Subcutaneous shingles SUCKS!

[GH85Carrera]

I have been suffering with subcutaneous shingles for a couple of months.

It is shingles, just under the skin. The skin on my stomach area looks normal, but it feels like someone is holding a piece of new 20 grit sandpaper against my skin, and pressing it hard on occasions, and moving it just a tiny bit. Light pressure of my shirt, or the sheets at night is agony.

I get an occasions stabbing pain like someone is driving a toothpick into me. That last for a few seconds on occasions.

I had the singles shingles shot (try saying that out loud quickly three times) and I had the two stage shingles shot several years ago. My doctor says that may be why the symptoms are not as bad as full singles.

He has me on Gabapentin 300 MG 3 times per day. It may as well be a placebo from what I can tell. I am still taking the pills as prescribed.

My real question to the brain trust, is there any other medications I can suggest to my doctor. He is an internist, not a GP, so I would think he would know the best treatment.

I am not going to take prescription pain meds as I hate the effect they have on me. Only OTC pain meds is all I take.

Mostly I am venting. This is just constant torture. The good news is if I am doing something active, I can mostly tune out the discomfort, and get on with life. Mowing the yard I pretty much can ignore it, but I am not having fun sweating and getting hot.

Most every internet search is just the regular shingles. I am very happy I don't have that, as open sores and the horrible pain is something my mom said was 10 times worse than childbirth.

[ramonesfreak]

I had it last fall on my lower back. Pain got so bad I went to urgent care and the nurse there actually told me there is no such thing. I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her she is an idiot. She diagnosed me with cellulitis instead and gave me some antibiotic that did nothing. Took weeks for the pain to go away….I never followed up with a doctor to confirm my self diagnosis but I am certain I had it. I’ve also had the typical shingles on my head and face near my eye. This was different and the back pain insanely intense.

[pwd72s]

All I can offer is my sympathy and hope it's over soon.

[ramonesfreak]

Oh…and for pain I used ice packs stuffed into a back brace to basically numb the area and several pain relief creams, cbd etc,,,,,It did very little

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

All I can offer is my sympathy and hope it's over soon.

+ one

[Chocaholic]

Seems the vax didn’t work. Hmmm.

[WPOZZZ]

I had the 2 dose Shingrix about 6 years ago. Had a mild case of Shingles last year. Had it on my stomach and thighs. Not very comfortable sleeping or sitting. In time it went away, but not fast enough!

[pavulon]

Acyclovir works best when taken ASAP after recognition of symptoms. Now that you can recognize the experience, get your PCP involved with a fast, workable game plan you can use if/when it happens again.

[Bill Douglas]

That's bad luck getting it Glen. Especially when you had taken precautions and got the shot.

I need to go and see the doc and get my second dose of Shingrix soon. Thanks for reminding me and good luck with the recovery.

[sc_rufctr]

That sounds awful Glen... But: "This too shall pass"

[wdfifteen]

I've never heard of subcutaneous shingles. Sounds awful! I hope you get better soon Glen.

[billybek]

Seems like an appropriate place to ask if anyone had a reaction to the shingles vaccine?
My doc recommended it and my pharmacist recommended to get the first vaccine when you have the ability to have a day or two of down time.
I generally tolerate vaccines well but will put this off until I am not busy.

[Jeff Higgins]

I feel for you Glen, I really do. Any form of shingles just sucks. The rash is bad enough, just hop you don't get to experience the postherpetic neuralgia as I did a few years ago (we had a pretty long thread on that at the time).

I hate to offer such doom and gloom, but the rash was nothing - akin to a mosquito bite - once the nerve pain started. Simply indescribable. Like drive one insane to the point of considering taking one's own life indescribable.

I'm told, however, that the double Shingrix vaccine does a good job of keeping that component at bay. Not everyone who gets the rash gets the follow-on nerve pain (which is a Godsend for them) anyway. But, the few who do report less severe symptoms.

I too had no luck with Gabepentin. Despite my aversion to them, prescription opioids probably saved my life. All the Gabepentin did was make me feel weird, kind of "off", and constantly sort of confused. It really made me feel like chit. Yeah, the opioids make one feel pretty drowsy, and if enough is taken, will make one pass out. That was kind of what I was after anyway.

I would be awake for almost three days straight at the height of it, in far too much pain to sleep, until my body just shut down, with the help of massive doses of prescription opioids. Even then, I would be awake in three or four hours, the pain winning out again. Seven weeks of this. I pray for you that you can avoid that part. Again, the Shingrix may be playing a roll in that.

As an aside, it looks to me like Gabepentin is the "new opiod". Seems doctors that are reluctant to prescribe opioids, and patients who are reluctant to take them, have found something "safe". My wife, the nurse, tells me not so fast - it's probably going to get on the same schedule as opioids. The side affects suck, and a lot of people report it as entirely ineffective. Hell, they ran me up to 900 mg four times a day and it did nothing beyond turning me into a zombie. The opioids were actually much better, only making me drowsy rather than all confused and creepy feeling.

Anyway, best of luck. I feel for you.

[MMARSH]

Sounds painful and aggravating, Really hope you can get some relief soon!

[Skip Newsom]

Aging has multiple 'suprises" this is one I hope to avoid!

Jeff's post helped nudge me to get the Shingrix shots, nasty nasty illness.

One of my Nephew-in-laws is a Dr, running a clinic down in Puyallup (Yes, thats a real place). He's in his early 40's and got hit with it all over his mid section, weeks of excruciating pain and not in the group that the vaccine is usually prescribed for.

Here's hoping you get well soon Glen!

[GH85Carrera]

My subcutaneous shingles has no visible rash. To look at the area, there is no sign of the shingles at all, just a hand sized area that HURTS when anything touches it. I have taken to wearing my t-shirt rolled up under my armpit to keep the area free from any contact. Just exhaling through my nostrils is enough to cause discomfort in that area, so I have to turn my head to exhale.

The weird part is while just walking, my shirt rubbing on the area of my stomach is like someone taking sandpaper to my skin. If I press on the area with my hand, that pain goes away. My wife has started calling me Napoleon for walking around with my hand on my shirt. The sheet on me at night is the same way, and I have been sleeping with the sheet only from the waist down.

The Gabepentin really has not affected me at all. It almost feels like a placebo to give me some hope, and it has not helped.

Reading about the issue on the internet just was horrible, as there are stories of internal organs getting shingles. It can always be worse!

[Bill Douglas]

Glen, I've heard it spreads by touch. So wear a glove when you have a pee.

In all seriousness, you are being brave very about it. Maybe whisky helps.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Glen, I've heard it spreads by touch. So wear a glove when you have a pee.

In all seriousness, you are being brave very about it. Maybe whisky helps.

Mine is all internal. Nothing to spread by touch.

[smadsen]

Percocet 325/10. Find a doc that can get with the program. It can be habit forming and will require a little discomfort coming off if you use it for a few months. It might allow you get a good nights sleep.

[unclebilly]

Sorry to hear about your suffering Glen.

Isn’t shingles a sign of something more serious looming?

Anyway, I hope you get it all sorted out and I’m hoping for a speedy recovery so you can get back behind the wheel of your elky or 911 soon enough.