Try either your primary care doctor, an internist or a dermatologist with the latter being my first choice. It is important to get antivirals started immediately. The doctors r can also help with topical medications to reduce itching and irritation as well as the pain.
Symptom severity can run from annoying pain to life threatening depending on how your immune system is coping. Wear loose fitting clothes, eat healthy and gets lots of rest.
It can take a month or more to recover and the pain can still continue for some time.
Wash your hands thoroughly - don't want to accidentally introduce that virus to your eye.
Best of luck!
Originally Posted by Houston12
THIS^^^^^^
1.) ALCOHOL?
....Drink it...BUT Hell No don't put it on your Shingles!
2.) It may and probably will get worse before it gets better.
3.) How do you KNOW it is Shingles if you haven't seen Doc yet? One of the biggest identifying factors (other than the pain and lesions) is that it is UNILATERAL...it only affects one side of the body. You can literally draw a line down the body and see this. For example if it is affecting your face...It will ONLY be on one side of the face. So much to the point that you can see it on one half of the nose.
4.) Your family Doc or Internist probably will see and treat more cases of Shingles than a Dermatologist. (I worked in a busy ER and because of the pain component we saw tons of Shingles)
5.) Where you break out will depend on WHICH nerve is affected.
So to summarize...get in to see a Doc. TODAY...even if you have to go to a "Doc in the BOX". Get Antivirals (by mouth) AND take them, Get Pain medicine (and take it).
The pain can be so severe that it can mimic other things. In my case for example, I started having annoying left sided chest pain...couldn't sleep, miserable all night....too stubborn to go to ER. That lasted a couple of days before I noticed the first couple of lesions on my back. It got much worse, before it got better....lesions came from around the back to the front of my breast and came across the nipple. I think this was the most miserable 2 weeks of my life. I took antiviral meds and thankfully have never had another occurrence in 15 years. I'm glad they finally developed a vaccine...wish more people would get it. The key is to get the vaccine before you get Shingles.
More info...One person cannot infect another with shingles, UNLESS the other person has NEVER HAD CHICKENPOX!