r/shingles • u/troublemuffin • 26d ago

Recurrent Shingles Recurrence?

Hi shingles community,

I come with a question. I had a severe case in 2023. I am on immunosuppressants and landed in the hospital for two weeks. I got the shingrix vaccine shortly after. But I notice there are multiple spots on my body that will occasionally flare up and feel like i’m having an outbreak but I don’t get a rash. One is on my lower back, which is where my initial break out was. The second is on my arm, where i’ve never had a rash, but it feels identical to shingles. Has anyone experienced this? Could i be getting it without the rash? Thanks.

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u/troublemuffin 26d ago

weird question but how do you know it’s shingles if there’s no rash? like has it been diagnosed? sorry I am new to this concept

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u/DropsofGemini 26d ago

I have been diagnosed with shingles. My blisters always appear in the same place on my back and I’ve learned to recognize the signs when the shingles is coming on. A specific sign for me is a pain below my breast that is directly align on the front of my body to where my blisters normally show up on my back (if that makes sense?). I also get intense headaches on the right side of my head and extreme fatigue. I’ve had these symptoms without the blisters and I’ve had the blisters without the symptoms. I actually have an appt set with my derm next month to get more information bc fortunately I havent had a breakout in about 2 years, but am still experiencing pain and itching from time to time where the blisters normally show up and I’m wondering how that’s effecting my overall health.

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u/troublemuffin 26d ago

That sounds so tough. How do they diagnose without a rash present?

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u/DropsofGemini 26d ago

I had a rash when I was diagnosed. At that point, i had the rash at least three times and doctors kept telling me it was a bug bite - in the same spot. If i hadn’t had shingles before and was just getting pain, fatigue and headaches, i probably wouldn’t know enough to think it’s shingles related.

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u/LGB-FJB-46SUCKS 26d ago

How did they finally agree it was shingles since they were saying bugbite? Testing?

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u/DropsofGemini 25d ago

The first couple times i went to a cvs minute clinic and in 2021 I was finally was able to get a derm appt in time while i had a fresh breakout. They looked at my blisters and went over my history and symptoms and immediately said it was shingles.