Postherpetic Neuralgia (Shingles) nerve damage

My pain is over the eye and the itching it also there and on the eyelid. I haven't found anything that i can use in the eye for pain and the itching.

Have you tried a CBD salve? Maybe you could use it lightly on the eye area. I have a great salve I use for neuropathy in my feet. Get it at anandahemp.com It is 24 dollars, and they have only one salve. I find this salve works even better than compounding cream my neurologist made for me. Good luck...God Bless. Lori Renee

Thanks for the info on the CBD salve; probably worth a try. What was the compounding cream your neurologist prescribed? The one with ketamine, amiltrypline, and lidocaine?

73-yr-old F in good health. Shingles started 6/27/19 with terrible headache on L which I thought was sinus. Blisters 2-3 days later. Treated with Valycylovir. Extremely ill, threw up first two pills and was basically down for 2 weeks. Crushed the big purple things into applesauce to tolerate. The only thing that relieved the head pain was hydrocodone QID which I used for 5 days. Gel packs wer useful and I heat severa in freezer and used during day and got up for new packs during the night. Wobbly for another 6 weeks and severe eye pain, scratchness. Symptoms abated by end of August but on 8/25, I woke up with blurred vision in L eye but no pain. Appointment in 2 days with ophthalmologist and he said the shingles had come back in the L eye. Treated again with Valycyclovir. Treated again, as first time, with prednisone forte and told to return in a week. In a visit or two he put a plug in the tear duct and almost immediately it was as if I had a terrible cold on the L. Don’t know if it was coincidence or caused by the plug. Had the plug taken out 6 days later and symptoms mostly resolved although I still have congestion on left and faint “sinus” headache. Eye dry so use non preservative eye drops frequently during the day and night. Vision stil blurred and forehead and left side of head in hair is itchy but not as terrible as some previous posters. I think my vision in that eye was 20/40 at last measurement and figure I may be stuck with it. Any advice would be appreciated. Another appointment 11/15 with ophthalmologist. Think highly of Mayo as 3 m3mbers of my family have been treated there with good result. Rochester and Phoenix. Thank you.

I have had the same post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) nerve pain in the right side of my lower back for nearly two years now. One of my doctors says it will go away in time and the other says it won't! I've tried gabapentin, opioids, TENS, acupuncture, cannabis (CBD), massage, heat and cold, physical therapy, lidocaine, and acetaminophen. Nothing has helped so far. I even did a trial of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). It may have helped a bit; however, when I read online all the pros and cons of SRS, I decided against the permanent version in which leads are inserted along your spinal cord and a battery under your skin. Also, it apparently isn't a permanent solution in which the nerves are healed - it just blocks the nerve signals to the brain.

Like you, I would love to hear from others that have experienced PHN if they ever got over it or if they found a way to relieve the pain.

Bill

I tried all those things also except SCS. The lidocaine cream helps a little bit. Like you I am so discussed. My doctor says it will eventually but after 3 1/2 years I am thinking not.

A friend had shingles in early 2018. It has left awful pain in her hand. Lyrica helps her she is still limited in how she can use her hand.

Lyrica did nothing for me. Gabapentin worked a little better. I figure I have to live with it

I have had nerve pain in my back and side from the shingles in 2015. I still have it and have tried everything my doctor suggested. Nothing has helped. It is driving me crazy. Anybody have the same problem. I also have had back surgery 2 times. Was successful. Went back to my doctor and he said back was fine. Sent me to the pain clinic for a shot which lasted 2 days. Any ideas would be helpful

@paulbklyn Good morning and welcome to MayoClinicConnect. We’re a community who try to support one another through shared health experiences. I’m sorry that I know nothing about post herpetic neuralgia. Have the doctors who have treated you explained why the pain continues? What have they suggested?
I’m going to ask @ethanmcconkey if he can move your post to a discussion where it will het more notice