Day 5 of facial/ocular shingles; having a lot of pain at the base of my skull, behind ear, too; result of swollen lymph nodes? possibly occipital lymph? also swollen node in sideburn area; it's causing such a headache for past few days?

All those symptoms can occur with shingles which affects the fifth nerve with or without bacterial superinfection. I assume you have been receiving antiviral therapy. You can take analgesic, either prescribed narcotic/NSAID or OTC NSAID for the pain and headache. It is too late for antiviral med if you have not taken it. I wish the disease does not involve the cornea. Good luck!

Some of the most uncomfortable patients I've seen have been ones with shingles involving the head. Eye involvement is very serious. You should be aggressively treated by a neurologist experienced in such cases and an ophthalmologist for your eye involvement. Antiviral meds, oral corticosteroids, effective headache relievers are important. The ophthalmologist will prescribe the eye meds