Shingles pain worse at night

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I thought my shingles pain was easing because I woke up at 8am with hardly any pain. I work from home and hardly had any pain all day. Today was the first time since having shingles a few days ago that I have not had to take any painkillers.

I finish work at around 5pm then at around 7pm I go and lie down because I feel quite tired. I wake up an hour later and the stinging head has come back more abd I have a headacgeso I take painkillers. I was disappointed that the pain gad returned. Can anyone explain why this happened.

I think its just a shitty virus to have. My GP signed me off for 2 weeks and ordered complete rest which I thought was ridiculously excessive.. exactly the same thing happened to me and I needed to have another week off! Try not to worry. More rest and fluids. It will go away soon xxx

I was signed off for three weeks when I had it OP, I really empathise with you. Like above PP, I thought the time signed off was excessive, and thought I’d be better in a few days. I was wrong, very wrong. My GP even said I might need longer off. Rest, rest and more rest is the answer. I think it happened because you did too much earlier today. Your body is fighting a nasty virus, and it’s telling you to ease up completely. I hope you feel better soon.

Scenes are always heightened at night. If you have a cut it always seems to throb more at night. From a primitive perspective you need to rely more on other senses at night because you can’t rely on sight as much, so senses like touch and hearing become more sensitive. It’s usually quite subtle but it’s definitely a thing.

You definitely shouldn't be working. Your body needs time to rest and heal. When I had this I also had two weeks off and I needed it. I returned to work after two weeks but it was another one to two weeks before I was back to normal strength.

As others have said - night time can exaccberate pain. This will be especially bad if you haven't rested all day.

I'm sorry you're in pain , iv'e had shingles twice a long time ago 10 years apart .
The second time affected a smaller area and didn't last long but i'm sorry to say i suffered pain on and off in the area for a few years afterwards, it wasn't unbearable and faded as time passed.
I agree with the others who tell you to keep resting and look after yourself in the forthcoming weeks and months , it is a nasty virus.

I get what you are saying but my shingles is mild and I dont want to be signed off work all im doing us sitting at a computer which is not a physical activity. I am not travelling to the office which would be stressful but I seeing the GP on Friday and tge only reason us to get the all clear to mix with people because I was told I was infectious

So you haven’t been prescribed anti viral meds? They have to be started quickly after diagnosis. Is the rash tracking a nerve? Do you have blisters? Sorry to ask so many questions. I get why working from home is ok, but don’t overdo it. Just rest when you can.

Did they prescribe you anti virals? That should help pass quicker but think you have to start them within 48 hours.
Definitely agree with pain being worse at night.
Please, please dont underestimate how tired it makes you. You must rest x

I had mild shingles a few years ago. The GP told me to rest and I was like, but I feel fine? The nerve pain was more shuddery sick-making than actual pain. Queasy tingling. I’m FINE.

So I carried on working. From home, like you.

And then I was very not fine for about 5 days. Wiped out in bed.

It’s a bastard of a virus. You really do need to rest even if you don’t want to or feel you need to. I used the time well, watching multiple seasons of Emily in Paris I believe. May as well rot my brain if my body is rotting in bed. ;-)

This is very normal with shingles - I’ve had two bouts in the past year. You must rest and be gentle with yourself - the pain may well ease and come back. The primary reason why it hurts more at night is to do with blood pressure.
Paracetamol doesn’t touch nerve pain. If you feel like you need more pain relief your GP should prescribe Gabapentin. This works specifically on nerve pain and is very effective.
I suspect that the reason I had a recurrence was that I tried to struggle on the first time and didn’t rest properly - don’t be like me!! If I got another dose of it I would accept however long the GP wanted to sign me off for.
Be kind to yourself!

Joining the shingles club... just been diagnosed this morning and on anti-virals.

Sorry to hear you're feeling shitty, OP. Illnesses often seem to be worse at night - think it's a circadian rhythm thing. Hope you feel better soon!

Has anyone had a mild case, am I definitely to expect feeling horribly wiped out at some point? I feel OK at the moment, just a bit tired and sore where the rash is, but it's only a small patch.

PS - the only way you can transmit shingles is through someone touching the liquid from inside your blisters!

Yes I was prescribed anti virals on saturday by a hospital not the Gp

I am not a doctor so I wouldn't know if my rash is tracking a nerve

Sorry to hear you're coping with shingles. Years ago, a relative in her 80s told me that, 'I thought I was tough; I had gave birth twice; but shingles is excruciating.' All the stoic people I know who've had shingles have said how miserable it is. And it is definitely linked to tiredness and stress.
DH took gabapentin, which is also used for depression. He said it didn't make things hurt less, it just made him care less that he was hurting ...
Most people with a painful condition (or indeed any illness) of any kind will tell you that evening is the toughest time. Your body has worked hard all day, the time for meds is far off and your body is tired because fighting/ignoring pain is tiring. Most people delay their evening meds until bedtime to help them sleep through.

Sending sympathy. I had shingles last summer and the pain was definitely worse at night. Apparently it is a common problem. Although it has been 6 months since I was diagnosed, I still have some residual pain at times. It's a bastard of an illness. Take care of yourself.

Thanks. Gavapebtin sounds extreme. I have a holiday booked for March to australia. I hope i can still go i tried to book my holiday insurance but the company wouldn't give me a quote because they said I need the all clear to travel first. When I was diagnosed on Saturday I said can I go on holiday in march and the doctor said yes your symptoms are mild.

I have questions to ask the GP. As for rest I think I need it confirmed ny the Gp so that I can tell work because as far as they are concerned, I am working fro home because I am infectious and im seeing the doctor to find out uf I am no longer infectious and then i will be declared ok to be around people therefore I can go into the office

By the way my head has stopped itching

I’ve been prescribed amitriptyline for nerve pain caused by shingles before and it worked really well. It literally just shut off the pain where I had been taking more that the max dose of paracetamol and Nurofen with no improvement.

The shingles I get is on one side of my head. I do get pain at night but surprisingly I find that sleeping with that side of my head pressed into the pillow much reduces the pain. (Whereas the wind blowing my hair really can hurt!)

I hope you feel better soon.

The painkillers I use are over the counter annoying extra and they ease the pain well
How long did you need your pain meds for? I know when my sciatica was bad I had cocodamol for about 18 months and then I didn't need them anymore be ayse my sciatica got better

I've actually got a concert ticket booked for next week. I will still go. Just travel to the venue and watch the concert and travel home. Not a strenuous activity lol

@PerkyOchrePeer if the rash can be covered and you feel ok then you can go to work as shingles can only transmit chickenpox with direct contact with fluid from the shingles blisters

Ok

My rash us in my forehead and no doctor would permit me to go to work ir anywhere else unless the blisters were crushed over and someone on here advised taking lots of rest so I dont think travelling to and from the office would be OK as I would be travelling in rush hour

I think it suits that the people that have the shingles jab are people age 70. I never had chickenpox as a child. I was 31 and I think people who have never had chickenpox as a child but as an adult should be eligible. Plenty of younger people get shingles and this government should allow people to get the jab earlier. I

That’s not how this works. You only get shingles if you’ve had the chickenpox. So if you have the shingles now you’ve had the chickenpox.

if you haven’t had the chickenpox then you get the get the chickenpox.

Either way,,, I do think there is something true about pain being worse at night scientifically speaking.