Summary
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last year, I broke out with a severe case of shingles. The blisters are long gone, but I still have pain that, I am told, might last indefinitely. Do you agree? I saw on TV that an injection has been developed that helps people who have had shingles. Any information will be appreciated. - V.H.
ANSWER: Shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus that has lived in nerve cells ever since a chickenpox infection in childhood. After the rash of shingles leaves, a good number of people still suffer from pain in the same area where the rash was. The pain comes from nerve damage done by the virus as it made its way down the nerve root to the skin. People describe it as burning, throbbing or even itching. Even a shirt or blouse touching the involved skin can cause an outburst of agonizing pain. The condition is now called postherpetic (herpes zoster is the virus) neuralgia.See the full content of this document
Extract
New Vaccine, Zostavax, Helps Prevent Shingles
Usually all pain is gone in three months. Others have a more protracted course that lasts months or years, but I have never heard of it lasting indefinitely. I ...
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