Shingles

Rats!
I seem to have just come down with this dreaded condition. It emerged after I took Prednisone for an ear problem. Apparently, the drug stops your body's natural immune system, and it was just enough that it encouraged the shingles to come out and make its presence known.
I developed all the lesser symptoms, like headache, nausea, and chills. And there is no rash yet. But the shooting pains up and down my left side are awful!
It went away for a while today, so when I visited my doctor and he confirmed the diagnosis, I didn't ask about pain mitigation. I plan to call tomorrow and ask, but is there anyone out there who can advise on this? As of now I'm using Advil (ibuprofen) and pretty much at the maximum safe dosage recommended.