Shingles Without The Rash?
Mar 17, 2014
For the past week, I have had pain in my side...about the size of an apple. The skin is extremely sensitive to touch (even getting goosebumps makes me wince), and am getting sharp stabbing type pains. I went to my local emergency department. The nurse who looked me over first asked me many questions, and said that she believed I have shingles, although I don't have a rash. I have had shingles before, and it does feel the same...but when the Dr. came in, he said he has no clue going on, but that it can't be shingles without the rash. He didn't do any bloodwork, nothing. I know for a fact that a person can have shingles without a rash. What is even more confusing is that he prescribed me a muscle relaxer, some Naproxen, and a script to go to physiotherapy. Why would he do this if he doesn't know what it is, and why would he rule out the shingles without any tests?
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I had classic shingles symptoms but never got the rash (and my doctor diagnosed as shingles). Left side only, numbness, itching pain on one side of my neck/shoulder. Antivirals reduced pain and itchiness but I still remain totally numb there and occasionally having itching or slight pain at 8 weeks out.
Now my lips and the end of my tongue feel different...not numb or painful but just different enough that I notice it. I am trying not to be a hypochondriac...but it worries me that it is not Shingles and something more neurological- MS...etc... My gut tells me this is all related to the shingles but....
Has anyone else had a similar experience with symptoms like these?
My understanding that blood tests are fairly inconclusive..
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I'd like to give you a synopsis of my last few days. I woke up Friday feeling sick with what I thought was allergies, which caused tons of sneezing fits, and body aches. I've been sleeping on my couch because my dog had surgery and cannot make it up the stairs. Anyway, Saturday I woke up feeling like I slept funny and had the start of a stiff neck. Over the next day or two the pain got progressively worse and seemed to originate by my spine on the left side. My skin is sensitive to touch on that side from my spine to my left breast. I have a deep agonizing pain in that entire area as well and the sensation goes down my arm. I noticed what I thought was a bruise on my back where the pain seemed to originate and I was having pain with every breath I took. On Tuesday I went to urgent care thinking maybe I fractured a rib from my sneezing fits because what else would have caused a bruise on my back when I had no falls and didn't bump into anything ?! In the urgent care the dr said I had shingles and had another dr come in to confirm it. I was put on antivirals and pain meds (which doesn't even touch the pain). Yesterday, Wednesday, I looked at my back and the bruise/rash was gone after only 3 doses of meds but I am still in intense pain. Basically my question is is it truly shingles with the mark going away so soon and is the pain of shingles so deep in the muscles that it hurts to walk, sit or move? Should I be getting another opinion?
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For about two weeks I was experiencing pain on my right side, around my rib area to under my breast bone. It was an odd pain, nothing like I've had before, it felt as though someone punched me really hard. I thought it was just a muscle strain from so much coughing as I had pneumonia, but the pain didn't go away when the cough did, the pain got worse, and it was constant and would not respond to over the counter pain meds. It got to the point I was crying from the pain. All I can describe it as if someone beat the s**t out of me and left me there, or a car ran over my side. I had no burning, no tingling, no rash. It is a scary pain.
Nonetheless I was still diagnosed with shingles, and given antivirals and pain meds. Within a week I felt a lot better, now the pain is mostly gone, thank God.
Shingles also makes you feel lightheaded, faint, weak, unwell in yourself, not right. Before I got the pain I had a few days of feeling really weak and not right and thought I was going to pass out. Funny that as I remember a day before I got Chicken Pox, years ago, I felt really off.
Terrible thing to get. Now fearing getting it again so will look into a vaccine.
Just wanted to post this in case there are any of you who are wondering if its possible to have shingles without the rash. Yes, it is. Not common, but possible. It is also possible for the band of pain to shift, rather than just stay in one place. In my case my pain started on my right side, then went to my left side, same area of my rib/breastbone.
Hope this helps some people - if this is you, go to your doctor, the anti virals really work fast and the pain meds make it bearable. Paracetamol is not enough for this. Neither is co-codamol. You need either a med that dulls the nerve endings, or an opiate.
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Is anybody aware of any drawbacks to using Aloe Vera. Gel on their shingles rash? I am in the midst of a bad attack of shingles and the itch and burning has been driving me mad! A friend brought me some Aloe Vera Gel to try instead of the calamine cream prescribed and already it feels slightly less
painful. Would like to continue to use it if no drawbacks to it.
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First I had a severe pain in my back, well up near my shoulder and under arm. Not stinging or burning, but achy, achy, achy. Go to doctor, and she thinks its shingles. I now have a rash across my chest, both sides. This can't be shingles right? Rash is suppose to be where pain started, I thought. I'm not having any burning or stinging pain. Help!
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i suffer with bouts of shingles about twice a year. i have the usual, sweating, tiredness, swollen calves, familiar burning in my left calf, and then the rash, which gets infected by the 3rd day then slowly goes down within a week. they dry off and leaves a permanent reminder.
I'v always gone to my gp who have looked at it in the stages when its infected and told yes it is shingles, and was also told that i can get it when my immune system is low or if i'm very stressed!
Going to my gp today, i saw a locum who looked at it and said that it were'nt shingles, as shingles does'nt come up on your leg and is localised to your midriff!! So i asked what it could be, and he said he did'nt know!
He gave me the usual anti viral cream but refused to give me the anti viral tablets i've had before, just incase it harmed me!!!
I do not fall in the catergory of over 60, i dont have hiv/aids, im being checked for diabeties, im not on any treatment for cancer or anything, im waiting to get my hypaparathyroid out, could this be causing my shingles? I just dont know.
How can so many doctors tell me its shingles and 1 locum tell me its not because its in the wrong place, i've looked up shingles and it states shingle can be anywhere on your body. So what do i do??
Has anyone else had the same or similar?
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I had successful hip replacement last September.
Around mid November I began to have chills and tingling in random places all around torso above waist and below neck and only in upper arms
Several doctors, a physiotherapist, a chiropractor later I paid to see a neurosurgeon who said it was nothing serious - he is arranging an MRI scan.
Three days ago I started with a rash with swelling about 4 cm by 2 cm on upper left side of my head accompanied by uncomfortable sometimes feeling around my left eye and a strong headache between the two area.
I am controlling it with Gabapentin cocodamol and ibuprofen.
We have been in Tenerife for three weeks and go back to UK on 22nd March- I've booked to see GP on 24 tha want to ask for check for herpes zoster virus.
Can anyone out there say what is going on?
We're due to celebrate our daughter in laws birthday next Friday..... Should I stay away to avoid co tag ion?
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Hello! I am a 34 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with shingles. I have had them for about a week and am quite uncomfortable, but not miserable. I have had some stomach pains for a few days that I believe are associated.
One problem I have is in all the information on the net and from doctors they stress the point "you can NOT get shingles from someone with shingles"... well, I disagree. My mother is a non-hodgkin's lymphoma patient who was diagnosed with shingles about two weeks ago. I live by her and help her and I find it hard to believe my shingles didn't come from being exposed to her!
Just wanted to let others know.
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I've just been diagnosed with Shingles. I have been told you can't get Shingles from Shingles, only chicken pox from shingles. But I am the third person in work in a week to come down with Shingles. If you can't get Shingles from shingles, how come so many people in work have it?
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as much as i have search i can't seem to find any usefull info on this condition. i first noticed something was wrong when i woke one morning with a slight pain on the left side of my left eye. after one scary long week, two doctors, one optician and no real answers i had lost any useful sight in the eye, just a blur. took myself to A&E one sat morning , spent the next 7 days in King college hospital on a antiviral drip. that was 4 weeks ago and still no sign that i will regain my sight ,just a huge amount of floaters. having antiviral pills,9 a day ,plus steriods & drops. another 3 months of those i have been told. rare condition i have been told and the object of fascination at the hos. any one with the same experience out there? still wondering if i will ever see again.[
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A week ago I was diagnosed w pink eye and given polysporin drops. I used them and my eyes got better...then they got worse again. After a week, I went to the eye doc...(saw a regular doc first), and he said I was allergic to the eye drops and to stop using them. He also said the pink eye was gone and the redness and blurred vision was a result of the allergy.
He also said I had a 'rash' on my right cornea and gave me eyedrops to use. He said it should clear up in a few days. My question is, I don't know what he meant by 'rash'??? I should have asked him, but I was so relieved it wasn't anything serious, I didn't. I'm not sure if he just meant it was irritated, swollen or what.
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I had unprotected oral sex when she was menstruating (tampon used) and also received oral sex. I am not sure with how many people she sleeps with. for intercourse condom was used. Condom was tested for no breakage later.
Now after two weeks I have epididymitis inflammation and hence lot of pain on my left testicle. I have given urethral swab for test of chlamydia and also urine for test. I am waiting for results. I am taking ciprofloxacin and it already helped reduce pain on my testicle after two doses.
now i have been having mild fever (37.5 - 38.4) ever since i started having the pain (two weeks after the exposure). also i have 3-4 rashes , dark purple (only one of them is big to the size of a bed bug) between my shoulder and elbow on my left arm. rest of the body seems fine.
irrespective of the probability that I may have caught chlamydia, is there any worry for HIV?
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I got diagnosed with conjunctivitis tonight. Anyway after some research on conjunctivitis to see what causes it etc as I havent been in contact with anyone with it, it turns out herpes zoster can cause it. Anyway I am immunocompromised to the shingles virus
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I'm 21 and have had recurring shingles since I was 9... I used to get it about once a year but have had it 7 times in the last 2 years. It used to knock me for six for about 3 weeks but I'm getting better at recognising the early symptoms so that I can have my acyclovir prescription ready and waiting for when the spots come out! The first thing I notice is that I find it uncomfortable to wear my bra (I always get shingles on my side) and then I get that distinct "been hit by a bus" feeling... Absolutely knackered, deep muscle aches and a little nauseous. And then joy of joy, the shooting pains begin! This is the part I find most difficult to cope with, I get really sharp pains drilling down my side and a dull pins and needles like feeling that is continuous. I don't get alot of blisters, just one or two, but they are always inside a mottled rash about the size of a side plate.
I have seen numerous doctors about this who have all said that it's rare, esp for my age, but that's about it. I guess there's nothing that can be done.
The only advice I can give about recurring shingles is just try and get good at recognising it early! And then try and chill until it goes. Useless, I know, but that's all I've got.
If anyone's got some better advice it would be greatly appreciated!
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I have been diagnosed with shingles nearly 4 weeks ago ..
I have commented on this forum before giving my view on alternative options on medication.. Through diet , vitamins etc ..
I did not take any antiviral or strong painkillers as I am very hypersensitive and allergic to a lot of these chemicals ..
At the moment I am feeling a lot better still in some discomfort have my good and bad days .. The pain I had has some what subsided .. I have a little burning in my right hand side of my back and my tummy .. But nothing to the pain I have experienced.. I feel I am on the meant and hopefully make a full recovery .. And I just wanted to give some hope and reassurance to those still in recovery ..
But it would be great to know if anyone has NOT taken any medication for whatever reason and made a fully recovery or has not had a recurrence in the past few years...
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Can anyone tell me if this could be shingles. I haven't been well since last October. I have upper back pain, gnawing pain that moves around. My ribs are sore, sternum, aching neck and shoulders, loss of appetite and feeling itchy
I feel better than I did in October but still have the aches. Had an ecg, chest xray, echocardiogram, bloods which were all ok. Would shingles have been detected with these tests? I have also felt short of breath at times and spaced out. I have no rash. The doctor said it was probably viral and to take pain killers. I have diagnosed myself with costochondritis or fibromyalgia but am beginning to wonder whether it id shingles.
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shingles on the lips possible?
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I'm 21 and recently got shingles on the left side of my buttocks 6 days ago about now. Well my doctor looked at it and said that what he "thinks it is". He gave me some antibiotics and did a skin culture, and I will be meeting with him again soon.
It happened out of nowhere one night I was at work. It was terrible pain, and very nasty, but seems to be getting better.
Another problem I've had, and idk if this is why it happened on my buttocks, but I've had chronic anal hemorrhoids or anal fissures over a year now. I recently showed my doctor that about 2-3 weeks ago for a normal check up and I will be seeing a specialist for that soon as well.
Im ultimately worried about HIV though, since I heard that's what can cause HiV in young people...
I've actually negative for HIV recently, and have only had one sexual partner since then but she was a sex worker. She seemed clean in appearance, but she gave me unprotected oral and I penetrated her vagina with a condom on after. I do not recall the condom breaking. I'm 90% sure about that, unless there was a small tear or something I didn't notice if that's possible.
One other note is that the day before my shingles breakout, I had diarrhea after an intense day of basketball. I am normally very active weekly, but this day I did play more basketball than usual and I was extremely exhausted after and then had stomach pain which lead to the diarrhea. The diarrhea was only that night though and haven't had any since.
Can anyone give me some knowledge on something like this?
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About 5 weeks ago my right eye started to feel extremely painful to the point I ended up to A&E, The diagnosis was that I had a cornea cut and I was given some eye cream, over the following couple of days things go much worse, again back to A&E and still cornea cut, finally I was able to go to an Optometrist who quickly told me that the cream I was given were absolutely no help as I had Eye Shingles, and she prescribed VIRGAN,she also made a follow up appointment as I am half blind (left eye)..... 2 weeks passed and started to feel better, however follow up app and apparently shingles were still there. I was given tablets against the viral infection.....now after 10 days I feel it has gone worse where I am unable to look in the light at all and I am at a loss..... I would go back to the Optometrist on Monday but losing faith and not sure what else they can do as obviously I am pretty much at a loss (no punt intended).... anyone has had experience with eye shingles and what were the best "products" provided?
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This is about my mum, she got shingles about 3 days ago and has all the symptoms in the leaflets etc. Since last night though she has been hallucinating, and very confused. She could hear a radio which wasn't there and has been arguing with people that aren't there. She's really confused, can't have a proper conversation as will start talking about totally different things and people from years ago iv called the drs and she has to go over later but I'm so worried until then. Could it be the antiviral tablets?
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