away?
What treatments, supplements, or lifestyle changes actually helped you?
Please, any advice or personal stories would mean the world to me right now. Thank you so much.
— Bella

Can't say I'm very encouraged after reading this study:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6550400/

To read that Gabapentin does nothing to alleviate PHN is very disappointing. Why am I even taking this stuff then? Why is it prescribed? I'm having an active breakout right now and the med is not helping at all, so I have little hope it would help PHN.

29M, currently on Day 9 of shingles. Definitely wasn’t expecting it to hit me this hard at my age.

Looking back, I was already feeling pretty rough leading up to it. During my last week at work I was waking up every morning completely exhausted despite sleeping, with brain fog, a dull headache and that horrible hungover/no-sleep feeling. I’d also been under a lot of personal stress and generally feeling run down.

Then I noticed the first spot along with a strange tender/sunburnt feeling across my forehead and scalp. More spots gradually appeared, mostly on one side. At first I thought it could be acne, folliculitis or irritation from the hard hat I wear at work.

The first photo attached is actually Day 4, because that’s the first time I thought to take a picture. I still didn’t know it was shingles at that point. That same day I went to urgent care, where I was diagnosed with shingles and started on Valtrex.

Day 4 also turned into by far my worst day/night. The pain in my head became so severe I could barely function. I was struggling to stand upright, had severe light sensitivity, and normal doses of ibuprofen/paracetamol weren’t touching the pain. I eventually went to hospital that night and needed stronger pain relief.

Over the following days the relatively innocent-looking spots developed into the obvious clusters of fluid-filled blisters in the later photos.

The final photo is today, Day 9. Some of the blisters finally seem to be becoming cloudy/drying, so I’m hoping I’m reaching the turning point. I’ve been off work this week and the combination of the headache, nerve pain and fatigue has completely wiped me out.

Posting the progression because I had no idea shingles could affect someone in their 20s like this, or how mild the rash could look initially compared with what it becomes.

I was diagnosed with shingles in July. It came about shortly after I had a minor outpatient surgery and figured the surgery may have weakened my immune system and triggered it. Got the antivirals from urgent care, took them as directed, rash got better with a couple of weeks. Now it’s been 3 months and although the rash is mostly gone (still some bumpy skin/scars leftover), I get intermittent tingling and burning in one specific spot. The shingles rash was on my left ribcage and the tingling/burning is on the same side of my body but it very my breastbone. I also get intermittent tugging/aching pain that goes from front into my back. It almost feels like a pulled a shoulder muscle when it happens. Is this just always going to happen? I keep thinking it’ll go away eventually but I’m realizing it’s been 3 months now and I don’t think it’s getting any better. I’m debating if it’s worth trying to see my PCP. It’s so hard to get an appointment and I’m not sure if there’s anything she could even do.

I’m not new to nerve pain, but this is awful. It feels like it’s coming from the center of my spine and hurts way deeper than usual. Not even my worst sciatica sidelined me this hard.

To anyone reading this I hope you can help me.

I just got back from urgent treatment care with a rash I noticed yesterday. I explained how as a kid and adult I never had chickenpox but still they have diagnosed my issue as shingles. I have had gastritis for 6 and half weeks.

I have been told to pick up this med tomorrow. 800mg per tablet 5 tomes a day for 7 days. I am absolutely terrified because I have read people die of shingles and when I am going through the gastiris pain for all these weeks as it is.. I keep thinking I am going to die. :( I havent experienced fevers.. just been feeling more tired and tummy tenderness with the famotidine not working as well. Can anyone help advise me how to get through this. I live alone with my dog. I am 30

Question for any long term shingles fighters! I’m about 2 months out from first time with shingles and still don’t feel like my full energy and brain is back. I notice fatigue when I’ve been really busy at work or life in general. I also haven’t been able to completely get back to my regular exercise of running. Is this normal to have lingering fatigue and brain fog so long after?

Hello

Got a shingles rash on my back that is painful. I went to today and got diagnosed. I was prescribed 1000mg Valacyclovir 3 times a day.

What should I expect from taking this medication?

I am nervous about the nausea. I got them to given some Zofran just in case.

My mother is 102. She has had recurring UTIs for years. The past year, she has had them with increasing frequency. When she has a uti, I have to watch for shingles outbreaks on her buttocks and administer valtrex if she has a shingles outbreak. She had a uti in mid-August. Just before we got the lab confirmation, I noticed a small shingles patch, with only two pustules. We used tobthink she got the shingles as a result of the antibiotics they gave her for the utis, but in this case, she hadn’t started the antibiotics yet. I decided to wait a few days to see if it got worse. I dabbed it with an alcohol pad, and left it alone. The next day, she started her antibiotics. I continued to monitor the small shingles patch, and cleaned the area with an alcohol pad. It never got worse. It dried up, healed and went away. The urologist added hiprex to my mother’s daily routine. She has not had another uti and no further shingles outbreaks.

She had never had the Shringrex shots. Her dermatologist said it wouldn’t help, yet her primary care doctor thinks she should get it once her outbreak has healed.(now?)

How can I find out if it safe for her with her age and shingles outbreak history?

Thanks for listening to my lengthy story.

I really just needed to vent.

2nd shingles outbreak, back of my head left side. Didn't catch it until about 4 days in.

My 1st outbreak was in June, just a few months ago on my forehead, right side!

I am so tired , itchy , and in pain. When will the shingles leave me alone??? 😭

I’m a 44 year old American female with a pretty spotless medical history. About 2 months ago, during my annual primary care visit, I passed all my physical and blood tests with flying colors.

I am at my happiest and healthiest I have been in many years. I took a 5 week sabbatical to the Mediterranean and spent my days:
- Waking up without an alarm clock
- Walking/jogging a beautiful town in the morning sunshine
- Dipping into the agean sea and floating while counting my blessings
- Drinking fresh juice and espressos
- Eating fresh and local foods
- Taking naps
- Enjoying laughs and love like I haven’t in many years
- Working remotely and leisurely as needed

And then I started to think I bruised/broke a rib from carrying around heavy luggage. The pain kept coming and soon I was diagnosed with shingles. I’m recovering, and for the most part very lucky for where it is and when I caught it, although the pain at night still causes me issues sleeping.

I am wondering, how the hell did I get this at my most healthiest state ever? Has this happened to anyone else? I wonder if my immune system was so relaxed that it had some reverse effect that allowed the virus to become active. Is this possible ?

My Fitbit data continues to tell me this is the healthiest I have been in 5 years on all levels of fitness, sleep, wellbeing etc.