Shingles for 6 months - what can I do?

[BreakfastClub80]

Hi,

I’ve apparently had shingles for 6 months, only diagnosed recently, and a first treatment of antivirals hasn’t got rid of it. It did improve for about a month but is back and itching intensely!

It’s a saga but I had an infected blister in January on my foot, followed by other bumps which I now know were shingles but at the time weren’t diagnosed. So I treated the infection with antibiotic cream and then used this as and when the shingles appeared. This got rid of it temporarily each time as it had corticosteroids in the cream too. Finally diagnosed, and advised not to use this cream any longer so now the shingles is back it doesn’t seem to be easing at all. It’s a tiny patch on my foot but it’s driving me crazy.

I’ll book the GP again next week but any advice in the meantime?

I thought my immune system was ok despite chemo in 23/24, but I presume I need to bolster it now, am taking vit C and zinc for that. Again, would anything else help?

Thanks in advance.

I had it in my eye for three years

Wow, I’m sorry to hear that, I hope it didn’t damage your sight? Did it eventually stop?

Yep it did damage my eye, had to give up career in IT ...life changing...I would count your blessings, highly likely it will stop, but avoid stress, good luck 👍

Who diagnosed the shingles? And on what basis? I.e. based on the appearance? Swabs? Any blood testing?

Six months is a long time for shingles. Is there any problem with your immune system?

Have you had a blood test for pemphigoid antibodies?

Are they sure it’s shingles and not HSV? I was misdiagnosed with shingles for about 3 years (it kept coming back repeatedly) before they realised it was actually HSV on my skin

I eventually paid for a private GP to swab mine and that’s how I found out!

Thanks everyone, has definitely given me something to ask the GP. I had no idea there were other possibilities.

i was diagnosed by sight, as had a very new blister at the time. So no other tests.

I think my immune system is good but maybe the chemo has left some weakness.