Can you have shingles and feel ok ish?

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I woke up this morning with 5 blisters on my arm - like chicken pox but in a straight line going from my arm towards my elbow. Feel hot and a bit itchy.

Have googled them and keeps coming up as shingles but I thought shingles was excruciating.

Have been run down with sore throat/ headache, general achiness and exhaustion type thing but put that down to having 3 small children and a 6 month old waking every two hours.

Anything else that gives chicken pox like spots in a straight line?

Sounds like shingles. It often occurs when you are run down. hope you are feeling better soon

Yep. I had it (confirmed by my GP) and just felt generally run-down with a 'sun burn' type feeling on the affected area. The doctor said that younger people often get it more mildly than the elderly.

Bedbug bites can give rise to this sort of bites as well. Together with the symptoms you mention if you react to them.

Yes that explains it really well dragonwoman - sun burn hot and like I have had an injection or blood taken or something.

WMMC - now off to google bed bugs

Will see what happens in the morning - thought of 2 DC's and GP not fun

Thanks

Hmmm...don't think it is bed bugs as they are fluid filled rather than red. Am not sure if this is a good or bad thing

I felt like that before shingles - run down, sore throat, mild fever etc.

After that, mine was different - but severity varies a lot!

I think shingles gets excruciating as it can cause nerve damage. Go and get some antivirals from the GP. Seriously. Whether it's a PITA or not. It'll help to prevent nerve damage, and therefore, pain.

Shingles doesn't always get that bad. I felt a bit poorly but not terrible. However it's quite important to stay in while you're infectious, risks to pg women etc.

First day thought my shingles were flea bits, then got more sore, burnig and irching even where no spots. Took anti virals and was fine in a week. Was run down and spent several days on the sofa.

is shingles herpes zoster?? I have had that and not been poorly

Its herpes zoster, same as chicken pox, the virus lies dormant in the nerves and sometimes breaks through when you're run down, stressed or had another illness.
Antivirals can help stop the spread down the nerves and reduce the pain
Ibuprofen helps the pain or stronger prescribed anti inflammatories if really painful
Just like chicken pox the severity of the illness varies, some its mild irriation other times near agony
In my present case I felt flu like before the rash appeared, the rash itself is about 2 inches square but the pain is from my shoulder to waist and down the arm.
I've had attacks before when no rash appeared but my skin felt hypersensitive, the sunburn analogy descibes it very well

GO TO THE DOCTOR AND GET SOME ANTIVIRALS NOW

because this attack might be mild, but unchecked, shingles can damage the nerve pathway and leave you with local pain for years.

As I found out, much to my disgust. I still have to take painkillers for the shingles attack I had 3 years ago, because I didn't realise antivirals were an option and I ignored it, and it scarred the nerve.

Thank you. I will see if I can get an appointment later to be on the safe side maybe but feel a bit daft - no longer hurts, hasn't got any worse and I feel fine.

Wonder whether it was some other kind of virus and this is unrelated - or even potentially small burn blisters. Realised I was frying onions the evening before and some of the oil did splash on me.