Shingles & Jaw Pain

[not_fun]

I have just been diagnosed with Shingles on the left of my back.  This rash came up 3 days ago along with a cold sore on my lip.  2 days prioir to this I had sharp crack in my ear and since has cronic pain in jaw and buring sensation.  The doctor has prescribed 800mg Aciclovir 5 times daily.

I have seen a number of references to Trigeminal neuralgia as a symptom to shingles on the face?  My major concern is that all I have seen suggests that if Shingles occurs on face it will all most certainly affect the eye potentially causing blindess????  I have severly short sighted (almost blind) in my right eye and am panicing that shingle is about to breakout on my nose, cheek, eyes.  The doctor did not seem to think they were related.

1)Given the outbreak of shingles on my back and the jaw /buring pain, should I expect shingles to occur on my face?
2) If so and it does, how long after initial jaw pain does it occur?
3)And what are the chances of shingles psreading and I loosing the sight in my eye.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

No connection.  Shingles (zoster) affects one nerve root.  If it's the trigeminal nerve root, there can be other consequences, but blindness is in any case very rare, and only a consideration if the forehead and tip of the nose are involved.  If the nerve on the back is involved, it can't affect your face, so you needn't worry.  If you have additional questions, your doctor should be able to straighten you out.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[DeeDee2424]

A related discussion, Shingles and eye pain was started.

[not_fun]

Thanks Dr. Rockoff.  For clarification is it possible to have shingles on the back and then days later get shingles on nose/forehead?  If so could Trigeminal neuralgia be a precursor to this?

Regards