I created this subreddit in 2013 because at the time, I had no one to talk to about my life-changing post-herpetic neuralgia. Since then, this sub has grown to 9,000 members and I'm genuinely sorry each and every one of you had a reason to join this community.

Shingles can be a debilitating and painful experience and some people do not have the resources they need to navigate the experience. I am grateful for the continued kindness and support offered by members of this subreddit to strangers in need.

That said, I'm no longer able to volunteer my time as a moderator. As of this morning, I am stepping down as a mod knowing that it is in good hands with the rest of the mod team and a compassionate community.

Be well 🙏

See an album of the shingle's progress over time here

Hello, fellow shingleers! I've recently been through a bout with Shingles, and this subreddit has really helped me cope physically and mentally with what I was going through. Although there was a wealth of information, I noticed a gap: a detailed timeline of the Shingles experience. With the hope of filling that void, here's my personal journey from the onset of the very first symptoms to the eventual diagnosis. For those newly diagnosed, fearing potential symptoms, or just curious, I hope this brings clarity and perspective.

To set the scene: I began experiencing these symptoms the day I touched down in Greece, kickstarting a 10-day holiday (great timing....). Being abroad fuelled my hesitancy to seek immediate medical assistance. A bit about me: I'm a 32-year-old male, generally healthy but admittedly stressed.

Day 1: “Heart Attack in Athens?”

Fresh off the plane in Athens, I felt a peculiar tingling and occasional palpitations in my left chest area. My thoughts raced to a heart condition. With no visible rashes and an aversion to flying, I shrugged it off as age or flight fatigue.

Day 2: “Unwanted Greek Critters”
Morning:

• Palpitations grew more pronounced, feeling almost like a persistent vibration near my nipple. Still no rash. With the belief that it's largely due to me being hungover, I opted for a refreshing swim.

Evening:

• I noticed a few bumps surrounding a red dot on my left ribcage 10cm below my armpit. “Aha! I was bit by a spider or some sea creature”

• The dots were only slightly annoying, not painful enough for me to be concerned.

Day 3: “A Self-Proclaimed Physician”
Morning:

• The rash dots seemed to have plans of their own, spreading primarily across my back ribcage. Concerned, I borrowed some Cortisone rash cream from a friend who applied it.

Afternoon:

• Aboard a ferry to a remote greek island, I finally confided in my traveling companions: my sister and two cousins. My cousin, after examining the rash, remarked, "That looks like the Zona (French for Shingles) I had a few years ago". Her face painted a picture of muted concern, and a flashback struck me – memories of my mom’s own painful battle with Shingles.

• Immediately looked up the symptoms for Shingles: “The first signs of shingles can be: a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin; a headache or feeling generally unwell; A rash will appear a few days later.” Bingo

Day 4: "A Painful Voyage"

• Rash expanded, curving from front left ribcage through my nipple and wrapping across my back.

• A preplanned boat trip that day magnified my concerns; I'm unusually silent, completely focused on managing the pain, barely enjoying the sea and sun.

• That evening: pain spiked from a 4 to 6-7. It felt like fiery skin trapped between an internal spiked fist and external needles.

Day 5: "Pharmacy First-Aid"

• Sought over-the-counter Acyclovir cream; this is the move I regret the most, I should have done the 45min drive to see a doctor who would have prescribed antivirals.

• Cream offered minor relief; this was the first of my many bad nights. I woke up around 3am and couldn’t really go back to sleep until 7am. Because of the rash’s location I could only sleep on my right side which I’m not used to.

Day 6: “This is not fun”

• Same as day 5, the pain is now consistently at an 8. The mental drain is starting to take a toll as well, this is the kind of pain that makes you worry about long-term effects.

Day 7: “Finally a doctor”

• Back in Athens, I immediately go to a clinic, doctor's grim face said it all: “This one is for the medical books; brace for a month of pain…”

• Left with a prescription for antivirals (Valacyclovir 1000mg 3x/day) and antiseptic spray.

• Experience my worst night so far. Luckily for me my mom is on a different time zone not embarrassed to say I called her for comfort. I was scared.

• I’ve experience the pain from a kidney stone before. That pain has met its match.

• A cold towel on the rash was the only thing to relieve the pain

Day 8: “A Glimmer of Hope”

• The antivirals began their magic. The encroaching rash halted its march, and the first of the pustules took on a brown hue, signalling healing.

• Sleep returned to me that night. While not uninterrupted, the hours of slumber were more than welcome. Cold presses are my nighttime ally.

Day 9: “Onward and Upward”

• Emboldened, I ventured out, my rash safely ensconced beneath sterile gauze. The beginnings of scabbing marked more areas. Finally able to put a bit of pressure on the affected areas

Day 10: “Flight towards recovery”

• Took a flight back home. I'd been challenging myself to control the pain: bearing backpacks, adjusting my sitting posture, pushing my boundaries.

• Finally building the mental strength that not only can I deal with this, but I will come out stronger. First day that i truly feel like I’m in recovery

Day 11: “Loading up on creams”

• Now on familiar ground, I armed myself with a trifecta: Vitamin E Cream to champion healing, Calamine lotion to counter itching, and an antiseptic spray standing guard against infections.

• From the changes in the coming days, I wholeheartedly advocate for these to anyone navigating the scabbing phase!

Day 12 - 18 (Present): "The Home Stretch"

• Recovery is in full swing, with scabs maturing gracefully, courtesy of the Vitamin E. Itching, however, persists as a formidable adversary, kept in check by Calamine and a soothing cold cream.

• The pain, akin to an intense sunburn paired with post-workout soreness, is a steady undertone, not quite intrusive but ever-present.

• Based on my recovery so far, I give it another 1-2 weeks before it’s completely gone

Final thoughts:

• Get Medical Attention: Don’t delay seeing a doctor. Don’t accept your fate, get treated ASAP. I got antivirals 7 days after the first symptoms and the effects were almost immediate. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s too late.

• Proactive Care Pays: I consider myself fortunate to have bounced back relatively swiftly. I attribute this not only to luck but to my rigorous care regime over the last 10 days. I’m not one to usually apply creams or lotions, but in this case I was really diligent, with morning, midday and nighttime routines. Take care of your body, it’s the only one you have.

• The Mental Battle: It sucks… so much. For a few days I was scared. Scared that I was going to feel like this forever, but also scared that I had done this to myself. There will be a lot of time for negative thoughts during this, but it’s important to not drown in them. Take care of your mental health, it might be one of the reasons you are in this position in the first place - it was mine. First, it’s OK to feel self-pity if you find yourself in this situation, there’s nothing you’ve done to deserve this. It also means that you are in a position to fight it. Here are a few things that helped me: Engage in self-care, embrace meditation, walks, or even simple stretches. Cherish the minor victories, wear your smiles generously, stay strong, you will get better.

I’ve been suffering from shingles on and off for about a year and recently traveled to see a VERY expensive dermatologist that specializes in shingles. I’m fortunate enough to afford this out of pocket because insurance wouldn’t pay anything. I just wanted to share some of the things he told me- of course everyone is different and I’m not giving medical advice. Just sharing my experience and what a highly rated dermatologist told me.

•don’t use any sort of benedryl cream. It can cause the breakout to be more severe and also cause a separate kind of breakout to form over your shingles breakout. Stick to Cortisone cream & lidocaine cream over the counter or try to get a prescription from your primary doctor for the more hard core cortisone. Mix the 2 creams together for best results. •if you have a series of shingles around your eye or the tip of your nose you need to go the the ER immediately. This has something to do with damage to your optic nerves and is very serious. • if you have shingles around your eyes or on your face and have severe headaches near the location you need to see a neurologist as soon as possible as the skin lesions could be a secondary problem to a much more severe issue. If this is overlooked it can affect your quality of life over time. •a max dose of valacyclovir is the best antiviral. Don’t let your Primary give you anything else unless you have an allergy or kidney problems. •topical steroids are controversial. They can either make things better or worse so if you get one stop taking it immediately if worse or no improvement. •the best topical steroid is Desonide 0.05% and I just want to say that I recently started using this and it’s like a miracle. Within 24 hrs of using my blisters were starting to heal and in the drying out phases. This usually took around 2 weeks after my initial break out. I have very sensitive skin and this stuff is amazing but not safe for everyone. Once again, we’re all different and I’m not giving medical advice. •be careful taking Valacyclovir with ibuprofen or any other NSAID’s as it harsh on your kidneys. Drink lots of filtered water. •have your doctor give you refills of Valacyclovir to have on hand so you can immediately take if you see a breakout. I carry mine when I go out of town and always have a bottle in my purse in case I’m out and suddenly feel the “bee sting” sensation in my usual spots. Make sure to be vigilant if you’re having any type of procedure big or small. My last shingles breakout was caused by a dental cleaning- my body took it as trauma and my immune system was lowered. I had shingles before I left the dentist office. They popped up that fast.
•if you’re in perimenopause and have had shingles more than once they’re most likely caused by your hormonal imbalance- this is the case for me. Expect more until you’ve fully transitioned to menopause- he said it usually gets a lot better after the transition and peri is the worst time. Seriously, 🖕🏻perimenopause. •he prescribed me Gabapentin and said it works for some but not for others for the discomfort. It didn’t do anything for me so I stopped taking it. I have a weird tolerance for drugs so I wasn’t shocked. • ice baths are your friend. I don’t get the water too cold but they’ve made this round of shingles easier and he said they boost your immune system and recovery time.

I know a lot of these things are noted within the subreddit but I just wanted to share. I know how awful this can all be and I just want to give my love to anyone suffering from shingles. Make sure to be nice to your kidneys while on the antivirals ♥️

Seriously, this is medieval torture. You should be able to check into a hospital and go into a temporary coma until it heals, for free.

I’ve decided it feels like having the flu, getting kicked by a biker, all while getting stung by a ton of jellyfish.

Thank you for the rant. I feel like death warmed over, if I were on the Oregon trail they’d just kick me off the wagon.

Just kidding. I want to die.

On antivirals + gabapentin. Face is melting. Head is splitting. What else actually helps with the pain, burn, and itch?

Also… DOES THIS SHIT LEAVE A MARK??

Asking for my face.

***Edit / Update (63 days later): Every time I open Reddit, this post pops up and I cringe. As much as I want to delete it, I’m leaving it up because I hope it helps someone else.

My biggest piece of advice: DO NOT WAIT TO START THE ANTIVIRAL.

If you think you have shingles, go to urgent care or your doctor as soon as possible. I waited at least four days because I was embarrassed, and I regret it.

Once I started the antiviral, things improved fast. Within about 24 hours I could already tell a difference, and by 72 hours my pain and discomfort were minimal.

I do have some minor scarring, but I’m hopeful it will continue to fade with time.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who commented, shared advice, or just offered support. It genuinely helped me get through a really miserable experience.

Title says it all. It's been nearly 8 weeks and I'm losing my mind. I've been to the doctor every 2 weeks; last time she goes, "wow, that's rip roaring," renewed my meds and sent me home. No timeframe, no hope, no nothing. It's been 8 weeks of not being able to work, not being able to drive, not being able to do anything but lie in bed with my face in a ice pack and moan... My spouse, children and employer have been sympathetic, but I know I'm pushing the limits of everyone's patience.

Anyone have any thoughts, advice or words of kindness for me?

The right side of the inside of my mouth is entirely covered in blisters. The gums are so swollen that I can’t eat. A gland near my ear feels like it’s trying to escape from my head it’s so inflamed.

On the plus size I haven’t eaten for five days so am getting shredded for summer.

On 1000mg Valaciclovir - 3 daily
Amoxicillin 875 mg and clavulanic acid 125mg - 2 daily
Codeine - all of them

Hi all,

I hope everyone is hanging in there, I know this virus is a real ass kicker. I’ve seen many posts about people developing shingles after receiving their covid-19 vaccines, myself included. I don’t believe the vaccine CAUSES shingles, but I do believe there is a correlation between the two.

Regardless, I urge you all to please take just a few minutes out of your day to report this reaction as an adverse side effect. It’s so important that you report this so research can be done.

I only have US resources available, so I apologize in advance. Here are the ways in which you can file a report:

-VAERS: vaers.hhs.gov - the report does have a timer of 20 minutes or it times out, so keep that in mind.

-V-Safe: Daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins after you receive your vaccine. Sign up to receive the check-in links.

-Directly to the manufacturer of your vaccine: -Pfizer: pfizersafetyreporting.com

-AstraZeneca: contactazmedical.astrazeneca.com

-Moderna: Use VAERS, print & fax VAERS form to 1-866-599-1342, or you can call 1-866-MODERNA, or email: [email protected]

-Johnson and Johnson/Janssen: janssenmedicalcloud.net/report-adverse-event

I really hope this helps. I hope we all start feeling better soon, too!

Shingles came into my life November 2022. Little did I know my life would change forever. What first started off as blisters and a swollen eye ( my dumb ass thought it was monkey pox or pink eye thinking oh man my homies gonna have a field day with me ) 😂 but turned out to be much much more. So let’s start off a bit earlier so we fully understand what happened, maybe it will help others, who knows.

So first I got super sick. Couldn’t keep anything down, was vomiting, head was pounding, lethargic, just dog tired and sick. Slept a whole week, my girl was making sure I was still drinking water and staying hydrated but other than that I just slept and slept.

A few days later I wake up with a swollen eye and small blisters on my face and scalp. Keep and mind I’m pretty ignorant to elderly diseases, never even heard of shingles. So me, 37 normal dude…..I’m like ain’t no way I got the money pox. My homies will talk mad shit, this is gonna be weird 😂 at one point I even thought it might be pink eye or something…..man was I wrong.

I woke up sicker than ever, eye swoll shut, face red and broken out, my girlfriend finally said dude were going to urgent care, she said “idc how stubborn you are we’re going” so I go, doc immediately says it’s shingles, gives me an antiviral, some anti depressants and sends me on my way. Well it gets worse, so they give me some eye lube, tell me to drink plenty of water and take my meds I’ll be aight. I break out in blisters all over my left side of the face, and scalp. The pain I felt was insane, felt throbbing, burning, stabbing you name it. Little did I know that feeling would never go away.

Fast forward about another two weeks. Took the antivirals and they ran their course, at this point I’m already on gabapentin and anti depressants and antivirals ( all for shingles ) and I keep just doing what the docs say, in hopes it’ll all work out. Slowly but surely the blisters heal, the redness and swelling all goes away, but that itchy, burning and throbbing pain just keeps at it. I go back to the doctor and they said it could last up to 3 months and after that I should be good as new.

3 months came and gone, still on gabapentin and antidepressants btw, yet I’m still in hell. I stayed in my basement most of this time period because I developed hyper sensitivity to light and heat from the sun, so I stayed my ass in the basement and slept. When I say slept I mean I slept, a lot. 12-16 hours a day slept lol like I can’t express enough always tired and just slept. Pain consisted though, nonstop and kept me on my toes miserably.

In hindsight I wish I stood up more for myself, instead I believed my doctors and took their words as knowledge, but as I learned over time none of them knew what they were talking about, or even had any actual understanding or experience of shingles or PHN ( post herpetic neuralgia )

I’ve learned a lot these past few years. I’ve learned that we really don’t much about our nervous system, that we really don’t know much about shingles, and certainly don’t know anything about PHN. Throughout all of this, I still haven’t gotten any real help with pain management, we’re in a world wide pandemic with opiates, especially fentanyl so i definitely fell in the cracks. Doctors are afraid to write prescriptions, politicians tell us what we can do and can’t do, so I just kind of slowly gave up in the world of ever feeling real pain relief. I’ve been pretty much held in one specific spot as far as any kind of pain med and that’s the gabas. Started off on gabapentin and now I’m on pregabalin. I demanded that they took me off cymbalta because it was making me suicidal…..I sometimes wonder if pregabalin does the same……yet here I am. I know it’s the only med they’ll give me so I keep taking it. I’ve been apart of PHN groups on fb, some of them help, some not. I feel like I stepped in this time portal in 22 and my life just hasn’t been the same. Burning and aching and throbbing consumes my daily life til the point where I don’t even see the point sometimes. I’m held hostage on this planet while being brutalized by forces unseen 24/7.

It has now been about 2 years with my unwelcomed companion. Idk what else to call it, I can’t call it a friend because it definitely doesn’t have my best interest, it wants to defeat me daily. I have hope that some day they will cure PHN and shingles, I have hopes that some day doctors will look less at politics and social norms and help me medically. I have hope that some day I will just feel normal again. They say phn after a year is permanent, I refuse to believe that. We know so little about the nervous system, we have to be wrong right? Right? Well I hope so. Losing my mother and brother this year has definitely shown me that life can suck. No matter how bad things are, I can’t help but feel that some day things will be better, not only better but amazing. Right?

shingles #PHN #postherpaticneuralgia #fuckshingles

I am 29F and have no immune system issues or health issues (that I know of, *knocks on wood*) or any increase of stress that should have triggered shingles. I came to this sub for guidance and am blown away that almost every post I see is someone in their mid 30s or younger. I'm curious as to why this is happening and if anyone has looked into this or has any insight?

I thought I was developing trigeminal neuralgia, but instead it is shingles on my trigeminal nerve. I’m going to survive, but this has been miserable. I am going to ask for an extended prescription for valacyclovir. I already have MS and other health issues, I really didn’t need this. Ugh.

In solidarity, D

SOMEONE PLEASE PIN THIS POST.

I wish someone told me this straight away when I was going through this.

It will itch. Don't touch it. (Darn it, you did it. Now wash your hands with soap. WITH SOAP)

1. Connect with a dermatologist/general physician/doctor.

2. Get your meds right. Start the course immediately/as reccomended by doctor.

3. Abstain from watching images of shingles online. (Don't do it. Do yourself a favour.)

4. Take a break from work/responsibilities. You're in pain. You need to take care of yourself. Heal. You'll gracefully come out of it DON'T WORRY.

5. It will itch. Don't touch it.

6. Keep washing your hands. Don't let the infected area touch/brush against anything (you will know why the first time you let it happen)

Tips:

1. If it's in your t-shirt area, stay topless for a week/atleast until it dries and turns into a scab. Bath, but PAT it dry with tissue. Nothing left behind (tissue or moisture)

2. Manage your pain with something nice. Your options are: very emotional movies, crying, cribbing about it on the internet, and crying.

3. You will be cranky, rude, mean, off, bummed, sad, frustrated, angry, sorry and angry. It's ok. You'll be ok.

If you know someone that is going through shingles, (YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PAIN) get them their favorite snack and medical attention— That is all you can do.

I just turned 25 and started my final year of law school, and I’m on day 4 of shingles on my face (currently in the blister stage, see photo). I was diagnosed very quickly and put on valtrex and gabapentin (300mg 1x/day). The pain has really been awful. I’m unable to sleep more than 3-4 hours a night, if I sleep at all. I’m having to miss class and isolate from everyone due to contagiousness and also embarrassment about how I look right now.

Does anyone have recommendations for the pain and/or pain-based insomnia? I’ve read that gabapentin is supposed to make you tired/drowsy and even help with insomnia, but I feel like I’m having the opposite experience. Is it ridiculous to go to a doctor and ask for either a higher grade pain medication or a prescription for insomnia? Ive been averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night, and I feel like I’m already losing my mind only 4 days into what will likely be a multiple weeks journey.

Hi there! Its been a bit over a year since I first got shingles so I thought I'd share that experience and how the area is feeling 1 year later.

I am a fairly healthy male and was 27 at the time. I had been on Rinvoq for 2 years for Eczema so this was the likely cause of my shingles.

It first started as a weird tingling, weakening sensation on the right side of my body with an aching pain on my right lower back area. I had gone to the driving range the day before so I thought it was just muscle soreness from that. I continued to exercise and workout over the next couple of days as the pain was still manageable. It was not until day 4 when I started to think that something might be wrong.

Although the tingling sensation was gone the aching back pain got worse and worse. It was a constant pulsing pain on my lower right back, as if someone was driving their elbow in to me every 10 seconds non stop. At its worse I couldn't stand up straight or walk. Thinking it was a sports injury, I saw a chiropractor who performed acupuncture and used this metal rod to scrap my right hip. This caused quite a bit of bruising and I suspect it actually made my shingles or the spread of it worse. Interestingly the area that was bruised was spared from the rash and blisters.

Two days after that painful experience and no improvements, I went to Urgent Care. They also thought it was some back injury and just told me to walk more as some back injuries require movement to heal.

It was not until around day 9 I started noticing blisters forming on the top of my thigh, near the bruised area from the scraping. At first I thought it was maybe caused by the skin stretching from the scraping but then it hit me that this could be shingles. So I went to another Urgent Care to confirm if it was Shingles. Doctor initially said the Chiro needed to be investigated for causing friction burns but then I told her that the area where the blisters are was not the area of the scraping. Thats when she agreed that it could very likely be shingles

I was then sent to the ER where they quarantined me and gave me antivirals. I think within an hour of taking the antivirals I was starting to feel relief and that pulsing pain improved significantly.

The next couple of weeks was just trying to manage the blisters which were spread out from my right lower back area down to the front of my upper thigh. The majority were clustered in my upper groin area.

But just as the blisters and rash started to heal, came the worst pain I've ever experienced. This pain only lasted maybe 10 to 20 seconds each time but it felt like my entire thigh was set on fire. My groin area was especially itchy and I tried my best not to scratch it, but it was as if the itchiness and sensitivity built up over time, to the point where the slighted touch would overstimulate it and cause that intense burning pain. One of the times it triggered was from me turning in bed.

Fortunately, that pain no longer triggered after 5 or 6 days and recovery was smooth after that. I was back to the gym and exercising a month after the initial symptoms appeared. Quite a bit of scarring from the blisters but luckily its in a covered area. The skin in that area feels extra smooth but there is a very slight numbness when I touch it. I think I was mostly back to normal after 2 or 3 months. I still to this day get a bit of itchiness and have that slight numb feeling but thats about it.

Not sure why I decided to share this now but thank you for reading and I hope you never have to experience shingles ever or ever again!

I’m sorry this is gross. I got diagnosed with shingles today after a week of the rash progressively getting worse. It started in my eye and then slowly worked its way down. I’m SOOO swollen and itchy. I just started antibiotics today. How soon after antibiotics did you start to feel better? Bonus points if yours is also on your face.

And do you agree it looks like shingles? I’ve never had it before. Honestly I never thought I would!

The first picture was from this morning, second around 5:00pm, third a few minutes ago. I feel like it’s getting worse by the hour. He started valtrex yesterday morning. I’m concerned about his eye but I don’t think an optometrist couldn’t get it open at this point to even look at it. Not sure what I’m asking, if anything, just hoping for some kind of advice. Or, if anyone has gone through this, how long from the blister stage did it take for the pain and swelling to subside?

I thought maybe I burned myself in the shower because I typically end them with slightly hotter water. Nope! After tossing and turning all night in excruciating pain, I went to the doctor today and I have shingles! How? What? I'm 37 years old and hardly ever get sick. The last time was with COVID in the fall of 2022. I just wanted to come here and say this probably one of the worst experiences of my life. The constant burning and stabbing pain really messes with you, with no end in sight. I don't know whether to laugh or cry or run into traffic!

Prayers to all who are suffering from this right now.

My smallest boy came home from nursery with chicken pox and after 2 weeks i had a surprise. How it was having chicken pox : -7 days of fever 40 degrees/

• lots of pain in my body/ -no sleep -no food because what you see on my skin,was also in my mouth -I called ambulance because I felt like i was going to die Now I have marks/holes all over my face. Getting better,but I will never be the same.

Ya’ll. Am I ever going to be ok again?

The nerve pain started almost a month before the rash developed. It started with HORRIBLE right ear pain and other nerve pain on the right side. I had chills, flu-like symptoms on and off, and just overall felt like death. It was the 1st week of September and I was back and forth to the doctor trying to figure out what was going on. Lots of bloodwork and since my thyroid levels were off so it was just chalked up to autoimmune disease. Doctor put me on a steroid and said follow up.

Last Thursday I started having electric shock pain in my head and ear. Thought I was dying or getting a brain tumor. My eye started twitching. The next day I had a small bump in my eyebrow. I thought my new glasses were causing it. It’s crazy how this illness gives you the run around! I FaceTimed my doctor and she confirmed shingles. I immediately started Valtrex and Gaba. I spent my 43rd birthday in bed. Eye doctor confirmed my eye was not affected.

But what the heck?! My face and scalp are a disaster and the ear and nerve pain are unending. The headaches. I’m on oxycodone and gaba and it barely does anything. I work a full-time job and have a 3 and 5 year old. I’m starting to feel depressed. I’ve been reading about PHN, and a lot of stories in this sub…I can so relate to, “Is this my life now”? I can’t go anywhere right now bc my face looks like a murder scene and the pain is debilitating. I can’t believe more people don’t talk about this horrible illness and how bad it is. The worst part is my husband is so detached and has literally no empathy. Still expects me to do everything as usual. Guess I need some encouragement. I’m having horrible thoughts and been crying all day. I need someone to talk to who understands. Thanks in advance.💔❤️

This is the 3rd most painful thing I've ever experienced, and only the 3rd bc I had cancer at 27 and that brought on nerve pain and the second most painful types of headaches behind migraines. Got gabapentin, valtrex, and prednisone yesterday, and about a week into start of symptoms. I have it all around my under arm and chest and back. Calamine isn't helping for more than a minute but I'm keeping at it to try to dry it out quickly I guess. CBD has been a godsend but I had to lower my dose bc of the 300mg 3X a day dose I hoy of gaba. I have cried 2X bc of the pain. Which is once more than I ever did during chemo.