Shingles/Post Herpetic Neuralgia

Posted By Mary Fitzhugh on November 22, 1997 at 19:03:06:









I was recently diagnosed with Post Herpetic Neuralgia after having had
Shingles.   I'm having a problem with the diagnosis for the following
reason.   When I had Shingles, the skin lessions were located on the back
and extended to the stomach area on the left side.   At the time that
I visited my Internist I was also having pain in the left arm,
but no lesions were visible in that location.   Shortly after taking
pain medication, the arm pain subsided while the severe nerve pain
in the back continued for approximately 4 weeks at which time the skin
lesions also faded. Subsequently, the arm pain returned (still absent
lesions) and has been constant ever since for a period of nearly
2 months.  This pain is quite different from the pain during the Shingles
attack.  The pain is in the upper arm, occasionally throbs, but the main
problem is attempting to lift the arm, extend it, and is particularly
excrutiating when attempting to reach behind me.  It is very painful just
trying to get dressed.  The internist ordered an x-ray to see if there was anything
else going on, and it showed nothing.
Is it possible to have PHN in a location other than where the original
Shingles occurred?   Should I be seeing a Neurologist?