I had shingles last year three months after my husband had open heart surgery. also have an auto immune condition. started at front mid point with small red rash, by the time I realized it was shingles and went to doctor, it was getting a foot hold. got the anti viral and finally it stopped the virus from growing. but it hurt and I felt so sick. also was on back too.
One thing that helped me with the nerve irritation was calamine lotion.

I think I'm ok, the eye pain seems to have gone and i'm feeling better overall. I really wish I had posted here before I went to the Dr. I would have demanded the antiviral. Dr said it 'usually has eruptions on the back,' I couldn't see it because it hadn't scabbed over yet but I did have one, he just didn't look.

i hope you got some sleep Lara. I actually bought an air bed and slept in my hall last summer bercause I don't like noise either. I think I'm just going to have to move, I can't stand the woodsmoke in the winter and the noise in the summer. My nephew married a woman from New Zealand, do you get 'gobsmacked' in Australia?

I am a little gobsmacked myself, I mentioned earlier that my Dr was annoyed I rejected his Dx of Menieres. I was looking at Drugcite and there it was, my inhaler can affect the inner ear and vestibular nerve. I think some of the rare side effects of some drugs are more common than is shown, they are just Dxed as something else.

Thanks again, i do think I'll live to complain another day!

Judi

I'm sorry Judi, but that simply isn't true.

Shingles is usually unilateral (affects one side of the body) and can affect any part of the human body.

Although there seems to be preference for the skin on the trunk and the back, lesions can occur almost anywhere, including the face, scalp, eyes, the skin lining the external ear canal and the genitals.

The lesions will follow a nerve from one side of the body to exactly halfway, following the line of a nerve.

My husband's shingles were on his lower left chest, none on the back.
He had a huge eruption with many... and alot of pain however in the back. He also had them in one ear.

Mine only went to the right upper arm, a small cluster of ten to 15. I still get pain down that arm on occasion.

Both of us have pain issues in spring. Spring when the days get longer is a common time for shingles and chickenpox for some reason. Perhaps light activates them?

I don't recall when mine were...but hubby's were in early June.

Yes, Judi, we get gobsmacked here as well.

gobsmacked = utterly astounded.
Colloquial or slang meaning - the gob is the mouth. Smacked is smacked. So I guess it means "speechless".

Thank you,
yes, I have a great lounge and it's got a pull out bed. I ended up having all the doors and windows shut and the air-con on in my bedroom (still summer weather here although it's technically autumn) but I could still "feel" the music. I could hear it as well, but I could also feel it which makes me feel quite ill sometimes. I become overwhelmed and feel unsafe.

I hope you can find a new doctor!