Shingles without the rash

I keep getting a burning sensation in the right side of my body. I get it in my right arm, right arm pit, shoulder, my upper & lower back. I get pains in my right breast, under my rib cage & my chest, I even get pains in my right hand. When I touch the burning sensation its tender. I've been to the doctors twice in 3 weeks & going again tomorrow. The first couple of times they examined my breasts as I was & still am getting pains in my right breast & they said it's all normal. They checked my temperature & said I had a mild temperature & the pains I was describing sounded like shingles, I have no rash though, but you can get shingles without a rash. They sent me home without doing further tests, this happened twice & im really fed up with it. They keep saying they can't find anything wrong. I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow morning & im hoping they find out what's wrong then as its really worrying me. Also I'm 25 & I've had chicken pox when I was little. I went to the doctors again today & she diagnosed me with something completely different, she said its rotator cuff syndrome, I was expecting her to say it's non rash shingles. I keep getting a burning sensation in my right arm pit & the symptoms for rotator cuff syndrome is pain in your shoulder & outer arm. I feel as though they are not understanding what I'm saying to them & it's really worrying as I always think the worst. I have a blood test next Wednesday not happy that I have to wait over a week for it, but I guess the blood test will definitely say what's wrong with me.

I'm glad they finally gave the anti viral to you. It's a fight every time for me as when it hits it could take weeks to getinto the family Doctor so you are always seeing someone different at a clinic.

I've just discovered this site and suddenly feel a touch of hope.  I've had an intense burning itch on the right side of my face for over a year now accompanied by what I can only describe as a deep muscle itchy-pain. The itch starts just above the eye, into the hair and up to the nose, inside the ear and down into my neck. The only bit of relief I get is if I rub the muscle against the jawbone (does that make sense) which causes bruising and swelling which means I can't rub it until that clears up. I've been sent for an x-ray by an orthodonitist which came back clear at which point the GP lost interest. Recently I've been exhausted, had chest pains, breathlessness and have undergone an echocardiogram and lung capacity test (no results yet), an angiogram (clear) and blood tests (all normal). There is no sign of a rash but I have recently developed a light acne and 'age spots' on my cheek and chin.  Since the angiogram 3 wks ago I also now have tingling fingers (both hands).  I'm wondering if shingles is the answer. I'm 53 and had chicken pox as a kid

Thank you all for sharing. My neurologist has (three times) diagnosed me with post-herpetic neuralgia. I've had it for roughly 16 months and it seems to be getting worse. One thing I've not seen mentioned here: I use lidocaine patches to manage much of the pain. You can cut the patch tocover the area you need. 

I am a bit encouraged when I read all the discussions Danielle,

My Story:

1.5 years ago: I ate a boiled egg and had a veggie drink. I immediately had a horrific stuck feeling with a burning like bad heart burn in my chest area. I thought I was on fire: i suffered from chronic heart burn for 10 yrs, but have found out this isn't my problem. 

Here's what I've been through to try and get a diagnosis:

1. ER visit: heart work up / Upper GI cocktail / nitro tabs / ruled out heart issue. (negative)

2. scope and test on my esophogus, and digestive test. (negative)

3. Pulmanary tests (negative)

4. MRI x2, back front head ( found nothing)

5. blood work said possible auto immune desease, never had the third/fourth symptom to diagnos as Lupos or such: rheumotologist said negitive.

6. Went to advanced pain management: another MRI spine/neck...(negative)

7. Sent back to family doctor: said might be shingles without rash...funny, never set up for shingles blood test. prescribed me gabapentin 600 mg, and tramadol 50 mg.

8. I have taken gabapentin 300 mg, Tramadol for about 6 months prior, percoset, steroid patches and other nerve blocking meds...nothing releives my pain. It is always present and I feel like I am dying at times. 

9. I have a follow up with doc in 3 weeks, I am going to ask for a shingles blood test. I fear I may have "postherpetic Neuralgia." (from what I've researched on my own)

I feel very down and always full of pain. Only in my chest area, deep, burning, and stabbing pain right side under arm too. 

Thanks for listening...any thoughts

sincerely,

Rachel

I have read through many of the posts, and wow, do I feel your pain. My first onset was Christmas 2005, and I put off going to the dr because I thought it was just a muscle pull at my right waist, 4" wide, from mid front to mid back. This went on for 3 days, getting worse all the time. Since we had guests, my husband put his TENS unit on me. It was no help, and when we removed the contacts after 3 hrs, there were breakouts under each contact! I then went to ER, where they immediately diagnosed shingles and RX'd anti-viral and a pain med. Horrible case lasting a full month, then a repeat a couple of months later.

It's ten years later, I still have occasional severe stabbing, burning, pain in the same area (with no blisters, rash, or redness), especially if I try to turn around in the car's passenger seat to talk to someone in the back seat. That motion sets that area aflame, and I take neurontin and tramadol (actually for RLS, but it should help PHN, too. I have Soma on hand if the pain won't go away.

I asked every Dr I saw if I should have the Shingles Injection, and never got a good answer. Finally, one said I could if I was not having an "attack". So I did. I see no improvement, but it might prevent another full-blown shingles attack.

My present question is that I wonder if I could have internal "breakouts", since I've never had external breakouts since that first initial attack. I'm thinking they wouldn't have been visible then except that we might have forced them to the surface with the TENS contacts.

My absolute best wishes for those of you who might still be suffering. It's bad enough at the waist, and I can't imagine the pain experienced in the ear, face, eye, scalp area (my neighbor had that, too).  I hope that more studies are done in this area and medical world can come up with something to relieve our pain for good.

The medical term for shingles with no rash

"ZOSTER SINE HERPETE"

TELL THE IGNORANT DOCTORS TO GOOGLE IT!!!

Frankly, do not count on the current vaccination to decrease the frequency or lessen the intensity of the Zoster episodes. It certainly has not for mine.

Merry Juliana

I went to the er yesterday and they diagnosed me with shingles.  It's been 4 days and no rash.  I am on pain killer but nothing else.  Shouldn't I be on something for the virus?