Is the rash major (heavy) or light relatively?

My husband's shingles were ghastly... all over his side and abdomen on the left, plus his ear canal.

He had some pain for 2 yrs after, in spurts, but nothing really lasting.

I on the other hand had only a few lesions down my right arm.
That side of my shoulder and neck have had many flares as the years have gone by. (no rash, but intense pain).

I think many PNers have had mild shingles, didn't get enough antiviral, and/or for some other reason, just get flares of pain.
It is called postherpetic neuralgia. The virus lives in the dorsal roots along the spine, forever.

You can bring it out with a diet high in arginine, or by taking arginine supplements. Using some l-lysine, 1 to 2 grams a day can put it also into a sleeping remission state.

Here is a food list of arginine/lysine food ratios:
http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml

If arginine gets dominant then that feeds the virus and signals replication, which then activates.

Because my shingles were an odd unusual presentation, I had blood work to measure the titres of antibodies present. And my Zoster was off the scale. My simplex, very very low.

Now that you have a diagnosis of shingles, your insurance will approve Lidoderm patches...which is a good thing. You might want to try them on your PN spots. (I've used them on the tops of my feet at times, and behind my right knee. They can really stop severe pain, if placed over nerve paths involving the pain.