Shingles

[StuffLikeThat]

I'm experiencing my third bout of shingles and other than a slightly itchy rash, I'm not in any pain... and certainly not the excruciating pain that many people who have had shingles talk about. Is this usual? Can you have shingles without the pain? The nurse I saw today was hesitant to diagnose it as shingles because of the lack of pain but this is consistent with both other times I've had it.

where do you get it

I've had it in different places each time. This time it's on the top of my leg at the back, so can only see it with the aid of a mirror.

How bizarre, odd that it's coming back in different places. Are they sure it's shingles? That rash can look like a lot of other things.

Good that you're not feeling rubbish though!

I've just taken the doctors word for it previously and had no reason to doubt it. This time a nurse has seen it and she thinks it's shingles but isn't 100% certain because I'm not in any pain. I can't remember whether it's always been on the same side of my body or not the previous times I've had it. She's ruled out everything else that might cause a rash- it's not fungal and she doesn't think it's a rash from an infection. It certainly does look like a shingles rash but there's this element of doubt because it's not remotely painful. Other symptoms I've had might be relevant.... fever, fatigue and generally feeling unwell..... but then I've also had a bad throat infection (swollen glands and obvious visibly infection). Also had very sore muscles but this followed a gym session and I assumed it was DOMS.... have since read that muscle soreness can be an early symptom of shingles but can't recall whether jt was on only one side of the body or not. I do recall that it was particularly and unusually intense. This was before I discovered the rash, which I initially assumed was eczema (I get occasional flare ups). It's very odd!

I’ve had it twice, and experienced different symptoms each time.
The first time, I wasn’t really ill at all. Some mild flu symptoms a few days in, but not bad enough to have me laid up in bed. The rash was awful though. Just a bit itchy at first, but then it changed from itchy to a relentless burning pain. Like someone had rubbed a line of petrol down the side of my torso and put a match to it. Once the burning passed it felt like an awful bruise for weeks where the rash had been.
Second time around, the rash didn’t hurt at all. Was a little bit itchy for the first few days, but nothing major. This bout though literally floored me with the flu symptoms. I was in bed for a week - definitely the worst illness I’ve ever had!

Do you get cold sores ever? Sometimes you can get them in places other than your mouth especially if your skin is susceptible to rashes. They can look quite similar to shingles.

Can the nurse take a sample with a cotton bud (is it weeping?). They should be able to tell from that. Though if it's not bothering you too much, it might not be worth it.

Are you old enough to have the shingles vaccine?

Get the vaccine!
take valtrex at the first sign!

@Ringmaster27 ... yes, some of that rings true for me. I've been laid up in bed over the weekend but assumed that was due to my throat infection. Maybe it was the shingles?

@SpotOnMyBot ... no, I've never had cold sores so I know it's definitely not that. How old do you need to be to have the vaccine? I'm 43

@Ringmaster27 when you had it, was the rash in the same place each time?

@SpotOnMyBot no, it's not weeping. It's tiny little individual red bumps that are all clustered together. Then there are maybe 2 or 3 that look like chickenpox when it's in the scab phase.

@StuffLikeThat Yes, along the left hand side of my torso both times

I've had it 3 times, twice on my knee and once on my torso. Same side of my body. All confirmed by GP. First time was most painful but the last time made me feel very unwell for about 2/3 weeks.