I am 70 years old and had lymphoma 2 times. I was cured by two sessions of chemotherapy and radiation therapy over a span of 15 years. As a result of which my hemoglobin was always low. I had to take iron supplements. Then I contracted Shingles on my right-hand side. Blisters as big as my hand on my back and underneath my right rib. Famvir 3 times daily was prescribed which heals the blisters but the pain persists. It was then when I decided to boil coffee and tea water in an iron utensils. It immediately helped for my low hemoglobin. I do my cooking also now in iron utensils. Please tell people to through away their plastic electric kettles. It is doing much harm. I had to rely on pain pills for the shingles pain. Tegretol is helpful. I am just wondering for how long.

Several years ago, I developed significant pain along the right side of my abdomen and side at the level where the waist band of all my clothes fit. After numerous tests for gallbladder and appendix, it was finally decided I had shingles although I never developed any external signs. My internist and my surgeon-to-be were brothers. The internist insisted I had to have an outbreak for it to be shingles but his brother insisted you could have the pain without the external outbreak. All this happened when I was having alot of stress and it lasted approx. 5-6 weeks.

I got shingles about the last week in August that were from the coccyx area down the right buttocks. I was treated with acyclovir and amitriptyline about the 3rd day. I continued with pain and was started on Neurontin. I now have lost of feeling and movement of my toes. I had swelling in the foot, but think that was caused by turning my foot. I am now trying acupuncture 3 treatments tonight. I am hoping for some improvement.

I am a 69 year-old very active woman and have recently had my first episode with shingles. First appeared as small itchy bumps on the left side of the back of my neck, then spread up into my hairline. Once it became obvious that it wasn't a spider or bug bite, my doc started a course of Acyclovir for 1 week. I knew after that week that it had not disappeared, so went back for another week of the drug. Two weeks after that course of drugs ended, the tingling, itching started again, this time on my left ear. I'm now into the third round of acyclovir. At the end of this round, doc says I should take a 400 mg dose twice a day for 3 months - and perhaps longer. Fortunately, I do not have the excruciating pain described by others but it is definitely debilitating by producing body aches, headache, dullness and depression.

I was 18 years old the first time I had shingles and the blisters and pain was on my left arm, about where you are vaccinated. I remember the pain feeling like someone had taken a red hot poker and stuck me to the bone. I thought I had bitten by a spider but then I had another outbreak on the same arm within the next 2 years and the doctor diagnosed Shingles. I'm now 51 years old and I have experienced at least 6 other outbreaks but these have all been on the left side of my back. I'm pretty sure I have nerve damage in this area because I continue to have pain all the time here. The longest period without a breakout was 6 years. The burning sensation is still as bad as ever but now I know as soon as either symptom starts, burning or one little blister, I call the doctor. Stress seems to be my culprit for out breaks, although I can't image what type of stress I could have experienced when I was 18.

I would brush my hair back with my hand and it felt like someone was pulling my hair. I developed blisters right above my ear, in the hairline, on my lip, and inside my mouth. My jaw tightened up and it became hard to talk or swallow. Tylenol, ibuprophen, Aleve, and even oxycodone wouldn't calm the pain. I hope it goes away. See a doctor right away.