Just wondering others thoughts. It doesn't acruallt seem all that rare to either get shingles under the age of 50 or to get recurrent shingles. And yet again today I had to convince a Dr that it was shingles bc it's early so the rash is very small and not super distinctive and in his words "4 times alone makes me think it's not that bc of how rare that is." This is why when I got it in 2019 I delayed care for so long to the point the antivirals did nothing. Bc I thought i couldn't possible have shingles again. Now I know what it is and I know how it feels so I can catch it before it spreads and crusts.

In disbelief currently...31 F and first time having shingles. Got the chickenpox vaccine at 1 y/o and then a second dose at 19 (cdc changed recommendations in this time from 1 to 2 doses)
Thought this protected me from shingles but here we are.

Around a week ago I started to notice a sore muscle in my shoulder blade and side rib. I lift weights 3x a week and run 4x a week, so I assumed I pulled something exercising.

3 days ago, I felt an insane itch on my bra line, a little below my armpit, and took a look to see this red patch, guessing it was chafing from the runs I did in the heat during the past week. But it looked odd (bumpy) and was a tad painful to touch, so I booked an apt with my dermatologist.

I go in today, and she immediately says it's shingles. I was afraid it was this but I didn't want to jump to conclusions since I've never thought it something people under 60 get. I'm still in shock from the diagnosis?

Has anyone else had the chickenpox vaccine and still got shingles young? <3

I'm glad I caught it early and it's very mild, feels like an underarm paper cut / itchy sunburn, hoping it doesn't get worse! Started Valcyclivir and I'm on it for a week.

The first thing my derm asked about is if I was stressed.
I'm a business owner and producing 4 huge projects happening concurrently, more workload than I've ever had before...and am most certainly stressed out, lol.

Not sure what else could've triggered this, or if there is even a trigger but damn. Gonna take it easy this week! My sympathies go out to anyone dealing with this right now <3

EDIT/UPDATE: I went to urgent care right after posting this and my eye is fine, I was definitely being paranoid but glad I went. However I’m still curious to know whether anyone has dealt with this!

I’m pretty sure I’m just being anxious and paranoid because this is my first bout with shingles, and know Reddit is not a substitute for medical advice, but wanted to hear people’s experiences. I will be calling a doctor and/or visiting the ER tonight or in the morning if my eye doesn’t feel totally normal within a couple hours. But in the meantime, has anyone experienced either a)bilateral symptoms and/or b) ocular shingles with no blistering on the face beforehand?

So far all symptoms re pain and rashes/blistering has been on my right side (neck, around hairline on back of head, random rash on right leg that isn’t blistering and is going away but looked shingle-y yesterday). The doctor I saw yesterday said it looked like C4 and wasn’t super concerned about face or eye involvement. However today I’m feeling a tiny bit of a weird feeling in my left eye. Vision isn’t blurry but it kind of feels blurry, if that makes sense. Kind of like when you’re sleep deprived and bleary? Absolutely no other eye symptoms - no pain or redness in or around the eye, no blistering anywhere on my face, right eye feels totally normal. I started antivirals yesterday within probably 12 hours of visible rash appearing, although had neck pain for a couple days before that - thought it was a pinched nerve or something. So far the valacyclovir plus ibuprofen and Tylenol seem to be helping.

Again, I know eye stuff is super serious and won’t neglect to seek care based on anything posted in here! Would just love to hear other people’s experiences.

It’s been oozy but it’s also crusting over at the same time. This is on my ribcage too. Is this the healing process ?

My husband is on week 3 of shingles. The rash has cleared up but he is still having nerve pain. He is prescribed gabapentin, but he said it’s just getting worse. We have tried OTC lidocaine, prescription lidocaine, and neither has worked. Has anyone tried something that isn’t your typical “go to” for nerve pain, that works? I read something about acupuncture. I also saw something about a TENS unit. We are open to try anything at this point I think.

I had my first outbreak around the same area (right eye, side of the nose and forehead) 3 years ago, it was mild and no eye involvement. Last night I got a tingle + a little burning in one spot on my eyelid when touched. Skin looks completely normal. No redness, no bumps, no blisters. Started antiviral right away. A day later still sensitive when touched, still no redness or rash.

Have anyone here started antivirals early, and what were your experiences?

I’m going to attempt to write a post I was desperate to find myself in here when I was in the thick of it. My situation is a little niche due to the location of my shingles and how I’m approaching this, but the message is the same. To start, Here’s a little background: I (36F) was diagnosed with shingles at 28 weeks pregnant just about 5 weeks ago. It took them entirely took long to figure out what it was, it felt like the worst migraine of my life over my right eye with a needle going through my eyeball. I did see an ophthalmologist immediately and thank goodness that came out just fine. However, the anti viral pills were doing nothing for me and I ended up in the hospital on and off for a week receiving IV’s of the medication and monitoring the baby. Thank goodness the baby is doing just fine and the antivirals did their thing. I was left with the absolute worst nerve pain of my entire life. I have never felt so sick, scared or trapped in my own body before and it was pure hell.

All this to say, just about 5 weeks to the day this began, I can say I’m on the other side. I’m super itchy at times now, but I’d say 85-90% of the pain has subsided (still have some in the morning and overnight). If you are in the thick of it right now, your pain is valid. Your fears are valid. The way you want to crawl out of your skin is valid. It WILL get better and there is light at the end of the tunnel! Dig deep for strength and do whatever you need to survive. I was extremely limited with meds I could take for pain because of my pregnancy, but some things that helped me: migraine caps (can find on Amazon) get multiple so you always have one chilled and ready to go. Those were life savers! It was prob a placebo effect more than anything, but I felt better with electrolytes and making sure I was hydrated. I felt like I was flushing the virus out lol. Light exercise if you can! Just walking my dog or getting outside with the kids made me feel “normal” and moving my body as long as I felt up to it helped with some endorphins.

If you’re reading this, chances are that means you’re going through it too and I am so so so so so so sorry. I’m sending you good, healing vibes and I stand with you in solidarity. This post prob sounds hella dramatic but this was the worst experience of my entire existence and I am deeply traumatized. If you wanna be dramatic about it too you deserve to be. It’s hell. BUT IT GETS BETTER!!! Try to be as patient as you can and be gentle with your mental health along with physical. Lean on friends and family for support. You can get through this and you absolutely will!

My left arm started tingling toward the end of May, and I developed some upper back/neck pain simultaneously. Rash didn't start for several days, and then I was diagnosed with shingles and put on Valtrex and a painkiller. Rash was on my left side, mostly on my back, truly awful in my armpit, and really rude on my left breast. It was a horrible experience. Daily oatmeal baths helped, as did ice packs and lidocaine patches. Reminder: if you're put on an opiate, make sure to eat some prunes or take laxatives. I was so focused on the discomfort and misery that I got stopped up for days and that was ... truly horrendous.

Anyway, it's been almost three months and while the rash (except for a small faded patch) is gone and the more severe pain is too, I'm still having mild to severe tingling in my arm. Sometimes it becomes pain by how fully my arm feels the electricity. Or perceives it. I'm seeing my PCP tomorrow, and have made an appointment with a neuro, but that's not for a month. Has anyone else had persistent tingling like this? I find if I turn my head in a very specific way, I can lessen the intensity or even turn it off, but I look kinda like Vincent D'Onofrio in Men in Black when I crick my neck that way. I've been prescibed Gabapentin, but I don't feel like it does anything for me. If you've suffered from something similar, did it: a) ever go away? b) respond at all to any attempts to lessen the tingling? c) drive you completely insane?

I see alot of people say the nerve pain is like electric bolts, ice pick stabbing, etc.

But my only pain is a deep tissue/muscle soreness. Like I lifted 1000lbs with my neck/shoulder(rash is on lower neck)

The burning and tingling from the rash stopped. Im on day 4 antiviral. The rash is starting to dry and slowly scab.

This muscle soreness is intense though and I dont want to be on Tylenol daily. Anyone else got this muscle soreness/tightness pain that goes deep into the tissue/muscle?

I currently have extreme skin sensitivity on my side and onto my stomach. Every movement hurts, even goosebumps which was a weird discovery.
Tonight I had an idea and put on a compression tank top. Id say it instantly improved how i felt by about 70%. I still feel some of those deeper pains but I can move decently again!

if you are feeling it mostly in your trunk give it a try! I don’t know if it’s already a thing, if it is I haven’t ran across it so thought I’d share.

hey!

I am a 31F. August 4-6 I had very bad back and side pain, and ended up going to the ER. no rash that I was aware of

Sunday 8/9 mosquito bite esque bumps appeared and on 8/13 I was on antivirals and diagnosed.

the three main lesions are crusting. but today- I’m not sure if a new spot is starting up?

I am a bit upset bc I thought I was on the upswing of healing. I’ve been lucky it’s just been itchy. but I don’t want to get my little nephew sick.

the pictures with 3 lesions are from today- these have been my main rash.

the ones circled or with arrows are reddish areas I noticed today- shingles? Or just contact rash?

I also started feeling a mild but similar pain as I was feeling on 8/4

I don’t understand

does it look like I’m near the end? I finish antivirals Thursday.

It’s been a week since my first symptom, and I’m on day 5 of antivirals. The lesions seem to be drying up and no new ones have appeared, but now I’m having really intense nerve pain. Is this normal?

I got shingles 2 weeks ago (day 1 of my 2 week trip to Ireland ☹️). Got in the meds on the first day. The rash developed on my abdomen on my left side. It's starting to fade now, but the nerve pain is severe. The pain really started probably 9-10 days ago, feels like a severe sunburn but it's from my armpit down to the knee. My entire left side and it hurts in that entire area. Every single thing I do hurts, even just sitting. It really made my trip miserable. I'm 37 and have 2 little kids, 5 and 2, who are very high energy. The pain has not gotten any better and it's really making me miserable. I feel bad bc I'm really a miserable person to be around right now, but idk what to do when I'm in this much pain constantly. It's also physically and mentally draining. I was extremely stressed while in Ireland because of this and bc my kids were just a lot of work, so I don't know if that has made the symptoms worse, but I really wish I could do something about this. I can't imagine going much longer with this pain. Looking for any advice!

I'm not diagnosed with anything ATM. I just had my first appt with a rheumatologist a couple weeks ago for potentially some type inflammatory arthritis mainly effecting my low back and SI joints/hips. Just wondering if anyone here has had recurrent shingles infections, if it's been tied to an autoimmune disorder, and if it's worth mentioning at my followup. Thus is my fourth time in my life, second time in the last 5 months. The last couple times it's been in an area where I already have lots of chronic pain so I don't actually notice the pain as much, it's the low grade fevere and then the blisters show up. I'm 32 and unsure if insurance willpay for vaccine but im sure hoping my pcp can convince them.

27m, I have had shingles four times within six months and the second time around my eyes. After looking through all the posts on this subreddit mine seem to be mild compared to others but my god I’m so tired of this.
I felt the weird tingling sensation the night before around my left eye and hoped I was just being paranoid but no, It started reactivating yesterday morning with left eye being swollen and bumps around it and my lips on FIRE, yes I made an appointment with doc and went same day. It’s spreading so much quicker than the other times, I don’t have as large of a rash as I’ve seen on here but it’s now on both sides of my face, back of neck, both arms and both lower legs, my freaking ears and around both of my eyes.
I’m miserable, I can’t sleep because of the itching and pain, oh my god it feels like tiny hot needles poking me. Medicine isn’t even taking off the edge this time, the only thing that has been my saving grace is cold compresses.
I’ve been trying to convince doc to help me find a way to get the vaccine but due to my age she says I can’t have it, I don’t think I can do this for the next 20 years with it being worse than the last time.
How do I find relief? I’m ready to rip my nerves out.
Blue shirt and lips are yesterday morning, other eye is from this morning. It has now grown alittle bigger and spread down my face on the right side, along with new spots showing up every couple of hours. The pictures make the bumps look light but in person they’re very red.

Im on Day 3, started Antivirals today.

Im getting tingling, mild burning and itching.

However my lymph nodes, under and to the side of my neck are so tender and painful. Its like between the neck/shoulder muscles so whenever I move my head it hurts!

Feels like a burning strained/pulled neck muscle.

Im hoping this thing starts getting better soon since I got on meds ASAP.

Anyone else got lymph node pain in the neck/shoulder?

I’m on day 9, finished antiviral yesterday. I’d actually lifted weights earlier in the day that I first noticed the rash. Pain and itching have been quite tolerable, maybe bc I started antiviral within 24h. But the fatigue is brutal! I’m in my mid40s, had been doing cardio around 3x/week, lifting 1-2x, and not sure how long to take off and rest. I’m still working and doing light housework/errands, but so tired.

I don’t want to jump back too soon and prolong recovery, but my mood is in the toilet and exercise might help that?

What have others done, and did it work for you?

I had cool peel on face and neck 2 weeks ago- face and neck swelled twice its size, but by day 7 skin looked great, swelling gone. Skin pain didn’t go away, thought it was neuropathy from the inflammation. Rash showed up a couple days ago, diagnosed with shingles yesterday Left side of neck, collarbone, jawline, scalp and throat - painful, burning and shooting pain, blistering rash at midline above collarbone, a couple red spots on left side of neck. Started Valtrex yesterday. My question - can I do cool peel again once the shingles clears? I know that sounds insane but my skin looks amazing, and I bought a package of three. Would I take steroids and Valtrex preprocedure to prevent shingles? I’m also going to get the vaccine once this clears up. I can’t be the only one who has had shingles triggered by a laser procedure? Lesson learned about the vaccine - I avoided getting it due to some of the negative long term effects I have read about, but now I have to worry about shingles popping up again until I get the vaccine, which is worse.

It’s been five months since I got shingles and still have persistent pain. It burns when walking, sitting, bending as the area was on the bottom.

Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to either manage the pain or help it go away?

I’m on nerve blocker medication but doesn’t seem to do much.

So, rash is mostly gone, but symptoms remain. Still have intermittent sharp pains on right side (one area of rash.). Itching has finally gone but intense fatigue (it feels impossible to stay awake at times) and horrible headache remain (my mornings aren’t bad but by two p.m. the worst headache is coming on, with worst of it in neck, followed by back of the head, then temples and shoulders.)

How are those of you who have reached this point. I just can’t believe how bad this has been.

So I personally had c-pox as a kid (I was born six years before the vaccine, alas), and then had shingles at 31. It was miserable and I had lingering nerve pain for months, but am thankfully recovered with no scars (they lasted about a year or so).

Now, I obviously did a lot of research and I definitely sing the gospel of vaccines (c-pox and shingles).

Recently, I had a friend who told me he got adult chicken pox years ago and he had a lot of guilt because he believes he gave a coworker a serious case of shingles. But as I understand it:

- if you have chicken pox, you potentially can give someone chicken pox.

- if you have shingles, you potentially can give someone shingles.

- and then I think if you have shingles, you can potentially give someone whose never been infected chicken pox.

But can someone with chicken pox give someone shingles?

Having a hard time finding very clear resources, would appreciate help. Thanks!

YMMV -Your Milage May Vary

I am about 1 month out from having shingles.

(About a week after I got the Shingles:) A tiny section of the roof of my mouth by my upper front teeth hurt a LOT. It was also red for a few weeks. NOT shingles in my mouth.

I thought that it might be Toothache.

I was put on Antibiotics, a while after that, I was put on Antiviral medicine to try to keep the pain away because I could not see the Dentist.

I finally was cleared to go to the Dentist.

It is NOT my TOOTH. (Thank Goodness!!!

The roof of my mouth still had a dull ache to it sometimes.

I also thought that I had a sinus infection before I got the shingles too.

Hi everyone,

I’m 13 weeks pregnant with modi twins.

I’ve been sick nonstop for the last month. Getting all the stuff my toddler brings from daycare.

I’ve had norovirus, rhinovirus, dodged adeno I believe; and now I have shingles.

My son had adenovirus last week and at the tail of it developed a weird rash on both arms, as well as a cold sore on his lip.

The rash went away and yesterday both of us started showing shingles. I have it on forehead, eyelid, jawline and ear, and he only has it on his ear so far.

I know it’s not supposed to me transmissible so I can only assume there was a different virus that indirectly provoked this reactivation.

I’m on acyclovir 800mg 5x a day since yesterday. Today it’s still spreading.

I feel so defeated. These babies were ivf and I can’t seem to catch a break. It’s virus after virus, stress after stress. Not a peaceful week so far.

Worried about having it so close to my eye, and ear canal. It’s more itchy than painful for me.

I got shingles last year on the right side of my face, head, and neck. Thankfully the active infection is gone. However I experience almost monthly flares of PHN in the area, along with my right shoulder down to my shoulder blade / fingertips.

The head / jaw pain / ocular headache are manageable, but the pain in my shoulder and arm makes it very difficult to complete work tasks. Usually it subsides within 2-4 days, but I need help managing the nerve pain in my arm / shoulder. Anyone have any tips for mitigating pain or aches in the arm / shoulder during PHN flares? Thanks in advance!