re: Just got told i have shingles...

I had shingles on my back and it really wasn't that bad. If you get it on your neck or face, I imagine that would be a lot worse.

Just make sure you wash your hands and wear a t-shirt to sleep in. Especially when the rash blisters. Don't want to spread it.

I had shingles about 5 years ago. I still have very minor nerve damage in my chest and back where the rash initially appeared.

I had them on my head and face a few years ago. Thank God they only left one scar and it's in my eyebrow.

I got them about 5 years ago (in mid 30s) and the initial couple of days had mild throbbing nerve pains in my scalp. After that, it wasn't bad at all for me.

I didn't realize that I had never had chicken pox until I got shingles.

I've gotten it a few times but didn't even realize what it was until reading this very thread just now. Itchy lower back about where the elastic on my underwear meets. Haven't had it in a couple years though. First onset at almost 40. I actually though it was fungal, kind of like athletes foot so I'd throw out all my underwear each time. The only time it somewhat hurt was after itching it really hard but certainly not unbearable pain. I've never seen a doctor about it and it went away anywhere btw a couple weeks and a month. I would certainly rather have it in that location than pretty much anywhere else that's for sure. Have had chicken pox as a kid.

6 weeks of misery. Woman I know had then between her legs. I didn't volunteer to massage.

I got them when I was 12. The doctor said I was the youngest case he had personally seen. So, yay for that.

They were on my lower back and right side of my abdomen. I was sitting in class and started feeling this stinging pain. By the end of the day it felt like wasps constantly stinging me. Needless to say they called mom who took me straight to the doctor. Missed about a week of school because of the pain.

I've been told that as general rule of thumb the worse your case of chicken pox, then the less severe your case of shingles (something to do with them being the same virus and your body building an immunity to it). Well, I had such a mild case of chicken pox that I didn't even notice them and only even got treatment after the school sent home letters about an outbreak. So for me, the rule of thumb held very true.

I got it them a few months ago at age 30. Started on my chest, went under my armpit then to my back. Had weird feelings before the rash started, kind of like sunburn. Nothing too bad. I was in the UK when the rash appeared on my chest and armpit. Fortunately, my father in law travels with Valtrex for cold sores, so I started taking that. Apparently, if you get on an anti-viral within 72 hours of the rash appearing, it will greatly reduce the amount of pain you experience. The rash never spread to my back, but it felt like sunburn. Not much pain, sat on a plane for 9 hours without any problem. Rash didn't leave any scars.

Yours doesn't sound like shingles.

Sounds like u were allergic to the elastic in your underwear.

Yeah, shingles is just like other types of herpes: the extent and pain of the symptoms vary widely. There are actually vaccines for it now and antivirals. No cure yet though.