3 Answers

My grandfather went through this 2 times. It's awful and yes, she sounds right on par with what she will go through. Shingles are very painful and decreased eating is normal. Keep her on boost and try her with jello, pudding and cold soup (the heat will aggravate the mouth blisters she will get from being on high doses of antibiotics). It can take up to 3 weeks to see good improvement. The doctor might give her something for the pain. Check with the nurse. 

When I first heard about Shingles I asked my doc about the vaccine! So glad I did!  I think medicare covers the vaccine Please everyone take advantage of the shot!

Poor thing they are painful here are some things that will help.

First off Shingles are inflamed raw nerves. They come from the Chicken Pox virus and can be triggered any time . Stress is a major trigger. Illness and trauma to the body are as well. There is no cure , it just has to run its course and can take up to 6 months or longer. They most commonly  appear on the trunk of the body usually in the back shoulder blade area  or on the stomach and around the waste.

It is imperative that you keep her cool an dry and as stress free as possible. Getting frustrated makes them worse. Pain raises the stress level and it raises the body temperature and causes sweat . So keep her on a good pain medication . Vikodin, Methadone, Percocets, whatever helps. Her doctor should have no problem prescribing any of those , If he doesn't find a better doctor. Pain slows the bodies ability to heal as fast. She needs to eat , hungry or not. As long as she isn't nauseated from eating let her know Its whats going to give her body the fuel it needs to heal itself. Still give her the Boost too. Lack of nutrition will make her week and sleep a lot. But worse, it will make her susceptible to bacterial infections on top of the Shingles.  If she is sleeping  that much you need to have her do deep breathing exercises  for  a few minutes and cough a few times  everytime she is awake . She will be very susceptible to pneumonia . When we sleep our breathing is very shallow.Fluid collect naturally in our lungs but throughout the day we cough and clear our throats without realizing it. When we are dormant and breathing shallow for long periods of time that fluid becomes very dense and like cement in our lungs. Foods high in vitamin C, zinc, calcium, and beta-carotene can boost the immune system, reduce the skin inflammation and prevent the spreading of the rash. Zinc especially helps repair skin tissue and promotes healthy skin post the infection.

Put plain oatmeal in a blender and blend until it becomes a powder. Put it in her bath water (make water cool so not to induce sweating.) every time she bathes (twice a day if you can) I use a full container of oatmeal each time .This will help sooth the raw nerve endings and give her some relief. After she is dried off allow the area to air dry for a bit. If the area is seeping gently pat it dry and apply  a good thick layer of Liquid Mylanta, Maylox or Calamine lotion. It will sooth the area and it  will keep the area dry especially if its seeping. (FYI Mylanta and Maylox are a great way to heal  deep nasty  bed sores), NO POWDERS! Powders turn pasty and then become a breeding ground for bacteria. If she is sleeping that much you need to make sure she is turning regularly, every hour so that it can get air to it. Keep garments off of it. Even the silkiest material feels like thousands of  tiny needles being shoved in the area.

 If you cant keep the sweating from happening and its getting in the shingles,Try thoroughly cleaning the area and pat dry. Use a new  Plain Chapstick (use name brand) slightly warmed so that its pliable without causing pain is amazing when applied to the area AFTER it has been cleaned and dried off.. The wax in it, acts as a barrier keeping  sweat and other small  debris from getting in the sores. IF YOU DO USE THIS MAKE SURE  you clean it completely using a warm cloth and a antibacterial cleanser a few times a day, removing all the Chapstick, allow it to dry completely and get some air to it for a little bit before reaplying it. This may be too painful to do , so she might not be able to use it . If you keep applying it without doing this it will lock in natural bacteria and make it a ideal place for it to multiply and cause a secondary infection as well.  It works for humid areas .