Could this be shingles?

[mrsfeatherbottom]

On Tuesday, I started having a weird sensation on my stomach - just to the left of my belly button where the skin felt sore and tingly. Yesterday it wasn't too bad but today it's back and now it's sore when I bend over at all. Absolutely no visible redness or rash.

I haven't felt great the last couple of days but I'm a bit stressed out so thought it might be that. Also can't get warm but the temperature has taken a drop. I'm very weepy too but that's probably the stress.

I've convinced myself it's shingles but DH thinks I'm mad. I'm 47 and had chickenpox as a kid, if that's relevant.

Anybody able to share their first symptoms of shingles or know what else it could be?

Loads of shingles threads on here today. Well 2!

Mind started with intense itching at the site when then became painful. Nothing to see at all. Even the clothes on my skin were uncomfortable. A few days later a rash appeared and then they blistered.

I felt tired and had a headache for a couple of days.

Hope you feel better soon and whatever it is goes away quickly

That sounds very like shingles to me, OP.

When I had it, I had it down the back of my thigh (thought it was sciatica) and the GP told me that it was unusual, people usually get it from the mid-point of their belly to half-way round their back.

Mine was also a very distinctive sort of pain - tingly and burn-y and bloody sore. I wqas prescribed acyclovir and it cleared up really quickly, but I had 2 or 3 subsequent attacks.

Should have added: I had the pain for a good 3, maybe 4 days before the rash.

Go and show it to the pharmacist as they diagnosed mine - then I called doctors and they sent a prescription for anti virals straight to pharmacy and I started to take them within about 3hrs. Important to start taking them asap to stop any post-viral neuralgia

There's nothing to show the pharmacist at the minute! I know that say that the antivirals are best given within 3 days - is that 3 days from the rash, I wonder?!

I got a teeny tiny bit of raised red skin on my side. The next day it was a bit lumpy( but still tiny) but the pain was there. Felt like i had broken a rib and then someone had taken a blow torch to my skin. Felt a bit fluey too. It was a good 4-5 days later before i had anything that resembled a proper rash. After that it spread like wildfire. Stress can be a big trigger for shingles, im certain mine was triggered by stress.

It does feel quite burny. I wonder should I ring the GP tomorrow even if there's still no rash. Especially as it'll be a three day weekend and harder to get the drugs if I need them.

@mrsfeatherbottom did it turn out to be shingles? I have the same today and wondering if it could be the start of shingles ☹️

@EastFortySixth - the rash never appeared. I spoke to the GP who gave me a script in case it did over the weekend but it didn't. The tingling continued for a few more days. Really weird.

I googled and it appears that it is possible to get the neuralgia without the rash but equally it could have been something else. I guess we'll never know! Sorry, not very helpful!

Interesting…thanks for replying! Its such an odd feeling…like my skin has been grazed all over…but it looks perfectly normal. Guess will just wait and see