So, just when I thought it couldn't get much worse, I have shingles (or perhaps just an infection of the nerves) on the cluster side of my face.  OMG, this hurts- put a nice clean KIP8 together with shingles nerve pain on the same nerve and you have a flippin' nightmare.  Has anyone else gone through this?  
Is there a connection-just thinking the shingles come from the chickenpox virus (which I had as a senior in high school a few decades ago) hides out along a nerve only to be reactivated by stress.  Anyone else had shingles on their trig nerve or other facial nerves?

And, could someone just shoot me? Please?

PFDAN y'all
kathy

1- Shooting is NOT an option! Maybe some gentle hugs applied to the unaffected side???
2-Kathy, I know absolutely NOTHIN about shingles, cept the stress thing and the pain. If it'  a gift from the Beast..........GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! I'll go rip some flesh!

Feel better, honey! I love you!

cathi :-*

Hi Kathy and sorry. I too had shingles on my scalp about a year ago during my last cycle and hope and pray I never see them EVER AGAIN!!

My GP gave me some pills that took care of them. I am not much help but do understand your pain.Sorry,  [smiley=sad.gif]

I just wanted to add that I was under a lot of stress at the time, and are you taking anything for them? Mine went away in about one week.
Hope you feel better really soon. :)

Shingles, herpes, cold sores...........yep, same virus as chicken pox.

Will your doc prescribe Zovirax? It's usually prescribed for herpes outbreaks but will work on shingles also. It won't cure shingles (or herpes, nothing will) but the cream will take a lot of the pain and itching away until the shingles outbreak has run its course.

Kathy,

I have never had shingles but I did have chickenpox as a kid (3-4 years before onset of CH).  For that reason I started a thread a while back asking about a possible chickenpox connection.  I also wondered at that time if mononucleosis could possibly be connected with developing CH.
But anyway, the most important thing is that I hope you get some relief.  got to the doc and get some anti-viral meds immediately.  I hope you feel better.

Thanks y'all.  I started a 7 day course of antibiotics on Friday-the doc is "ruling out" shingles.  If there isn't a significant improvement by Monday then she'll treat for shingles.
The right side of my face feels like someone is repeatedly slapping it-even my eye hurts...heat seems to help some-but it makes my CH worse.  
Y'all are really a Godsend.  No one else could imagine what CH plus anything else would be like.  As difficult as this is, we are still here.
Thanks again,
PFDAN y'all
kathy

Get better girlie! Houdy from Montana.
MYG's
thebbz

Any improvement Kathy? Are the antibiotics helping at all?

I spent Cinco de Mayo planting and playing outside with friends.  That night I believed that I had some how gotten a weird sunburn.  Weird because it was only located on the right side of my forehead and in my scalp.  By the 9th I was in the Dr. office just sure that I had a sinus infection in and around my right eye.  I also had what I thought to be a stye coming on in the same eye.  My Dr. said "This is no stye, there is no sinus infection and what you describe as a one-sided sunburn i believe it to be Shingles"  The eye never produced a stye and I later learned it was called ptsosis (drooping eye) He prescribed Valtrex (anti-viral) and put me on gabapentin for the nerve pain.  I never broke out with any sores but the pain was severe and nonstop (while I was awake).  I told my husband this was much easier to deal with vs. CH pain.  He had never been through a cycle with me.

I still do not know exactly what it was (it was located on the opposite side of my head where my CH attacks occur) but I did have an inane neurologist who said this is "Chronic Clusters" FIRED HIM..lol 

I hope you get relief soon.  

Sincerely,
Cindy

Quick update-anti-biotics did nothing...shingles it is...will see doc Monday for treatment.  

PFDAN y'all,
kathy

Note to Self: Never, ever, utter the words "What else?"

Sorry to hear they are shingles Kathy. I do not know what my doc gave me for mine, but like I said earlier mine were cleared up in about a week. I hope you get the same quick relief as I did.

My manager from a few years ago got shingles on his cheek and just under the eye and he was off work for about a month. He could not describe the pain he was feeling, but after I got them I have a pretty good idea what he was going through.

Here I am going on and on, but just concerned about you and pray your doc gets you the right meds. If not, PM me and I will go back to my doc and ask what it was he gave me and will let you know what it was.

PF wishes.

   Barry :)

I had shingles when I was 32. They come from the chicken pox virus that lives inside the base of the spine and comes back as shingles according to the doctor that treated me back then. They are a relative of the herpes virus. They hurt. Clusters are worse. Together you have a  real bum rap. Mine followed nerves under my scalp down my neck accross my chest and into my legs and lasted a month.
On a lighter note everyone was curious how I got them. My answer to them was from hanging around in "Shingles Bars. "
Good luck. Get well soon.

Quote:

My answer to them was from hanging around in "Shingles Bars. "

Hee.he...he
;D

Thank y'all very much for the support.  Pain is diminishing and the lesion is healing.  

Hope y'all have PFDAN!
kathy

Glad you're feeling a bit better.  It's more than time for you to get a break.

Gentle Hugs,
Jackie

Happy you are feeling better!