I am a 53 year old white female. I was diagnosed with shingles Oct 5, 2012 on forehead and scalp; left eye swollen hideously. I was put on acyclovir and a round of steroids prescribed by ER physician. The actual crusting and healing of those lesions occurred within 3-4 weeks. After that I itched so severely on my scalp that I broke down in frustration and scratched vigorously to the point of making sores. I found a primary dr that I could barely afford and was given another round of acyclovir and 100 mg neurontin orally every 8 hrs. The sores on scalp have yet to go away. Once the scabs get so dry they itch and scratching causes the scabs to break loose along their edges. I tried keeping antibiotic ointment on the scabs so they didn't dry to the point of itching, but all that happened was that large, moist edges pulled free and because it never quits itching I end up scratching off most of the scabs, leaving sores that will be more scabs - a vicious cycle. This has gone on for 5+ months now and there is no relief in sight. I now take 100mg neurontin every 6 hrs and the doctor said there's a good chance I will have to take neurontin for the rest of my life. I'm afraid I'm going to get an infection from these sores never healing. HELP! What should I do?