Shingles

[nela]

My mother has hx of herpes on her lips. She was recently hospitalized, went to a nsg home for Rehab, where there were 3 cases of shingles on her unit. Approx 10 days after disch from nsg home, she developed blisters on her lips. Possible fever. Then approx 5 days later, began w/ LS back pain,to the point of excrutiating pain w/ any simple movement. Is now hospitalized w/o diagnosis of back pain. Unrelieved w/ narcotics, but lidocaine patch has helped. No outbreak of blisters. HAs been now approx 7 days since blisters on lips started and 5 days w/ pain. Could she possibly have internal shingles?

[Belle22]

A related discussion, Internal Shingles was started.

[clo24]

Has anyone ever heard of internal shingle's? Over the weekend I started feeling pain under my arm. The pain got worse by the hour and by Monday I was miserable. I could not take deep breath's without it feeling like my lungs were going to explode. Did I have pneumonia? Had I pulled a muscle? Cracked a rib? I knew something was wrong but never expected my diagnosis to be internal shingle's. As was explained to me, it is like the blister in on the inside and taking the medication's they put me on, in five to seven days, they rise to skin in a bruised form. I don't know!! I have never heard of it and can't seem to find to much info on it. I just know the pain is almost intolerable!
Thanks!
clo24

[Twirley]

Hi nela. Be very careful with rashes and blisters. I had a  rash with blisters on my neck, with pain in the back of my neck that I could not tolerate. I went to emergency at the hospital for the pain, not worrying about the rash or blistering cause I was in such pain. They diagnosed me with a pinched nerve and gave me anti-inflamitories and Demoral which did nothing to help the pain. I went to my doctor 2 days later and found out I had shingles and it was too late to treat it. It spread down my shoulder to my arm and hand. It was so bad and so painful I felt my bones were burning. It is a year and a half later now and I am paralized, my left arm and hand and am on narcotics and neurontin for damaged nerves, yet i suffer with pain everyday. My ulner nerve was killed and the other 2 main nerves are barely alive. I never knew one could get shingles anywhere aecept on the waistline. I found out that it can be anywhere on your body, even on the face. Two people have had parts of their bodies go paralized now from shingles. I wish they would make it more aware of how harmful they are and I wish Doctors would reeducate themselves in some fields such as shingles. If I knew I had a case, I think I would sue the buggers who ruined my life.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Shingles refers to reactivation of the chickenpox virus.  It is only contagious to people who never had the chickenpox--and there are few adults for whom this is true.  Also, shingles (zoster) always brings blisters after a few days.  So it is doubtful that this what your mother has.  Herpes on the lips is herpes simplex, a different virus than the one that causes zoster (also called "herpes zoster"--hence the confusion.)  Lip herpes wouldn't cause back pain.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff