Shingles in early 40s?!

[PinkChocolate24]

Hi all, just been diagnosed with shingles at 41. I thought I was in good health (no known medical conditions) so a bit baffled about how I’ve got this. I got the antivirals yesterday on the same day I noticed the rash. I had a weird stabbing pain in my shoulder area before that and some sensitivity around my bra but thought it was a pulled muscle and tight bra as couldn’t see any redness until yesterday.

Has anyone else had shingles at this age? Do you know what triggered it and how long did it last? I thought it was rare under 50 so now worried I’ve got an undiagnosed condition somewhere.

I'm mid 40's and had it 5 times in 9 months, and nothing underlying. I was having a rough time though.

You poor thing having it 5 times!! Did you get the antivirals each time? I hope you’re on the mend now.

I developed it just before I gave birth and it cleared up a few weeks later. I was early 30s and quite surprised! Dr thought it was stress at end of pregnancy.

I had it in my 20s when I was extremely stressed with exams and a terrible flatmate situation. It lasted about 3 weeks, and has never returned.

This is interesting as I got it the day I had a planned c section. I had a lot of pregnancy issues so was quite stressed! I didn't even realise I had had it due to everything else going on (until baby got chicken pox when 20 days old).

My daughter had it as a teenager, the GP said it was because she had chicken pox twice as a child. She has never had it again and is now in her 30's.

I got it in my early 40s. Just a very small outbreak in an unusual place - on my upper arm. Anti-virals sorted it out very quickly so it didn't develop and cleared up quickly. It hasn't recurred.

Oh and I think it lasted about 3 weeks but the spots were still there (crusted) for at least a couple of months and I still have some scarring 9 months later (on my left side around the bra line).

I had it at 18 after final school exams and waiting results. Doctor immediately said..why is a young girl like you stressed!? So obviously stress induced. One thing to remember is you may get swollen glands under your arms so don't panic as it's your system fighting. The lumps scared me at 18. I got it again in my 50s. It will clear once you have the proper treatment but lots of rest.

I had it in the build up to a-levels, my son had it when he was 20, apparently not that uncommon in young people. Touch wood, neither of us have had it again. A colleague had a really bad dose in his early 40's requiring hospital.

I had shingles (couple of weeks) followed by post herpetic neuralgia which lasted over a year. There is a vaccine available but only privately to our age group but I felt it was worth the cost and since having it, I haven't had a recurrence.

Hmm, I don’t feel like I’ve been particularly stressed this year! One thing that’s different is I hadn’t been exercising and walking as much as I usually do in July so perhaps that’s made me a bit run down although I didn’t feel it at the time. Been eating quite badly too recently.

It may be helpful to take Vitamin B12 to promote nerve healing and pain relief from shingles. I was deficient in it so I found some benefit. Perhaps your GP would do some blood tests?

My friend had it recently- mid 40s. I don’t know anyone else that’s had it in middle age (yet). This particular friend seems prone to low immune system things - she’s has infected boils, cellulitis and bites that go crazy.

Had it in my early 30s. Think it was stress induced. As well as the rash, on my spine, I felt exhausted. Took me about 3 weeks to recover.

I had it at 39. Was very stressed at the time and run down.

DD had it when she was about 2, the GP said it’s a bit of a myth that only older folk get it.

DD’s older toddler brothers had chickenpox not long after she was born, I was exclusively BF but she still got hmm maybe 3 spots? Then confirmed shingles a couple of years later.

A friend’s primary aged son also had shingles. Like you though, I thought it was only older people (whatever older is nowadays?!)

Hope you recover quickly OP!!

Had it quite recently, age 45. Assumed it was my bra rubbing... was not! Only thing I could think of that may have triggered it was a bad cold, so maybe immune system was low?

I had it when I was just 30 after the first Covid vaccine I guess after months of shielding my immune system was quite low

I had it at 32 it was horrendous.

Hopefully it lifts soon for you

Pregnancy and the menopause can bother trigger immune response in a different way from previously. So you can, for example, become allergic to mosquito bites and react much worse to them than you have in the past. Anything which lessens, or alters, your immune response can make you more prone to getting a virus, which is what shingles is.

You'll notice a lot of 'can' in my previous paragraph because of course not everyone is affected in this way. But worth bearing in mind perhaps?

When I got shingles a few years ago it made me quite poorly for a few weeks. I also got it in one eye, which has left scarring and mildly affected my sight. But I do already have several autoimmune issues so I'm clearly prone to them.

I also had chicken pox very mildly as a young baby, I think I got 2 spots. I was breast fed too. Had shingles when I was 8 or 9 and again at 17 or 18. Haven't had them since and it was 30 years ago.

Yes anti virals every time, although they made me feel dreadful. I've not had the shingles vaccine.

Mine was on shoulder blade, and returned same area every time, the nerve pain was horrendous but the actual rash wasn't too bad.

I had it in my 20s. I had no idea what it was and thought it was something you get when you are old.