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34 with mild Shingles, no pain, weird?

Posted , 56 users are following.

Shingles34
Shingles34

SO happy I found this community! I've been treated like a leper by 2 doctors when I was diagnosed with Shingles. Apparently it's "unheard" of in young people (I'm 34) unless we're immune compromised, but reading other young, healthy people on here who have had Shingles is a big relief!

My outbreak was kind of strange.. on my upper butocks, a small, isolated area with maybe a dozen blisters. Mild itching, almost zero pain, scabbed over and healed in less than two weeks. If I didn't get it checked out I would have assumed it was just an allergic reaction or bug bites. I had a lesion swab that came out positive for herpes zoster and was put on the valacyclovir  beforehand, about 5 days after the rash showed up. Either the meds did the trick or I just healed naturally. So I guess my questions are:

1. Why did I get it at my young (and presumably healthy) age?

2. Why was it such a mild case? The pain-free seems to be unheard of.

Thanks!

8 likes, 77 replies

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  • Kirakr
    Kirakr Shingles34

    Posted

    Hi all, I hope everyone is recovering well. Let me start with the fact that I am 49 years old, and have a compromised immune system from some Heath issues, so I asked my doctor about getting the shingles shot after watching my mother go through a terrible bout of shingles... 1 year and a half later, she is still dealing with moderate post shingles pain! My doctor told me no, I can't get the shot until I'm 50. Sigh... Well here I am 49 & 1/2 and it appears I have shingles. many here, I was researching shingles with no pain, because it appears I am one of the lucky few who is experiencing minimal discomfort. I woke up in the morning and my forehead was itching, so I reached up to scratch, and my fingers came back wet? Curious, I got up to look in the mirror to find I had broken a blister about the size of a quarter above my eyebrow. I concluded that I must have touched my face with with something I was allergic to, an developed a rash of some type. I didn't think much of it, except how odd that my face was fine the day before? Naturally I was bummed about my appearance 😕, but thought I would treat with neosporin, and wait for it to heal. A week later, my mid back was itching, when I went to scratch, I felt something odd? I went to the bathroom mirror and found what looked like I had been hit with a belt, 2 inches wide and about 5 inches in length. It was located mid back going across both sides ( Odd because I thought shingles was on one side or the other?) in the center of this nasty welt was several what looked like blisters that had already broken and were scanning up. Of course seeing this second location, I could only conclude that it was shingles. I have a Dr's apt. Tomorrow. Like many here, I have minimal pain, only a tingling feeling and some itching. I feel blessed, as I know firsthand what my mom went through! My fear is... Is it over since there was a week between the blister on my face and the lash mark on my back? Anyway, I just thought I'd share my experience.

    Please anyone who wants to weigh in, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Speedy healing to all, and God bless!

    • daphney15754
      daphney15754 Kirakr

      Posted

      I am 51 years and in excellent health. About six days ago I felt like something beat me below my breast. . It was very itchy ,when I got home saw this red patch and at first  thought it was an insect the beat me.  Then the next day it appeared  like water blisters.  I decide to research it and I think I have shingles.  I am not in any pain it is just itchy. I have also noticed one one on my back and is starting to form blisters. I also have a little patch under my arm along the bra line. I am not in any pain. But very itchy and stinging. I am going to the doc. Tomorrow. Hopefully he can prescribe something to stop the spread.  Presently I take oatmeal bath and bathe with emu oil soap.  It seems to help with the itching.  I also put calamine lotion on it.  I am just curious as to the mildness  in terms of pain. I know I got chicken pox when I was about seven years old .  
    • thinsport
      thinsport Kirakr

      Posted

      Kirakr, Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry that you have shingles. Let us know how your doctors appointment goes. I'm sorry that your mother is still dealing with moderate post shingles pain. Sincerely, Thinsport

    • dcrt
      dcrt Kirakr

      Posted

      I have Crohn's Disease which is a auto immune disease and suppressed immune system.  You cannot get the Shingles vaccine because you will most likely get them.  I'm not sure about other diseases but Crohn's you can't.  

    • lisadoodle
      lisadoodle Kirakr

      Posted

      Wow!  I feel more blessed the more I read. I am barely 50 years old. I tried to get the shingles shot last year because of the birth of my great niece. I was turned away despite a compromised immune system from a systemic yeast infection and the diagnosis of a minor brain tumor all of which have since been treated. 

      I also have bad seasonal allergies, so bad that some years require a steroid shot to control them. This year was bad. The day after my steroid shot started great--I could breathe.  By midday I had fever chills and felt severely fatigued. This lasted several days and then subsided. A day later a rash appeared on my neck along with random small dots resembling bug bites on my arms. I took Benadryl and went on with my day. 

      The next morning the rash was worse and swelling like hives. I made an appointment with the doctor who diagnosed it as shingles.  I was prescribed Valtrex, more steroids, and a medication to help with the itch. 

      By day 3 the rash had spread on my arms, legs, back and at my forehead. I still had no pain and very minimal itch. I really only felt the discomfort you might attribute to a scab that tightens the skin. I began to prepare for a painful experience that never manifested. In fact only a few places on my arms have filled with fluid and festered.  I am now at day five and my rash is simply disappearing. 

      I've never been so thankful for allergies .  I can only conclude the the preemptive dose of steroids started my treatment while my infection was still incubating. 

      I will note that I sprayed all infected parts of my body with calamine plus spray religiously. I also wrapped the larger clusters with gauze to protect the rash and blisters. I ate a high lysine low arginine diet, took a lysine supplement and vitamin b super complex sublingual supplement. I also slept almost 20 hours a day during the week.

      I am on day 6 and my rash is 

    • SQ0216
      SQ0216 Kirakr

      Posted

      It's been a few years since you posted, but I hope if you have an autoimmune disease they told you that you couldn't receive the Shingles vaccine as it's a live vaccine, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis & Chron's Disease & the vaccine is a no for me. I'm on round 7 of shingles at the moment. 

    • SQ0216
      SQ0216 dcrt

      Posted

      I too have Chron's & also Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis & I was told I couldn't get the vaccine b/c it's a live one. Like the flu  vaccine nose spray. We can't get any live vaccines. I'm on round 7 of shingles & in so much agony. 

  • jean75312
    jean75312 Shingles34

    Posted

    I have shingles for months now in on the head I do not have any pain but the itching sends me mad I can't sleep for it can any one help 
  • armandk
    armandk Shingles34

    Posted

    I have also a compromised immune system. After my Bone Marrow transplant, I became allergic to the sun. So I have to be careful at the beginning of the summer. My dermatologist said I have to use very high sun protectant.

    This year, the bisters from "sun poisoning" appeared again, and mu new doctor says it is shingles. 

    It is on my shoulder, looks like shingles, it has the blisters but not necessary ly the widespread red zones.

    I feel absolutely no pain, and no itching. I can sleep on my back and it does not bother me.

    I am asking about patient experience. Are there others who had shingles with no pain and itching whatsoever (It has been about a week since the bumps appeared)

    Thank you very much

    Armand

    • tina5740
      tina5740 armandk

      Posted

      I'm a 60 year old woman and I too had a strange itchy patch of what I though we're bug bites on my shoulder, it turned out to be shingles but it never spread and apart from horrible side effects from the medication I've had no pain and day 3 the blisters are dried up and I feel ok.

      I really think the medication made me feel worst, when I stopped taking it I felt so much better, I don't understand but I am glad not to have gone through what I've heard shingles can be like, I wish it was like this for everyone??

    • thinsport
      thinsport armandk

      Posted

      Armandk, I just realized that these are pretty old messages on here. I just posted something to someone that had written six months ago. I know that you wrote this four months ago but I just thought I would tell you that yes I have had shingles with no pain, when I was younger. I have had reoccurring shingles forever the first time I was 12. The first 15 times I probably had zero pain and only minimal itching. Now the last few times it's been terribly painful! Sincerely, Thinsport

  • Micot
    Micot Shingles34

    Posted

    I had shingles in my mid-30s. It was a small patch on the right side of my torso, and had little or no pain. My immune system's ok. I actually had chickenpox in my early 20s, with just a few spots. Others wouldn't believe i had shingles, as my symptoms were so light.

  • jimboggs
    jimboggs Shingles34

    Posted

    I read stress can be a huge factor. For me I am running a business, and needless to say its brutal on me mentally... for many various reasons of trying to wear many hats and doing pitches and demos (that freak me out). I think a lot of people dismiss the affect of stress and what it can do to your body especially if you are not sleeping properly over extended periods because of it. Just food for thought for all of us to try balance your working life personal life and so on smile

  • bette82148
    bette82148 Shingles34

    Posted

    I'm 69, had the vaccine, and got a strange rash on inner thigh. It was quickly diagnosed as shingles.  It is very small, no itching, no pain. I'm on the anti-viral rx. I'm just confused as to the small 2" area of rash, and lack of any "symptoms."

     

    • suzkpa
      suzkpa bette82148

      Posted

      Shingles occurs in all degrees of severity. A mild case is a blessing, really, compared to the unimaginable pain of a severe case. Has it only happened once?
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