MaryTContrary now MaryContrary here. Mom still has some pain and sometimes sharp pain under her arm. It was the worst there. Her shoulder is touchy too. However she says it is getting better and she also says one day it will be fine. Her attitude is good and she is looking forward to her 90th birthday this month. She still has side effects of the shingles but they are all lessened with time and she is eating pretty healthy.
I hope you can find some relief too. Shingles is a horrible thing to go thru.
Take care
Mary

Suffering for 4 years. I'm afraid its a lost cause for me and I'll never feel normal again. I have tried every option on the planet. Gabapentin (felt so tired), symbalta ( bad side efforts), acupuncture, nerve block injections, botox, lydocaine cream and others I probably can't remember. So now I just hope each day has minimal discomfort and I try to stay busy and not think about it.

Hi There, Yes. We are in the same boat. Maybe that is the answer. Just resign myself to it. i do not think I will ever feel normal. Say, do you have electric shoots of pain waking you up in the middle of thenight. I have been having this for over a year. I cry and cry. It is so painful. You don't think this is ever going to go away>?

I had shingles years ago and I was lucky in that I didn't get PHN. But from what my doctor told me at the time, you can expect to have some degree of residual problems for the rest of your life, altho that does NOT mean "severe pain". One day it may be fine, the next day maybe not... and that sucks. But hopefully it at least helps you to know that this is nothing abnormal. Have you talked with a psychologist or MD about learning coping techniques? I'm in the process of seeing a psychologist right now to deal with anxiety, and I can tell you while it's not a quick fix, it's certainly a step in the right direction. Good luck!

I know it is EXTREMELY painful and also annoying. I was in so much pain when I first found out I had PHN that I went to the ER for very sharp pains in my upper left quadrant and went by ambulance. I mean I thought something was seriously wrong! I had been over the shingles for at least a month and I had never heard of PHN before. I already have MS. Well, now I just joined this group because I am having a recurrenceof shingles. I guess what I am trying to say is I know how you may feel because all of a sudden I will get these SHARP pains and there is not too much I can do about them. It really stinks! Good luck.

I am so sorry Puffy, I finally got a my Medical Marijuana licensce. I Have High Ha Ha hopes. I am tired of smoking it and rolling it. For some reason and I do not want to put the kebosh--the pain has eased off a lot in the past few days--it is about a 4 or five.. This is since April 2012. My life has changed so much. Being in pain prevents me fro being happy and social.... No one understands--you cannot put on a happy face..No one understand this pain except US... Werte you treated first w antiviral for the shingles--shingles is first --that is a breeze compared to the never ending torture of phn. Medical Marij is good for MS, There a lot of dense and stupid doctors out there who know nothing about Medial Marijuana...I hope you live in a MM state. so you can have some relief and a little bit more quality of life.
This interface is awful...I cannot navigate it..impossible to find old posts..

Hello julliettagirl,
I am sorry to hear about your ongoing PHN.I first got shingles in my face and eye in 2013. Its now 2017 and yes it does get better!.

Like many folks I suffered ongoing PHN after the rash healed. It was compounded by frequent hives breaking out on the area on my face and scalp where the shingles had been. The PHN itself was a burning itch and pain that got worse at night and was very sensitive to pressure. I could not lay on my right side for over 3 years .
Something that I have started using about 6 weeks ago has given me significant relief. It is a cream called Gallixa - gallium maltolate. It is sold by mail as a skin cream but shows great promise for nerve pain.
I apply it to my face and scalp( its not greasy or sticky) about 3-4 times a day. It pretty much knocks out the pain and itching for many hours at a time. I also have not had an outbreak of hives in the past 6 weeks when I used to get them a few times a month. It is not a total cure- I still cannot lay on that side for long and the skin is sensitive if I touch it , but less so. I have to keep using it.
I highly recommend this- its not expensive or unpleasant. It has helped me more than lidocaine cream or patches and the very expensive sticky compounded cream that my doctor prescribed.
Best of luck to you.

Thanks for sharing that. I'll buy some for my wife.