My mother is 80 years old and has shingles. She has been to a doctor and has medication for pain. She is 3 weeks into the shingles and is  not getting any better. She is in extreme pain, shivers, tingling.  What do we do? Will taking her to the Emergency room be of any help?
Thank you for contacting ChatDoctorI am sorry to hear about your mother has shingles as this can be a very painful condition. Shingles is a reactivation of an old chickenpox virus in nerve endings. Initially we start an antiviral medication at the onset of the shingles and then treat with pain management. We frequently use narcotics to help with pain and also use anti-seizure medication like gabapentin to help reduce pain and tingling sensations. This may take weeks to month to control. I recommend that you seek medical attention through her regular physician. Hope this answers your question. Please contact us again with your questions and concerns