Really glad you included a remembrance of Evelyn Nicol. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and if it wasn't for her (and others) work over half a century ago, we may have been in a very different situation today.

I have a degenerative joint disease that causes a ton of pain every day-and shingles was worse than that. I was not mentally prepared for just how awful it would be! Glad you’re feeling better Hank!

Shingles saved my life. Wasn't too bad, but got me to a nurse practitioner who discovered I - who never smoked - had lung cancer. Medical science has kept me alive the following years, a wonderful testament to progress in medical science

As a child of the sixties when chicken pox came to the neighborhood our parents, unbeknownst to us, made sure we all got it by having us all play together. It was no big deal really. Back then the doctors wanted us to get it early because it's worse when you get older and children rarely had severe cases.

As someone who, like Hank, just got over the Covid + shingles combo, this topic fascinates me. But the video ended in such a sad note! It so sad that this groundbreaking researcher died a week before her 90th birthday from Covid. Thank you Ms Nicol for the work you did so many years ago.

I'm 17 and currently have shingles, I've never known pain like this! Glad to know you're almost over it.

Hank, one of your qualities that I much appreciate is your regular recognition of scientists, doctors, people, who are often unnoticed by history. Later on, in your timeline, you did the same regarding the doctors who made your chemo experience more successful and effective than it would have been 10 or 15 years ago. Whether it's by name or as a group, keep it up.

My husband is 41 and has had shingles TWICE. The second time, he recognized the symptoms and was able to get the antiviral. I tried to get the shingles vaccine, but was denied because I'm too young. But my son is vaccinated, so thank you for the silver lining. ❤

When I was 49, I had a long conversation with my physician about shingles and we decided that I should get vaccinated the following year (in Canada, we also generally restrict the vaccine for people who are 50+). Six weeks later… yep, you guessed it. Within the span of one month, I had resolve a bunch of (public-facing) programming issues with work, work flights to Chicago, Phoenix, Vancouver BC, and we bought a new house. Resolved everything, moved into the house, prepared it for the birth of our second child, and then I took a week off to just settle in. 2-3 days into my vacation, and I got an itch on my right side, radiating from under the armpit to the mid sternum. And a little bit of a rash appeared. And then, one morning I rolled over and someone had lit a fire on the actual bones of my rib cage, across my collarbone, and up to the base of my neck. The skin was rashy, but the pain was incredible. Before my (then-) current employment, I had been a chef, so I am well aware of how 2nd degree burns hurt. It was similar; but more intense. We tried a few different pain management options; but ended up with hydrocodone. The sensation of the pain was still there, but I was too stoned to care overmuch about it. This was my life for about a month. One thing that Hank didn’t mention is that if you can identify it early in the flare-up, you can take antivirals to reduce the severity *and* duration of the flare-up, instead of just riding it out with high-intensity pain medicine and/or anticonvulsants. The other thing that Hank didn’t mention is the possibility of repeat flare-ups. Most people have just the one, but sometimes it can repeat itself. The real fun is called zoster sine herpete-basically shingles without the rash. That was how my second (and, hopefully, final) flare-up presented. Hank, best wishes. I hope that you are one of the 80% that don’t have to deal with any of the complications or recurrences of shingles. I know that you have a somewhat complicated immune system, which is what puts folks like us at a greater risk for ongoing issues from the virus. ✌️

Several of my family had shingles post Covid -19 vaccination. It is on the list of adverse reactions. It would be interesting to see the 2019 data compared to the 2021/22 data, post vaccine roll out.

I got shingles ON MY HEAD when I was 35. (That was 2013) It sprung up after the death of my sister, and leaving my job, and moving internationally with my cat in tow. So _definitely_ brought on by stress. ⚠️ Shingles at 35 is rare, and facial shingles is rare _and_ dangerous. I had most of my lesions on my scalp and neck, but there were two on my face- one VERY close to my eye. My doctor told me that if my eye were to get infected, I could lose my sight in that eye! Plus, the migraines were excruciating!😫 I can't believe that the shingles vaccine STILL has not been made available to people under 50 who have already experienced a case of shingles, because we are much more likely to get it a second time. I swear to god, if I have to go through that again, I might just go to Washington with a full blown case and lobby all over everybody! 😡

Had Shingles 5-10 years ago, in my early thirties. It hurt like heck. Mine was on one of my thighs. At the height of it, it felt like someone was stabbing me in the thigh with a knife every few seconds and wearing any fabric over it, or even a breeze blowing over it was excruciating as well. Hope it wasn't as bad as that for you, but either way, hope you recover soon.

Lol, hi Hank, I was in the same urgent care clinic as you when you came in to get treated. I tried to awkwardly tell you how much I love your books, but I was suffering from two burst eardrums and in terrible pain at the time, so I was crying and shaking and acting weird. Hope you're starting to feel better, shingles is(are?) super shitty!! Take care

Pharmacy technician here: in general, Shingrix (the newer, two dose shingles vaccine) is only available to people 50+ without a prescription from a doctor. Pharmacies have a protocol physician that covers vaccines without a written prescription, which is why you can just walk in for a flu shot. But below 50, people just need a prescription from their doctor and they can get it. The COVID pandemic also expanded on vaccines covered by protocol physicians, meaning that most vaccines don’t need written prescriptions.

I got shingles at age 46. I’ve been stressed because my mom died this year and I had to sort through her things before her house goes on sale. She was a hoarder and had an entire room full of boxes of papers, as well as a rat problem. Three weeks of sorting through papers and an international trip back home to Denmark, and then a few weeks later I come down with shingles, and just think it is a heat rash from the weather. I waited too long to treat it, and now of course I am hearing lots about how shingles in young people can be a sign of numerous cancers. Fantastic. Looks like you got shingles not so long before you were diagnosed with cancer as well. Jeeze…. I hope you are well. 🙏🏼

Haha it’s fun to see this mentioned. When I was 13 (7 years ago) I developed shingles! As a kid I’d gotten the chickenpox vaccine but contracted chicken pox around a year later anyways. I think my age is rarer for shingles, and even amongst my peers now I’m the odd one out in terms of having contracted chickenpox. In my biology lecture of 200 or so our professor was discussing vaccines and asked how many of us had been vaccinated for chicken pox and we all raised our hands, then she asked how many of us had gotten chicken pox and I was the only person in that room with my hand up. It’s nice to see how far we’ve come 😅

"Long chicken pox." I love it! And, I must say, that was a beautiful tribute to Evelyn Nicol at the end of the video. Thank you for this informative, interesting video.

When I was in grad school (in my forties), I was in a car accident and got shingles a few days later. I went to the student health center for treatment and the doctor told me that she saw many cases in students much younger than me usually around finals, so she believed that stress triggered shingles. So stress may be one reason why so many younger people are having flareups. I have been vaccinated against shingles so hopefully won't have to go through that again 🤞

In my early sixties, retired no stress I got shingles for three consecutive years. Always in the fall. After some research and review it was apparent I had a shingles outbreak within 2 to 4 weeks of my annual flu shot which I had only started getting at Sixty years old. I know correlation doesn’t prove causation but I haven’t had an outbreak since quitting my flu shot, and no flu either. Use this information as you wish.

Glad you're doing better, Hank! To everyone out there: you do not want to ever get shingles. My father's case was diagnosed too late for an antiviral and he suffered from postherpetic (post-shingles) neuralgia (PHN) for the last few years of his life as he battled the last stages of Alzheimer's. So, he was not only lost in a cloud of dementia, but had to deal with unrelenting pain that he didn't understand. Such a cruel combination. As soon as I was old enough, I got the shingles vaccine.

The power to wipe out diseases for the next generation is an underappreciated aspect of vaccinations. People not that much younger than we are never had chickenpox and will never have shingles - that's beautiful!

Some people are so lost in the weeds they think they’re in the flowers…. Sigh

Woah! I got shingles a few years ago (early twenties) and while it was pretty mild, my doctor was baffled because she had never seen it in anyone my age before! So cool to know that I probably got shingles so young specifically because most everyone born after me won’t.

I got shingles when I was 21, the doctor was surprised to see me with it. But then when I came back for a follow up they said they had multiple more young people come in with it (it was finals season which would make sense: stress) I was always curious why young people have been getting it more! This makes total sense!

At the age of 29 in 2020 I got shingles and have since suffered from severe Post herpetic neuralgia. I wish this was talked about more.

Nature is the best way and its free

Thank you for recognizing Nicol’s work…very much well done..thank you! I appreciate that “shoutout” on sooo many levels! Epidemiology is interesting indeed-I’ve had chicken pox twice as a kid, and 2 months after beating the “Sophomore version” of Covid, I developed Shingles.. I am a few years shy of 50…go figure..🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️😳😬😌

I was born at the end of 1994. I didn't realize I must be one of the oldest people to get a chicken pox vaccine

Props for highlighting Evelyn Nicol, feel like this could easily have turned into (probably was in the past?) a Watson and Crick-type situation where Rosalind Franklin didn't get credit

I guess shingles is better than "died suddenly"

And now we know what was stressing Hanks body out: Cancer.

I got shingles when I was 7 or 8 and it was HORRIBLE from what I remember!! I had extreme fatigue and at first, my parents thought I was faking it and that my rash was a mosquito bite from being abroad. The doctor told me that I was the youngest case that he had personally seen. I had to wear my dad's t-shirts for a week or so, so that the fabric wouldn't touch my skin as much. I still have sensitive nerves on the area that I had it and I get almost phantom pains of it starting back up, although I only had it once

Important note for people under 50 who have weakened immune systems: the CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for you, too! Talk to your doctor about whether you should get it!

Fellow under-55s who have gotten shingles, hello, I offer some advice. I asked my doctor to prescribe the vaccine (Shingrix), and she did. The first pharmacy I took the script to refused to administer, but the one across the street was happy to. It was a huge relief to decrease my odds of shingles reactivating and causing PHN again. Best of luck ❤

Had chicken pox when I was 6 months old. Later when I was 5 I ended up getting a weird rash that was super painful. Lotion felt like it was burning. Took me to the ER a bunch of doctors looked at me couldn't figure out what it was. Older doctor comes in looks at it and goes look at it as if she was in her 60's. None of the others could understand how I had shingles.

I was vaccinated against chickenpox as a child and still got it. Then was forced to get a another chickepox vaccine several years later, even though I already had it. Just saying stuff like what happened to me is a reason why some people are vaccine skeptical.

So glad to be one of the first generations to get the chickenpox vaccine! Hope your shingles gets better quickly, Hank!

Had shingles when I was about 12 and oh lord was it annoying and painful. I've still got some scar tissue from it on one side of my ribs (just little dots basically, nothing too major). So, with all the sympathy in the world, I'm glad Hank's feeling better and hope the itchiness goes away soon.

I had chicken pox 3 times. My doctor refuses to give me Shingles vaccine early even though I am a very likely person to get shingles. I am 47.

I am here watching this video about shingles and to the right of the video is an ad from a law firm for people that were injured by the Zostavax shingles vaccine and want to file a lawsuit against Merck.

I got shingles when I was 16 in the year 2005. It baffled my mom that I got it when it is usually a condition of the elderly. Turns out, there has been pediatric cases of shingles of those in their mid teens but not as common as elderly patients. It was painful af

So pleased to see that you're doing better now Hank!

Buy and use Emuaid soap and loation for a shingles breakout. My mom got shingles on her face and I went online looking for something that would help her. I found an add for Emuaid soap & loation and dozens of pictures of people with a breakout, and pictures of the same area 3 days after using the product. They were night and day in the difference. My mom ordered both and it helped her tremendously. A few years later when she started to get another breakout she used it again and the breakout stade small.

My partner got shingles in his left eye/head area after he got his 2nd Moderna vaccine. It was so stressful and scary because there was a chance that his vision could be affected. After the painful journey a year later, he is still dealing with neuralgia and his eyebrow hasn’t grown back in. He was 26 when he got shingles. Thank you for making this video to bring more awareness. I will never forget the adversity he faced with incredible itchiness, lack of sleep, unbearable pain my partner faced when I had to take care of him which will be commemorated with his eye scar like Zuko from ATLA.

I experienced the Shingles about 3 years ago. It was on my forehead and in my ear, the pain was horrific. When they told me what it was, I responded, "But isn't that something old people get?". The doc corrected me and she said the symptoms can flare up at any time in your life after catching the virus. Apparently if your immune system gets too low for whatever reason, it can come back. Good news, a simple antiviral took it out fast, I had significant relief within 8 hours and gone in 2 weeks.

Great to hear you’re better, I had shingles in June of 2020 and when I realised what it was it was already too late to take antiviral medication so I just had to sit it out and wait. I blame the stress of switching to online university and the uncertainty of the whole pandemic for the outbreak. I basically had an itchy, blistering rash on my right thigh, it took about a month to go away fully. I also had chickenpox twice, once when I was a few months old and apparently my immune system wasn’t developed enough to remember how to fight it so I got it again in kindergarten. It’s pretty wild to think that I am part of the last generation to get chickenpox because even my younger siblings are vaccinated against it.

Years back, i had several under-50 friends who got shingles, so I started asking my doc for the shingles vaccine. I was told to wait. I turned 50 in January 2020 and 4 days later I got shingles, which was 9 days before my vaccination appointment. Argh. It was truly awful, my outbreak was on my head and face vice my torso. I still have spots of discoloration on my face.

I watched this video a couple of months ago. So when I started getting pain a couple of weeks ago I was like ‘what the hell is going on’. Now that same spot, to the left of my spine, is itchy. And this morning I saw the first signs of a rash. Immediately called my doc and she confirmed I should get checked out for shingles. Going in tomorrow morning. Hopefully it’s still early enough for antiviral meds. I knew about shingles, but I had never learned more about it. Thanks to your videos, Hank, I was able to respond quickly and accurately to whatever is going on in my body. Usually I would’ve just ignored the pain and itchiness, but I’m actually able to get better targeted care now. (If it actually turns out to be shingles). Thank you for all these wonderfully insightful videos!

I’m 25 years old and had shingles a few months ago! I thought it mostly occurred in older people and was then shocked to find out another young woman at my office had it at the same time as me! After that it seemed like it was popping up everywhere in young people and I was excited to see a video on this topic, thanks Hank!

I got shingles a year and a half ago, at age 24, due to being immunocompromised & constant existential pandemic stress, and it was by far the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life 😖 I also must have been one of the last cohorts of children to actually have chickenpox instead of getting the vaccine. So now I live in fear of getting shingles again because boy howdy was it horrible. I hope you are recovering well, Hank. I managed to also get post-shingles neuralgia which was worse than the shingles itself. Terrible disease!!

I'm 32 and had a shingles outbreak starting at 28. Happens when I get stressed, and I work retail. So it effects me a lot.

I got shingles when I was 24, and I had it on my left buttcheek so sitting or laying on that side was super painful, and I actually developed postherpathic neuralgia that I have to take daily medication for, so this video was particularly interesting!

Thanks for turning this into a learning opportunity for us, Hank. I was in the camp that thought childhood chicken pox prevented you from getting shingles until I saw your tweet thread last week.

I really feel for you. I am also on immunosuppressive meds. I had chicken pox at age three. I had a shingles outbreak at 50. Nothing was ever so painful (until I ruptured a disc. That reset my pain meter.)

This was one of the most informative and concise videos I’ve seen on KZfaq. Thanks for this.

You were the first KZfaqrs I ever heard of. On cbc radio you were interviewed in 2006. I promptly began watching you and videoing as well. Thanks for that. You don’t look 17 years older, btw. I’m glad you’re both still here. You have places in my heart. Bless you.

I got chicken pox in kindergarten in 1991. I remember being annoyed when I heard about the vaccine a couple of years later that it hadn't been available for me. It still blows my mind that none of our kids have ever had it, and the oldest is in college.

I got shingles in my first year of college. I was so thankful for the walk in clinic doctor that saw literally one red dot under my right arm and used that + my description of my insanely sensitive skin to diagnose me with shingles. Even though at my age, that was very unlikely. He got me on medication right away and because of that, my outbreak wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. It was still painful as hell and lasted a month, but it could have been much worse.

In 2011 I went to a trade school and all the girls under 28 who had received the chicken pox vac had shingles. This is highly unusual and made me wonder way back then.

Nice tribute at the end, you are kind and thoughtful 😊

Thank you for highlighting Evelyn Nicol! I thought the shingles vaccine was 50+ because of the FDA Approval, not supply. That’s the age limit the studies were done on and why it’s indicated for 50+. That needs to change. I know many in their 40s that have had shingles. And it can be devastating as it has the potential to cause facial paralysis (Ramsey Hunt Syndrome).

As someone who got shingles at 30, I can confirm how painful it is. I had so much chest pain before the rash showed up that I went to a hospital absolutely sure that I was having a heart attack. Also, the weird looks from people going "But that's an old person disease, and you're so young!" cracked me up every time.

I had shingles 28 years ago when I was in my early 30s. On my forehead and went INTO MY EYE! Fortunately, no eye damage. Soooo painful. Glad you are on the mend.

My Dad got shingles after all 3 of his injections, he won’t do anymore

Thank you so much for talking about this! When I developed shingles at 19, I was confused and terrified because I had NO IDEA what was happening. Now, I am very worried that a severe case of stress will bring it back. But what upsets me most is people's confusion when I share that I had shingles. They comment on how young I am and thought it only affected much older people. Thank you for spreading awareness!!

I got shingles back in 2019 and it was by far one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I cried myself to sleep multiple times during the week that I had it because the pain was so bad. Glad you’re doing better, Hank!

Thank you so much for being there for us as weve grown... I have almost everything you have had. Up to your current cancer fight. You have been a source of strength for me anothers battling chronic illness. Thank you for reaching out to the world for so long. Your touch many MANY lives!!!

Should mention the shot they forced causes it too.

I admire Hank's optimism and confidence when saying the phrase "Young people like me" 😆 🤣

I am one of the "lucky" few who have shingles and I was 22 when I got my first case. The pain and itchiness led doctors to believe it was a "bad bug bite" due to my age and took a couple tires before one doctor asked me if I ever had chickenpox. My shingles manifested on my left side, right next to my chicken pox scar. Shingles are very painful and will flare up (for me) in times of stress. The shingles vaccine CAN help you if you have already had shingles. It makes it so the long term nerve damage and rash flare-ups are not as bad. If you are younger than 50 PLEASE talk to your doctor about getting the shingles vaccine if you have a history of high stress or anxiety. And when you get approved for the vaccine: know it's a tough one and to plan to take a couple days off to relax

I had shingles in my 30's. It was miserable. AND I developed post shingle neuralgia, which is sudden shooting pains radiating from my back and around to my abdomen. They said various meds would help, but they did not help me. It lasted an entire YEAR.

I got it when I was 9. I’ll never forget the feeling and don’t wish it on anyone.

The hilarious part is that I remember chicken pox parties when i was a kid - if one kid came down with it at school, the parents would practically rub their kids all over that kid so that everyone just got it all at once and got it over with, and we'd take turns having sleepovers at different houses so it was just one parent at a time missing a whole day of work. Ah, the 80s.

I had chickenpox as a young child and shingles at age 12. No idea why, except stress. It was awful. I don’t remember the rash being so bad but the nerve damage and long term pain was horrendous. Hope you recover well.

I've never contracted chicken pox. My mom sent me to 5 different people to get it. I was around my grandmother when she had shingles outbreaks. But I never got any bumps.

I had chicken pox as a kid...on my tongue of all places. Now I have an autoimmune disease and have to take biologic injections which can cause shingles. So before starting the medication my doctors prescribed Shingrix but I first ran into problems finding anywhere that would administer it due to being in my 30s. Even with the FDA guidelines stating there are exceptions, and I was definitely an exception, the pharmacies' physician for the companies would not allow it. So had to go to the health department. Then was the problem with my insurance not wanting to cover it because it "wasn't medically necessary." Went through a year of appeals and ended up they refused to cover any part of the cost. I couldn't just get it at my doctor's office because they didnt have it. The vaccine is extremely difficult to get if you're younger than 50.

I have a fun Shingles story. About 8 years ago my Mother took on a very stressful job. And she later got very small rash on the left side of her back. And I don’t know why but as a 12 year old I asked her if she had ever had chickenpox and then I told her “Hey it might be shingles.” At first she kind of laughed me off being you know a middle schooler. However, when she went in for her doctors appointment and guess who was right. To me that stories less about the shingles but more about how your kids will pick up on your being stressed. Your kids watch and look up to you. Sometimes their observations are right. They observe because they care. Love is somehow diagnosing your mother as a stranger little 12 year old. I’m glad you’re at the itchy part of the shingles Hank it’s almost over. Hope you feel better!

I had shingles a few years ago (my mid-30's). I went to the doc the very next day after the rash appeared to begin treatment. My case was ultimately on the mild side & was short in duration. ** If you see a weird/unexplainable rash (often on your torso or back), go to your doctor or urgent care THAT SAME DAY to get your meds. Definitely don't try to "wait & see". **

I had it in my 40's. The pain was mild to moderate but the itching was insane.

I remember reading out a medical encyclopedia way back in middle school about rare diseases and Shingles was in there. It was pretty rare even in elderly adults according to that book. And now suddenly it isn't. Is it because they've gotten better at diagnosing it or is there something being given to people now to cause this issue? Curious.

I wish this video was out there when I got shingles two years ago! Mine was a case of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome where the shingles outbreak affects your face. Even though we caught it quick, I still had scarring and partial hearing loss on one side. Thanks for putting great information out there and feel better soon!

I'm glad you are feeling better! My wife had shingles in her 20's but it caused a Bell's palsy/Ramsay Hunt syndrome because the herpes zoster went undiagnosed until facial paralysis. This video is helpful for those who will inevitably have shingles too. Hope you have a full, speedy recovery!

Awww the ending....RIP Evelyn and thank you for your contribution to society.

I woke up with a rash on my neck back in DECEMBER OF 2023. Went to the ER and the doc immediately said it was shingles and after talking about what was going on in my life they determined it was stressed that most likely triggered it. It’s August 2024 and I’m STILL suffering from residual nerve pain with a couple of small spots that are healing ever so slowly. I have a very high pain tolerance, but shingles has got to be the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’d rather have the flu or Covid 10x over than shingles. It developed on the right side of my head from scalp to my neck. Imagine feeling electric fire coursing through every nerve on your head randomly or from the slightest touch. The residual nerve pain is even worse. It’s like someone is shocking the nerves on the right side of my ear every so often, I can barely lay on it without feeling mild pain. My freaking ear lobe shrank from all the rashes and scabs. The pain was so intense at times my vision would go completely white and all I could do was close my eyes shut while tears shed from the pain. If you can get the shingle shot I highly recommend it. Shingles are horrific. Edit: I also want to note there isn’t any pain medication that can even remotely make the pain tolerable.

I got shingles when I was 30, back in 2009, and can confirm that it is, indeed, no fun. Had it on my face, which left permanent scarring. Every once in a while, I feel the tingles in the affected nerves and cross my fingers it's not on its way back, but thankfully no other cases since then. I am so, so glad that our small child (and so many others) now have the opportunity to get the chickenpox vaccine.

this is insane. I just got back home from the doctor's who were all dressed in full PPE and put me in an isolation room because I have a rash and everyone has to be wary of monkeypox right now, only to find out I have shingles at the age of 25. My case doesn't seem to be as severe as other people's that I've seen (though it is still quite painful and itchy), but the fact that I'm getting this at 25 and had no idea this was even a worry for me until literally this week, is wild. Also it's weird that this was uploaded today. Feeling very mixed emotions. Thanks for the video Hank. Can't wait till its just itchy and not this painful.

I had it when I was 23 and again at 42. Both times were different... the 1st time was on my face and hurt SO BAD. I had the post shingles neuralgia for YEARS. 2nd time on my thigh and it didnt hurt the same way but ITCHED LIKE A MOFO. No neuralgia this time so far. My neurologist told me to take 2-3K IUs of vitamin B12 everyday for the rest of my life, both to recover from it and to help keep me from getting it again. We'll see if it helps! Incidentally, I know a half dozen other women who had it in their 20s, 30s, or 40s... so it really isn't an old folk disease.

My spouse and I got our second shingles shot in August. Fingers crossed that we’re protected now. I’ve heard how painful it is.

I had shingles at three days old due to my sister having chicken pox when I was born. (Ton of doctors studied the case this was back in the 90’s) I still have the scars from it but I am not allowed to get a chicken pox or shingle vaccine because every blood test since I have the antibodies from it. The headache of every school requiring blood work to prove I don’t need that vaccine was insane. Hopefully they change that standard with shingles being more common in younger folks now.

That bear scratch in the chair was bloody adorable. I'm glad you are feeling better, Hank! My boyfriend got shingles at 26 (!!), probably because his immune system was not in top form. It was a horrible three weeks for us both -- for him in enduring the pain, and for me in not being able to do much to make it better.

I had the shingles down my right leg as a child of 11 in 1972. I remember staying home from school with lots of blisters smeared with ointment and watching more TV than I was ever allowed to. When I went to the doctor, he called everyone in to see such a rare thing. I have been extremely healthy or lucky in life, not really getting sick. My wife has never seen me bed ridden in the past 11 years for anything. I missed a day or two of work in my 45 years of working. At 62, take no medications. The docs said I must have had an asymptomatic case of chicken pox at a younger age.

28 here currently down with shingles. I was being physically active too soon after a bad cold and had tons of stress. This adds another explanation to that.

Shingles is no joke. I had chickenpox when I was about 8. I got shingles in my 40s. It felt like my right shoulder and back were literally burning. For days. I feel (literally have felt) your pain. Shingles and gout are the two issues I've had where I genuinely considered the possible cost/benefit balance of *cutting off* the affected part of my body. I remember having a particularly bad gout attack in my left foot, and having to walk about 200 yards through the building to get to my desk (because USA and of course no sick leave or health insurance worth spit from that job). I passed a large cutting tool designed to cut through big stack of printed sheet before going to bookbinding. I stopped to consider whether the torch-style lighter I had in my pocket was hot enough to cauterize the stump before I bled out if I put my foot in the device and cut it off. I mean seriously, if momentarily, considering it. Chronic pain will mess with your mind.

Yep! I have ME/CFS, which dimishes the immune system. Illnesses are always tough for me, but this year I got shingles around my EYE after being sick with a virus for a week already 😭 Paired with my usual ME symptoms, I could barely walk 3 ft. I'm so used to toughing it out that by the time I wound up in hospital, they were worried about me losing my vision within hours. The eye doctor and nurse were FURIOUS - making calls to the other medical professionals who had dismissed me because I'm young, ignoring my higher risk and 2 weeks of excruciating pain on top of an already present disability. All of this to say, shingles can be no joke! See a doctor immediately, don't risk long term issues, and don't let them brush you off because you're "too young."

A friend of my brother got shingles in his brain at 28 😮. After 2 stroke-like episodes and non-response to treatment, the doctors decided to treat him for shingles. It worked and he made a full recovery!

I really like that "doobly doo" has become a technical term.

I got shingles in college, so I was only like 20. To be fair I was very stressed at the time and I wasn't getting enough sleep (life of a college kid right?), so a flare up wasn't that unusual. It certainly wasn't common, but at least a handful of kids would get it every year according to the school health clinic, and that only includes the kids that had it bad enough to go to them for pain meds (most of which don't really work on nerve pain, so it's kind of pointless). Luckily for me my case wasn't all that bad and was localized to a pretty small area on my back, but oh man was it painful for a couple days. I'm glad to know that rates in the future should go down, though I wonder how true that will be if vaccine denialism continues to take hold...

I’m 32 and I’ve had shingles 3 times. I got it first when I was 25. It’s always been linked to extreme times of stress. I get it on the left side of my body

I had shingles at age 32 in 2009 and it was the worst pain I have ever been in, including the time I hurt my back or accidentally cut off the tip of my thumb.

I had shingles twice in my 30s, the second time triggered by a COVID infection. I begged for a shingles vaccine and offered to pay out of pocket if my insurance wouldn’t cover it, but was denied due to my age.