Has anyone had shingles?

[Rowan]

Yes, how's your shingles now Emm?

[ciderman_nz]

I had this about 4 years ago! It is apparantly a resurgence of the chicken pox virus which we all had as kids with small effect. It apparantly lays dormant for years in the spinal nerve endings and this is why it usually only covers the body quadrant from back to front. Mine was in a similar place to yours, sounds like right upper quarter of the face. I thought I was reacting to some hydrogen peroxide which I had spilled on myself a few days before but a very sharp doctor said 'No, you have shingles'. He was very concerned because an eye was involved and sent me to an eye specialist who proscribed Zovirax, internally and externally. Zovirax is the same stuff used for cold sores,(which are another virus). He was very encouraging by saying that in nearly 40 years of practise, two of his patients who had this had committed suicide! It's probably no consolation but I still have a very itchy eyebrow, caused by nerve damage, but no eye scarring, which is a possibility to be avoided.

[Rowan]

Shingles, chickenpox, cold sores, genital herpes are all caused by the same virus - herpes in different forms - I believe shingles and chickenpox are herpes zoster and cold sores and genital herpes can come from the herpes simplex virus. All of then bliddy painful I believe - and itchy.