Well, I tell you. My Father got the Shingles in early March, with Post Herpetic Neuralgia that followed. It's been living Hell! First he had Belly Pain. I, being an MD myself, assumed something internal. We took him to his PMD office after 48 hours, he looked, and BEHOLD: SHINGLES! So-he got the week of Valtrex; I made sure he took every capsule. But he suffered Depression, nausea, constipation, and he still spends about 23 hours/day in bed. He is 88, but was walking around, reading Omar Sharif Bridge column, doing Sudoko puzzles, before this Catastrophe hit the fan. Now, he rarely reads. For the itching I have tried Capsaicin, tea treat oil, and calamine. We went to his PMD-who is HIS age(!), after I sent a desperate fax to the Doctor. He said "well, you don't have pneumonia or heart failure, we can't send you to Amsterdam or Oregon" (legal Euthenasia places HaHa). So, he gave Dad Lyrica, Lidoderm patches, and Ritalin to pep him up. He eats when coaxed, but not all that well. He also prescibed physical therapy. Father was evaluated by the therapist on Thursday, and had the first thirty-minute session today. I give him fiber with water in the AM and Miralax at night for the constipation, but he has used multiple fleet enemas and I had to give him a soap suds enema yesterday and pick him up from the floor to the toilet. I am an almost 54 y.o. man myself. He lives alone with me. I've been wanting to get help here, but Dad is reluctant. What a Mess!
I am getting MY Shingles shot within the next month! I remember Chicken Pox quite well, and I had it fifty years ago.