shingles

[zgod]

Hi,

I am a 25 year old male; I'm healthy as can be. Last year around Christmas time I was diagnosed with shingles. It was attacking the back of the eye causing chorioretinitis, and I also presented with a rash on both sides of my body and essentially from head to toe, but there was never any clear indication that it was related. Fluid from my right eye was removed and much blood as well, and sent to the lab for various tests. The tests concluded that I had shingles and that I had no underlying condition to cause it. My immune system is absolutely fine so the etiology is unkown, but the theory is that it was caused by Prednisone that I had taken for poison ivy.

Treatment consisted of valacyclovir 6,000 mg/day for several months, and finally on my last appt., about 4 months ago, I was clear. Since that time my vision has remained essentially the same with some peripheral issues in my right eye. My concern is that the blind areas of my peripheral have seemed to become a bit worse - not increasing in area, but just becoming more blind than just hard to make out things (if that makes sense?). I have noticed some slight (very slight) floaters in my unaffected eye. Both eyes will (more so my right) have an almost fluctuating peripherial that dissipates and stops after some time. This occurs when my eyes are adjusting, going from dark to light or light to dark environment. Sometimes in my left (unaffected) eye I'll see what look kind of like heat waves in my vision when it's very sunny out, but then these go away in about a minute or so. When I originally had shingles I had a lot of pressure in my temple and a ton of pressure behind my eye like someone was trying to push it out. I have not had any symptoms like that, and my eyes feel fine, not like they're irritated by infection.  I must also mention that these things have been going on for awhile now and if they've gotten worse in the past months it's only be slightly. I am just very paranoid and DO NOT want to go blind so my question is whether or not these sound like symptoms of just a damaged retina or if it would be more likely a recurrence of shingles? An infectious disease specialist informed me that I should not get shingles again, that it would be EXTREMELY unlikely. I have another appt. sometime this month but I am just so nervous that I'd thought I'd get some input from doctors on here.

I must also mention that when I developed a new lesion of shingles in my right eye I did notice some slight peripheral fluctuation in the corner of my left eye but didn't mention it because it was so slight that I thought it was probably was nothing. It was after this that I noticed the heat waves in my eye, but again it was so slight that I figured it was nothing either. Again, these are things that have been going on for a very long time, so my other question would be how long would it take for shingles to cause blindness in a healthy person?

Oh, also, I haven't noticed any new floaters, other than the slight ones in my left, and those aren't getting worse, they're just saying the same and not increasing in numbers.

Thanks,
Zach

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Becca4143]

I have had multiple shingles infections in the trigeminal nerve, the last one affecting my eye.. I was hospitalized for meningitis during that one. I am 39, otherwise healthy, and the only thing that each infection has in common is that I had steroids within 3 weeks of onset of symptoms. This has happened 3 times over the last 15 years. Shingles (VZV) absolutely can cause heat waves in the eye. It can cause many medically "unexplained" symptoms... Listen to your body and never stop asking questions. Dr Nagel is out of Denver, and she has done extensive research on the misunderstood and elusive shingles virus. I really hope that the medical doctors will open their eyes and ears to what patients are saying to them, and research it. The antiquated information most are relying on is simply harming those of us (and there are many) that are suffering this illness. I pray this helps someone looking for help. Ask for VZV DNA testing also... Not just IGG.
Best in health!
Becca

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Shingles rarely causes blindness.  You may have gotten shingles even without the predinison, it happens.  There is a risk you could get shingles a secont time (4%). You need to take your concerns to an eye MD ophthalmologist. Shingles does not cause "heat waves" in the eye. that is usually eye migraines or transient ischemic attacks (TIA)

JCH MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Shingles rarely causes blindness.  You may have gotten shingles even without the predinison, it happens.  There is a risk you could get shingles a secont time (4%). You need to take your concerns to an eye MD ophthalmologist. Shingles does not cause "heat waves" in the eye. that is usually eye migraines or transient ischemic attacks (TIA)

JCH MD