I have been diabetic for over 10 years, and one day , a week ago, I felt there was a lump over my eye brows. It was very sensitive and painful every time I touched it. Then another one under the hair of my eye brows, every time I touched it it was hurting like pins going through my skin, and then the headache started. Sometimes it was severe and some times it was mild, but it is always there. Then one appeared behind the ear and now the severe pain started all over the head, the ear, and the eye started swelling. Now I have blisters all over the the left side of the head. My family doctor thought it was an insect bite so he gave me Zyrtek, but the eye doctor found out it was the shingles. It is the most painful malady I ever had and now I am on antivirus medication. Healing has started, but the headache is still there. Published: September 17 ::

I have frequently had the tingling sensations as I run a very stressful life and poor eating and sleeping habits. I had recurrent outbreaks of fever sores and blisters and when I had the sensations, I took Valtrex for few days which made everything go back to normal. I ran out of the Valtrex and recently I developed Shingles, which I am taking Famvir to treat it now combined with Prednisone to alleviate the postherpetic neuralgia. I virtually have had very little pain and after 72 hours the rashes subsided. Published: September 11 ::

Here's an observation: My first exposure to shingles came after I re-introduced back bends to a yoga routine after a long hiatus due to an abdominal injury. My lower back flexibility has suffered greatly. So I began to target specific areas. The first area was between T10 and L2. After a few weeks, I developed a rash on my right side accompanied with tingling and skin sensitivity that runs along those dermatomes. The doctor prescribed Famciclovir. These past few weeks, I've targeted the areas between L2 and S2. Oddly enough, the shingles rash is developing on my left foot along the L5 dermatome. Interesting, isn't it? I got great relief the first time with acupuncture. Published: September 11 ::

I am in my fourth week of the shingles. I started out with excruciating pain in my back and midriff. I went to emergency and they thought it was gallbladder problems because I had no outbreak. I was put on hydrocodone and saw my doctor about 4 days later. I was going nuts with pain. Then I broke out in hives and they figured out it was shingles. I took Valtrex and prednisone and something starting with a G.I am now rash free but am still on the hydros and 2 pain patches a day. What a terrible virus!!! I can't wait to be pain free. Published: November 09 ::

I recently came across a bulge on my lower right pelvic area and assumed it was a hernia... A day later I developed a rash on the same side but on my buttocks. Turns out it wasn't a hernia and instead a swollen lymph node. Also before any of these symptoms appeared I had lost a great amount of sensation in both feet and lower legs. I have just started treatment: Valtrex and methylprednosolone, and am hoping for a speedy recovery, my best wishes to the others out there with this condition. Published: October 26 ::

My symptons started with pain in my right thigh. Thinking that I had overused a machine at the gym I thought I had pulled a muscle. Then I thought about sciatic pain. Five days later I broke out in a quarter size rash on my hip bone so I went to the doctor and she said I had shingles. It is the most painful thing I had ever had. I am taking antiviral medication and pain pills. I broke out from my hip almost to the knee from front to back. Wearing clothes is difficult and the buring fire and itching pain in terrrible. Published: October 19 ::

I am into my 4th week of shingles the doctor has given me pain medicine and it has helped but my nerve endings feel like there on fire. I have been cutting stems from an aloe plant and putting the juices on the burning places. What a relief because it can be applied as often as needed. Try it out. Without it, I would have gone nuts. Good Luck! Published: October 06 ::

After a day of high fever, I noticed a golf ball sized rash under my right armpit and, thinking it might be a tick bite, went immediately to the doctor. He diagnosed shingles and put me on a weeklong dosage of Valtrex. That seemed to stop the progress of shingles as I did not suffer any itchy rash or chicken pox pustules. The original rash did dissipate and eventually became a sunburn-like redness around my right side from breastbone to backbone. It is now 6 weeks after treatment and some redness persists and small itchy welts appear and disappear in a day. I'm assuming it is mild shingles running its course but it is not exceedingly itchy or painful as I have heard other shingles sufferers mention. Published: October 06 ::

I was just diagnosed with shingles and placed on Valtrex. I am presently at home from work due to the possibility of giving others chickenpox. Published: September 17 ::