Pain after shingles

Hi,
I had very mild shingles outbreak in my left chest and it healed in about two weeks (I took acyclovir), now after about ten days I feel pain in my upper left arm, it is actually not a pain but some kind of skin hyper sensitivity which leads to pain, just like the ones I had before shingles (they were some 15 to 20cm away from actual rashes on chest), is it normal? I am curious because it is on my upper arm not chest however both shingles and this pain are on my left.

[DrRakeshMD]

Hi Dear

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) refers to the pain that persists after the shingles rash has cleared. PHN mostly causes pain on and around the area of skin that was affected by the shingles rash. However, sometimes it extends beyond the area of the skin that was affected by the rash. In your case, it appears to be the case that you are experiencing postherpetic neuralgia on the upper arm.

Without treatment, PHN gradually decreases and clears completely. However, in some cases, it may stay for over a year. Wearing lose-fitting clothes to reduce irritating the affected area or cooling the area with icecubes helps. Simple analgesics (aspirin, paracetamol) help in mild cases. In severe pain, antidepressant medications like amitriptyline may help. Please consult your treating physician.

Best..