I'm guessing it was the first. Once or twice when being prepped for dental work, I've felt the needle hit a nerve but during the shingles shot I didn't feel anything like that.

I did get some Morton Epsom Lotion and try it once or twice just to see what it was like. I saw what you meant about not slathering it on -- it's oily and messy. I couldn't tell for sure how much good it did, but it certainly didn't seem to do any harm. If my symptoms had been worse I might have continued with the Morton, but they were never very bad and they've continued to fade slowly. By now I rarely notice them any more.

I may try the Morton on other stuff over time, sore knees for instance. I've been taking magnesium as one of my supplements anyway, so I'm probably pretty well supplied with it.

Actually, what reminded me of this post was that I was talking to a friend who'd contracted shingles last summer. She said that for some reason she was being advised to get the vaccine anyway. She asked me if I'd had any side effects from my shot, so I described mine.