Dizziness preceding Shingles

[notwhatiaskedfor]

After 2-1/2 weeks of dizziness, I broke out with Shingles on forehead and eye.  It took 5 doctors' visits to get the Shingles dx'd and all docs wanted me to see a Neurologist about the dizziness.  Finally got in to see my Neuro who thinks the two are related but wants a brain MRI.  

1) How might dizziness be related to Shingles if Shingles rash not in or around the ear?  (lymph nodes under ear & parotids were swollen)  Not vertigo BTW but odd feeling of dizziness when turn head or move eyes sideways.

2) My eye slightly droops and docs disagree on Bell's Palsy.  Comments?  

Many thanks for your time doctors ...

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

The herpes infection can involve other nerves in the area of the primary infection - for example the trigeminal nerve (shingles over the eye/forehead), facial nerve (shingles around the ear and a face droop), and vestibular nerve (dizzuness and vertigo), and auditory nerve (hearing loss). Due to nerve inflammation, it may take weeks to months for the symptoms to resolve. An MRI may show contrast enhancement in the nerves affected. An MRI  and MRA would be worth doing to exclude a mass lesion, especially in the setting of a droopy eyelid which may imply 'Horners syndrome' - a problem with the sympathetic nerve supply of the eye - common causes include a neck artery dissection (tear) or a masss lesion in the neck. Treamtent for a herpetic 'shingles' infection is with acyclovir and steroids but is only shown to helpful in the first 2-3 weeks of the infection. After that the nerve just have ot recover by themselves over time.

[birdfeeder]

A related discussion, Eye scan, dizziness, shingles was started.