# Anyone had shingles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203 "2008-08-16T06:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/1 "2008-08-16T06:19:03Z")
Adult chicken pox patient here; I had it at 28 (I’m now 41). I’m curious if any shingles sufferers have had shooting pain in one place but developed the rash in another. I ask because 3-5 days ago I had some intense, short duration pains along the top of my left foot near the ankle. Nothing serious, although they did cause me to wince. Now just today I notice a raw abraded-looking area about 1" square on my left side, about rib cage level. Not all that painful or flushed - looks like I got thwacked with a wire brush - but very small, regularly spaced red dots, like [this example](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/ShinglesDay1.JPG/143px-ShinglesDay1.JPG), except not raised or blistered. No fever, flu-like symptoms or anything else. I’m newly relocated and underwent some moderate stress during the move, but I don’t think it’s relevant here. I’m about to start grad school, so I am really hoping it doesn’t amount to anything. I’m also type 2 diabetic, FWTW, but so far at least, my immune system is fine. Anything else comes up, I’ll see a doc asap. But has anyone had a similar low level pain, rash somewhere else, that wound up as shingles? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/2 "2008-08-16T07:51:01Z")
The one time I had shingles, which was isolated to 1 spot behind my left knee, I felt “nervy-twinges” that zipped along many parts of my body, doc said there are long nerve’s that connect to mulitple areas. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/3 "2008-08-16T07:51:15Z")
I had a series of mild attacks of it years ago - I’d get a sore neck, a rough throat, then soreness of the skin, then the little blisters - in a horizontal ring round my body. Each time it occurred, it was a little lower down than the previous time and eventually, after quite a few iterations over the course of a couple of years, it ran out of space and stopped happening. Don’t recall any shooting pain in areas that were not later affected by the rash - there was a definite jabbing sting to the pre-rash areas though - like being poked with a needle or having a splinter embedded in my shirt. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/4 "2008-08-16T11:27:04Z")
Looking for shared experiences? IMHO. Moved. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/5 "2008-08-16T11:34:04Z")
I had it bad, but no particular rash. Just lots & lots of pain. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/6 "2008-08-16T12:05:11Z")
I had a rash on my back, which I didn’t know about until I went to my doctor to find out why I was itching all over from the INSIDE :eek: Motrin was my favorite flavor of M&M’s for the duration. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/7 "2008-08-16T22:15:44Z")
I had a circular patch on the back of my left leg, a small blister between my forth and little toes, left foot, another blister or two on the back of my left knee, and one sore blister on the back of the left side of my head. The patch on the back of my leg was the first and really the only one that hurt, but hurt it did! Every step I took, or even every time I moved the leg for several days it hurt like crazy. I don’t remember if there was any pain before the rash actually showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/8 "2008-08-17T00:01:41Z")
I had shingles about twenty years ago, across my chest, shoulder and back on the left hand side. It was quite painful at the time, and I experienced discomfort on and off for a long time afterwards. I still have the scars. ---
**Author:** ![mrsspooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@mrsspooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsspooky)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/9 "2008-08-17T16:39:55Z")
I was real young when I had shingles (around 11/12). Funny thing was I was actually at the doctor for another reason and my mother had brought up the itchy rash I had on my shoulder. Thats all I can remember. What you’re describing does sound familiar though. Sorry I wish I could help more but my memory from ten years ago is NOT good at all! ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/10 "2008-08-17T19:37:02Z")
I used to, but now I have Spanish tile. :d&r: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/11 "2008-08-17T21:28:10Z")
About 17 years ago, on my left shoulder blade. Reddish rash, hurt like hell because it rubbed against my shirt. Ended up taking steroids for about two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/12 "2008-08-17T21:59:02Z")
Varicella Zoster (the virus that causes both Chicken Pox and Shingles) lies dormant in nerve roots. When it is activated as shingles, it causes symptoms in that particular nerve root. See the following diagram (mildly NSFW) known as a [Dermatome map](http://www.thecompounder.com/images/dermatomeB.jpg) and see what parts of the body each nerve root ennervates. Does the L5 dermatome (which includes the top of the foot) also include the area you saw your rash? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-had-shingles/460203/13 "2008-08-17T22:42:23Z")
Nope. L5 on the foot, T-something on the side. Update: The rash has neither spread nor changed appearance, so I’m going to write this off as an odd coincidence.