Had it also. I have other skin allergies, so the rash, etc. wasn't that much of an issue for me.

12 years ago. On my butt and the back of my leg. Couldn't sit, walk, or lie down normally without shooting pain. When it started to clear up, the very first day I had no pain felt like utter freedom.

If you had Chicken Pox as a child you might get shingles,same virus.

i thought about getting the vaccine for shingles but have read it's only about 50% effective.
anyone had the vaccine?

My father had in his lower back. It did permanent damage to his spine and leg.

'Shingles' refers to 'fugitive' chicken pox virus, that hides out in your spinal column, not to re-emerge until you are middle-aged. This is why it tends to radiate outwards from the spinal column. Scratch it, and the pus beneath the scabs spreads further on your body, like the arms, the hands, the head and face. Anybody who had chicken pox as a kid is a prime candidate for shingles when they get older.

All over my head....took months and months. I still have lunps n bumps. The antivirals were horrendous. Not doing it again. Oh and I had chicken pox!

I had it 6 years ago. I'm a nurse Practitioner so I immediately knew what it was, got an Rx from my boss but didnt think it helped.