Question:
I know this is not a gential herpes question, but it's a herpes based question.

I occasionally get cold sores (HSV-1) around my mouth and nose. I'm a healthy 30 year-old female. Recently, I had a very strong burning sensation right next to my right eye. The next day, there appeared to be a cold sore (a group of blisters about the size of a dime) immediately next to my eye and I developed a large bag under my eye that got larger and larger for 3 days before it began to go down (it was under my entire eye. I looked liked I had a black eye)... it was red and swollen and it itched. The right side of my face tingled and itched and at times felt numb. I went to the doc and she told me that I had shingles and gave me Valtrex and told me to see an opthalmologist to be sure it wasn't in my eye.

It was several days before I could get to the eye doc, and the spot had crusted over and the swelling had gone away. He said that there was nothing in my eye and that it looked more like a cold sore than shingles, but that it was too late to tell for sure.

Can anyone help me determine what this is? I've never had a cold sore at my eye before... only on my mouth and inside my nose. And, I've never had swelling, itching and numbness over a larger area when I've had a cold sore on my mouth.

I got on valtrex with 24 hours of the initial rash and I'm still on it. The doc said that if I have the severe pain normally associated with shingles that we'd know for sure, but he also said that many people don't have the pain especially when they get on Valtrex quickly.

Any advice is much appreciated!!!

Answer:
What you had was a clear case of HSV-1 NOT SHINGLES... Some doctors really disappoint me sometimes... They're too afraid to tell you they don't know so they tell you some BS... If you had shingles you'd be out for a few days... Shingles can affect the entire body and feels like an never ending flu... There is a girl at my work right now with a case of shingles... Shes hasn't been to work in at least 2 months because she feels so bad... Not to mention that for alot of ppl shingles can last a long time... From what I hear this girl can't even get out of bed she feels so bad... HSV-1 can affect the eye portions of your body... In fact HSV-1 can affect your ears, eye's nose, on or around the mouth and the interior of your mouth although that is un-common... Anyhow I can assure you you didn't get shingles, 98% sure of that from your description... It is wise to get infections around the eye check Immidiatly because if left un checked it could make you go blind... Try reading my article, I've posted it on this forum, its called EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS part 2 final... It will answer any question you still might be curious about....

Rich

Answer:
Two doctors told me it was shingles (herpes-zoster) and one told me it was a cold sore. I'm trying to get some blood work done to determine which it was... it may be too late though. The eye doc says it's important to know because cold sores can cause more damage to the eyes than shingles can... but either could cause blindness if left untreated. Thanks for the reply!!!

Answer:
When you get shingles they appear all around your body... You wouldn't get just one shingles sore on the eye... I still don't believe you have shingles... Shingles are a strain of chicken pox... Also shingles appear in many clusters, not just one sore...

Rich