throbbing head pain, not migraine. don't know where to turn

[mattymatty5000]

it all started when I got shingles on lower back and down my right leg.  this was 3 weeks ago. I was prescribed prednisone and Valaciclovir. this worked well, and the shingles is all but gone, rash almost cleared up, pain in leg gone.  after 3 days of the treatment, I started getting a pain around my right eye.  it may or may not have to do with shingles, i'm thinking its not related but I guess it could be.  the pain felt like eye strain, so I went back to the Dr he said it wasn't related to shingles, and washed it out, didn't help. I went to my eye doctor, again no issues found.  the pain has since grown to include the top of my head, and up high on the forehead, my scalp is very tender and sore. feels like when your hair is pulled back tight in a pony tail for too long that ache you get.  and I get a sudden throbbing pain every so often that doesn't seem to be brought on by anything.  sometimes the throb occurs in my ear, sometimes up high on the head.  today the new symptom is my throat hurts on that side, not like a sore throat, but like actual throat pain. doesn't hurt when I swallow, just feels tender there.  this is all on the same side as the shingles was one.  also same side that I get migraines, but this is different pain than the migraines.  

to sum it up, sore scalp, throbbing pain every 5 minutes or so near ear/sometimes up high on forehead, pain around eye and eyebrow, mostly in the outside corner that I feel the most when I blink. pain in the throat.  all on the same side.
I have an appointment with my Dr to hopefully get some blood tests. I think its either an inflamed nerve, stress/nothing, or a larger problem like thyroid or fibromyalgia or something like that.  

[Tuckamore]

Hello and Welcome. Please excuse my tardy response. I've been on vacation.

What you are experiencing is not rare following a bout of Shingles. It can be caused by the Shingles Virus - that is still lingering in your system. I am not a physician and they certainly are more knowledgeable than I. However I'm surprised that they are not connecting your pain the the Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Virus.

There is a condition called Postherpetic neuralgia. It is a complication of Shingles, which is caused by the chickenpox (herpes zoster) virus. Postherpetic neuralgia affects nerve fibers and skin, causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear. Shingles actually causes injury to the nerves. Though you had the Shingles rash in one area your body - it doesn't mean that it didn't effect other nerve fibers where there was no rash.  Nerve pain tends to increase and decrease, even be in different areas and is unpredictably. .

There are medications that can ease the pain,  Lyrica and Gabapentin are often prescribed. Discuss this with your physician.

Again I am not a physician - where your best answers will come from - but I've witnessed patients and friends with similar problems following Shingles. If you do a bit of research you'll find more facts.

I wish you the best. Please keep in touch and let us know what you find out. I'll be very interested to hear more from you.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[Newfie49]

This sounds like you should not wait for your doctor appointment and go to the ER. Fibromyalgia consists of bilateral pain both above and below the waist, so it's probably is not that. Other than that, I don't have enough knowledge to guess. Just doesn't seem like something I would wait on. Best wishes.