Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Severe Pain When Diagnosed With Shingles
Question: i have had shingles for two months today. my doctor told me two weeks???? first question sup??? second question is there anything else my doctor does not know ????? moving forward. kind of like your answer maybe. i am 58 years & in good health. why do zero doctors know or (lie) about shingles.. kind of like the the way doctors have no way to treat pain but thru surgery (bank) or with cancer (bank) sup??? i want my shingles to go away. & if they do not soon, i will start to raise hell with blue cross & blue shield on a daily basis, CURSING THEM! about the lack of care that i have EARNED...remember, EARNED! answer please..
Brief Answer:
Questions for you to help me answer you better.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I am a family practice physician and I've had shingles. Most of my knowledge of how shingles manifests is from having had it myself a few years ago. A doctor never gets quite as knowledgeable of a disease as when they have it themselves!
So I'll tell you some basic information and then you can ask me what I haven't covered and hopefully I will be able to answer.
When I got shingles, I was first sick for about 10 days with migratory pains (not where the shingles erupted) and then a low grade fever. After those 10 days the eruptions started, and the other pains and fever went away. I started an antiviral within the critical 3 days of the eruptions. The eruptions continued to come out for 2-3 weeks. After that they gradually resolved, but I still had pain for another 4-6 weeks. And after that I was still weak and my immune system was impaired for another month. Then I returned to normal.
I mention the critical first 3 days to get on an antiviral. This decreases the chance of developing post-herpetic neuralgia, a pain syndrome that can continue in the dermatomes (region of skin innervated by a nerve group) that the shingles virus had come out in.
What are your current symptoms?
Are you still having eruptions at 2 months? Or is it pain but the eruptions are healing?
If it is a continued pain syndrome but no new eruptions, has the doctor given you a tricyclic such as amitriptyline?
Did you start taking an antiviral medication within the first 72 hours?
Questions for you to help me answer you better.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I am a family practice physician and I've had shingles. Most of my knowledge of how shingles manifests is from having had it myself a few years ago. A doctor never gets quite as knowledgeable of a disease as when they have it themselves!
So I'll tell you some basic information and then you can ask me what I haven't covered and hopefully I will be able to answer.
When I got shingles, I was first sick for about 10 days with migratory pains (not where the shingles erupted) and then a low grade fever. After those 10 days the eruptions started, and the other pains and fever went away. I started an antiviral within the critical 3 days of the eruptions. The eruptions continued to come out for 2-3 weeks. After that they gradually resolved, but I still had pain for another 4-6 weeks. And after that I was still weak and my immune system was impaired for another month. Then I returned to normal.
I mention the critical first 3 days to get on an antiviral. This decreases the chance of developing post-herpetic neuralgia, a pain syndrome that can continue in the dermatomes (region of skin innervated by a nerve group) that the shingles virus had come out in.
What are your current symptoms?
Are you still having eruptions at 2 months? Or is it pain but the eruptions are healing?
If it is a continued pain syndrome but no new eruptions, has the doctor given you a tricyclic such as amitriptyline?
Did you start taking an antiviral medication within the first 72 hours?
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
