Can shingles make your kidneys hurt?

Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some, it can be intense. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for a symptom of problems affecting the heart, lungs or kidneys. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash.

Can shingles cause flank pain?

Shingles or other conditions. Flank pain that is accompanied by a rash on one side of your body can be a sign of shingles, which is caused by the varicella-zoster (chicken pox) virus. Liver disease or gastrointestinal problems may also cause pain in your flank.

Can shingles affect internal organs?

Body systems that can be affected include the eyes, nervous system, lungs, liver, and brain. Internal shingles can cause symptoms such as persistent pain, fever, cough, abdominal pain, and headache. When shingles affects internal organs, it’s a serious complication that requires urgent medical attention.

Is back pain a side effect of shingles?

Shingles is an infection of the spinal nerves by the herpes virus causing painful blisters on the skin of the affected dermatome. Patients may experience back pain in the lumbar spine preceding the outbreak of shingles. After the infection subsides, some patients may still experience chronic nerve pain.

Can shingles pain be mistaken for kidney stones?

In fact, the severe pain that often precedes the rash is often misdiagnosed as a result of kidney stones, gallstones, appendicitis, heart attacks and other conditions. Most cases of shingles go away naturally without treatment.

Can shingles feel like kidney stone?

Shingles and Postherpetic Neuralgia Portherpetic neuralgia is caused by shingles and often requires the help of a pain management doctor for treatment. The nerve pain can be so severe that it has been compared to passing a kidney stone, or even labor. It is considered a complication of shingles.

What does it feel like to have kidney pain?

Symptoms of kidney pain Kidney pain is usually a constant dull ache deep in your right or left flank, or both flanks, that often gets worse when someone gently hits the area. Only one kidney is usually affected in most conditions, so you typically feel pain on only one side of your back.

How do you get rid of internal shingles?

The good news is that treatment options are available, with antiviral drugs such as Valtrex (valacyclovir) and Zovirax (acyclovir) leading the charge in taking on internal shingles. 2 In addition, vaccines for the varicella virus are available and work quite well in preventing onset.

Can shingles cause pain all over the body?

A few days later, you may see a rash in the spot where you felt the pain. It’s usually only on one side of your body or face, but it can, in rare cases, form on your face or all over your body. The condition also: Causes a sharp, stabbing, or burning pain.

Why is my shingles pain getting worse?

Postherpetic neuralgia occurs if your nerve fibers are damaged during an outbreak of shingles. Damaged fibers can’t send messages from your skin to your brain as they normally do. Instead, the messages become confused and exaggerated, causing chronic, often excruciating pain that can last months — or even years.

What are the final stages of shingles?

The 4 stages of shingles and how the condition progresses

• The stages of shingles are tingling pain, followed by a burning feeling and a red rash, then blistering, and finally the blisters will crust over.
• You will typically develop a rash about 1-5 days after you feel numbness or tingling pain.

Does shingles always need treatment?

There is no treatment for shingles, which is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox; however, antiviral medications can reduce the length and severity of symptoms. In approximately 33 percent of the cases, the patient will develop severe complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What is the best medicine for shingles?

There are two shingles vaccines. Shingrix (RZV) is recommended over the older vaccine, Zostavax, because it is more than 90\% effective in preventing a shingles outbreak. Who should get it: The CDC recommends that you get this vaccine if you’re 50 or older.

How do I deal with shingles pain?

Antiviral medications These medicines may slow down the progress of the shingles rash,especially if taken within the first 72 hours of developing symptoms.

Antiviral medications.

Painkillers Some people experience long-term shingles nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) which is a severe,unpleasant long-term shingles nerve pain.