Shingles on face and in eye

I know this discussion is old but I'm experiencing this through my 61 year old boy friend. He had shingles on the right side of his head and eye. It's been a month. After we went on vacation, leaving our business causing stress, he came down with tenderness on his head. It excelled to the blisters and so on. He went to a clinic and they told him it was shingles and there was nothing they could do. Most of the spots have healed but his eye is still bloodshot. He can't sleep and is exhausted. I see from the responses that so much medication was given and he was given none. He is just taking over-the-counter pain killers that don't help alot. This person who hasn't gotten sick for most of his life now doesn't want to wake up if he finally falls asleep. He is a golfer and every time he goes out in the sun, it reactivates the shingles. I'm not sure what issue to force. Do I push him back to the clinic that didn't do much (he's been twice) for medication or do I push him to our dermatologist and get a new opinion. Both of us were red heads and both of us have had skin cancer. Does anyone have any suggestions on which way to go?

I have not been back on this blog in awhile, so I am assuming you wrote this a few weeks ago.(2013) If your boyfriend has not gone back to the doctor, he should go ASAP. Don't go back to the clinic you went to. Go to the ER if there is no other clinic to go to. There is a specific antiviral medication that he needs to be on. Also, if it gets in his eye, he could go blind. I had shingles two years ago on my head, face and in my eye. (see my entry on May 19, 2012). I am still having problems with pain and numbness.

Hi:
Yesterday I was diagnosed with herpies of the face. Sores that are not too itchy or painful mostly on my forehead. Swelling around my eyes that don't affect my vission. I was prescribed an anti viral medication. I was surprised after further investigation that it could take a few week before I see any relief. I am 88 year old and have a laundry list of other health problems and I really don't need more problems. Good luck with your health !

About 7 years ago, I was at work. I got a little bit of a headache over my left brow and I had a hard time focusing. When I put on my glasses, it was better. I figured it was sinus pain from allergies.
The next day, when I was driving to work, I found that I was having a difficult time focusing my eyes. When I got to work, I went to the bathroom and noticed my left eye was turning in. Even putting on my glasses didn't help. I got an emergency appointment with my eye doctor. He said he thought I had shingles and should see my PCP immediately. As it so happened, my hubby and I already had an appointment because we were getting our shingles shot.
My doctor looked and looked and saw nothing. She asked if I had any unusual rashes on my body. The only thing I knew of were these couple of pimples I had behind my right ear. It looked NOTHING like Shingles and it didn't hurt. The doctor took a culture, so all I could do was wait.
After a few days my eye did not get any better so I was sent for a brain scan to make sure nothing was going on to cause such a symptom. It came back fine. The next step was to go to a well known eye clinic in a major hospital. They checked the brain scan and took tons of tests and the found nothing. I was diagnosed with a Sixth Nerve Palsy in my eye. They said it should go away in a few weeks. In the meanwhile, I remained home from work until the results from the culture. I worked around many young women who were pregnant.
It took time, but the culture came back positive for Shingles. It seems that the Shingles virus, NOT the rash, went into my eye and hit the optic nerve causing the palsy. I was happy the rash did not get into my eye, too. That, my friends, would have been VERY painful. As the doctors at the eye clinic said, it took several weeks for my eye to straighten out and I had to wear an eye patch until it did.
As for permanent damage...it did have an impact in my peripheral vision. Unless I turn my head, I cannot see out of the corner of my eye. When I turn my head to look, I have to close one eye or I get double vision. When I need to focus on a spot on my face, like plucking my eyebrows, I also have to close one eye. It is all second nature to me now. My eye is as good as it is going to get. I was told the palsy could come back, but so far so good/

Best to you!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

Yes I had Shingles like 2 months ago started on scalp went to my face close to my eye had it one time before I have been having problems since My eyes are red, irritated, itchy and burning and swollen. It can be very dangerous if it gets close to my eye. I have been to 2 eye doctors they keep giving me drops makes it worse, Then I finally got the vaccine

Hi @system28 – I’m so glad you’re finally able to get the Shingles vaccine! Do you have to return in a few months for the second dose?

My father also had shingles on his face last year, and it was so painful – he couldn’t sleep at all because he was just in constant pain. It started in his ear and creeped closer to his eye. Do the eye drops make your eyes feel even more irritated and itchy?

The only place i have pain is in my eyes going to doctor tomorrow i was lucky to get in. I had a really bad day today. I have never felt so weak
in my life I was too tired to just heat up some food and the headache was really painful then my vision was really blurry that freaked me out

Well I have had it for 2 mths doctor prescribed Valtrex he needs to take an anti-viral med. I have had so many problems, some
doctors are ridiculous. He needs to go to eye specialist ang get the vaccine I had it then I have to get the second one next week

Sounds like what I've got, but mine started 6 days ago.
I went to an eye doctor thinking I had something in my eye, nothing there, but the lid was very inflamed. Two days later, had the rash and the pain. Went back in, was told it was Shingles. Put me on antiviral medication and was told to watch my eye, if it started turning red. 2 days later, went back in since my eye was turning pink. Now on both antiviral and antibiotics. So far, it's not in the eye, but, they're a bit worried it might get that way.
My question is, can washing my hair or my face spread this???
Things I've read say no, but, the second doctor I saw told me no showers, someone else needs to wash my hair, and no washing my face.
Very confused as to what to do.
Thanks!

How are you doing now?