I just found out I have shingles, what are the odds of me getting nerve damage from them and is it permanent?

Shingles are caused by the Chicken Pox virus that has stayed dormant in your nerves since you had the chicken pox until now. It has waited for your immune system to weaken so that it can rear its ugly head and - voila!! Shingles. It needs to be treated as soon as possible to lessen your chances of getting post-herpetic neuralgia. There are also some injections that a pain management specialist can perform to also lessen your chances of getting post-herpetic neuralgia. I believe that these injections (procedure) are safer and better than having to take meds to relieve the pain afterwards. In general, the sooner the better. After six to 12 weeks, the chances of the injections preventing post-herpetic neuralgia lessen. Good luck.