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Shingles without the rash

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danielle999
danielle999

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 anti virals 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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  • susan737
    susan737 danielle999

    Posted

    As far as I know, the only requirement for the shingles vaccine is that you have to put one year between your last event and the administration of the vaccine.  I currently have my doctor checking on this but have not heard back.  It would be nasty to be waiting for the year to pass and then, before that comes, have another attack.  I have already had far too many ~ !
    • staceyb4
      staceyb4 susan737

      Posted

      Thanks for the info. It is frustrating as this is round three in a year. To compound issues, I have had little rash with it this time. But just as painful.

  • jan67805
    jan67805 danielle999

    Posted

    Thank you for confirming the fact that you don't always get a rash with shingles. My own doctor has never seen a case like that. I'm his first one. Last Wednesday, my head started to hurt in one spot and then it went to my ear area. The pain kept getting worse, so I finally gave up and went to urgent care. There I was diagonsed with shingles. I've been taking anti virals & pain meds. since and am starting to feel better.
  • susan737
    susan737 danielle999

    Posted

    Hi, Danielle ~ I am so glad that these discussion groups can help others ~ like you!  We can only help each other as we travel this torturous road and communicate our findings.  Until it happened to me ~ and I did not know that it was shingles so I suffered for two months ~ I did not know that it could occur without the rash.  I did not ask for the anti-viral.  Since yours happened on your face, it is just miraculous that you insisted on the anti-viral.  You could have lost sight and/or hearing in addition to months of pain and then scarring on your face.  I do hope that others will read your recounting of the attack, pay heed and pass on their experiences.  Good luck in the healing process ~ Susan
  • susan08752
    susan08752 danielle999

    Posted

    Hi Danielle

    I have had pain under my ribcage for about 3 yr's now, it started after i had spinal surgery i thought it was part and parcel of my op.However am now relating it to my spine, i did have a really bad infection because they never removed the stitches properly and was on antibiotic's for a month and did not heal for 3 month's.Your mention of shingles has been an eye opener as i would never have linked it to the pain.Doctor's don't like giving opiate's , however i have tried various on prescription but to no avail.Going nut's with no quality of life, have an gastroscopy soon and have another disc herniation.However any more idea's will be noted.Your a breath of fresh air.

  • kkf44
    kkf44 danielle999

    Posted

    I have the same pain without the rash my Dr.even said gullbadder but I think it is the shingles what did you do to get rid of this 
    • susan737
      susan737 kkf44

      Posted

      If you can persuade a doctor ! possibly in ER ~ to give you the valacycclovir, that will set you straight in a week.  If it is beyond the four days window of opportunity, then Alleve and Tylenol, along with Voltarin cream, will ease the pain.  You may get the blisters yet ~ I hope not ~ good luck ~ Susan
  • susan737
    susan737 danielle999

    Posted

    If you can persuade a doctor ! possibly in ER ~ to give you the valacycclovir, that will set you straight in a week.  If it is beyond the four days window of opportunity, then Alleve and Tylenol, along with Voltarin cream, will ease the pain.  You may get the blisters yet ~ I hope not ~ good luck ~ Susan
  • kkf44
    kkf44 danielle999

    Posted

    I have the burning in my right side like shingles no rash I went to

    the Dr. and she keeps saying it could be my gullbadder do you think

    this could be and she wants to exray my back for a nevre line from the spine

    • susan08752
      susan08752 kkf44

      Posted

      Hi

      Why not what do you have to lose! Stay positive!!

    • kkf44
      kkf44 susan08752

      Posted

       I have a high deductable $6000.00 and I'am not working

      I would any how but I don,t have that much pain

    • jim15533
      jim15533 kkf44

      Posted

      I had my gallbladder removed 5 years ago and just in last 3 weeks have developed irritable skin sensation mid belly on right side. Irritation ramps up when I put on shirt etc. Not as bad as others but doctor seemed unconcerned. I don't know if shingles with no rash or what. If it was your gall bladder you would have stomach upsets that nothing releives. Any cream out there that eases irritation? Thanks
  • karen14125
    karen14125 danielle999

    Posted

    I have been experiencing relentless tingling &sharp shooting nerve pain in my left leg since mid October. went to my chiro & Dr since I do have issues with sciatic pain but it has always been limited and nothing like this. Both immediately thought shingles but no rash, I had shingles about 5 years ago but had the rash & got the medicine. In December I got the shingles vaccine, that's concerning now if I have shingles with no rash. I have been trying to figure out why I have no energy and pretty constantly nauseated. Will a blood test be any help to identify if this is shingles or does having them once & the vaccine interfere with the results? Thanks, Karen
    • susan08752
      susan08752 karen14125

      Posted

      Hi karen

      The fact that you have in the past had shingles , sciatica is a nerve disorder.I had spinal disc herneation.Had surgery 3 yr's ago, gone full circle now & back to similar sympton's.Maybe you should ask for your spinal cord to be scanned.As that is where the central nervous system lies.It can also create problem's elsewhere which is called referred pain.Just an opion that could be worth looking in to.Good luck.

    • karen14125
      karen14125 susan08752

      Posted

      Susan, I wanted to update my confusing health issue. When I sent information I was still very confused about what was going on. I have had sciatic problems and assumed this was the problem. I tried everything possible to get relief from the nerve pain I had from Oct 2014 thru Feb 2015. My chiropractor and I have come to the same conclusion it was shingles without rash.  I didn't go to my Dr for a month because I thought it was a back/sciatic problem. It was unbearable so I went to the Dr., her first response was she thought I had shingles and wanted to see my leg. When she saw no rash she treated me for nerve pain and prescribed gabapentin, also prescribed a flu & shingles vaccine. I started the gabapentin and a week later got the flu & shingles shot. The gabapentin was just not helpful and really made me mentally dull so I weaned myself off it with a pharmacist suggestion. I only took 10 days but he said I needed to go off this slowly. The drug never helped the pain and I couldn't bear the side effects. I am drescribing the pain to help anyone else who finds themself in the same situation. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't stand fabric on my leg, the pain would be on one side off my leg and by January it switched sides. It hurt when I stood, sat or layed down so I refused to change my daily scheduale. I sat on a tempupedic cushion it helped in that it didn't make it worse. My granddaughter sat on my lap (the leg) and I couldn't bear the pressure pain. I used an essential oil blend that I ressearched and made and also a Dr Christophers salve for nerve pain. I think the helped me endure it. Now after 6 months I have greatly improved, on occasion I feel a tender spot on my leg and use the il blend but the pain is 98% gone. I don't know if getting the shingles shot made this last longer I am just grateful to be able to do my work pain-free. I did have xrays from the Dr and it revealed some arthritis but Dr and Chiroprator both felt it was not contributing to the nerve pain. So I am writing to encourage others to know there is light at the end of the tunnel :>}. Thanks for the forum, it's educational. Only my chiropractor had heard of shingles without rash, she's a huge help but no adjustment made any difference. Thanks, Karen A
    • denise69407
      denise69407 karen14125

      Posted

      Hi Karen, I know this post is a year old but the way you describe your symptoms are identical to my daughter's. How are you doing??? Thanks, Denise 
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