Mild PHN after shingles?

[MH504]

I had a mild case of shingles 2 years ago. I got medication but it was days after the rash appeared so I’m not sure how effective that was. I was 31 and the rash was never too unbearable, never had the terrible nerve pain I’ve heard about so I considered myself very lucky.

Two years later I’ve been having some discomfort in the area of the rash, mostly upper stomach on left side. I’ve been driving myself crazy thinking it is stomach cancer (family history and it feels like it’s coming from my stomach organ) and have talked to my doctor and waiting for an endoscopy to hopefully rule that out. But in the meantime I’m wondering if it might be a mild case of postherpetic neuralgia? Everything I read about PHN makes it sound very painful but I’m wondering if anyone, especially with a milder case of shingles, might have had a more minor feeling of PHN years later.

[Gogogirl47]

I still have neuralgia three years later... forehead. Awful burning sensation. It will be three years this September. Also affected my vision as shingles was around eye, forehead and scalp.

[MH504 in reply to Gogogirl47]

Sounds awful, sorry you are still suffering! I’ve heard it can last years but usually with severe cases. Since my shingles were luckily so mild I’m wondering if I should expect to have any neuralgia at all, or if it’s possible to have a mild bit of it.

[Gogogirl47 in reply to MH504]

Many Don’t get it....older people are more prone than younger.

[waylay in reply to Gogogirl47]

Yikes. So sorry. :/

[waylay]

I have fairly mild PHN. It's always there, but I can ignore it most of the time. It gets really bad about 1 day in 7.

[MH504 in reply to waylay]

Strange how it comes and goes. Well I had my endoscopy which showed a hiatal hernia which would explain most of what I have been feeling. But some feelings I get still make me wonder if there’s a tiny bit of nerve stuff going on- it’s just an odd tingle here or there in the spots where I had the shingles. I should just count myself lucky not to have the real PHN.