Could this be a shingles vaccine side effect?
 

In December I got a shingles shot (Zostavax) in my left arm, high up near the shoulder. I didn't notice any immediate reaction but maybe a month later, I started intermittently feeling unusual sensations in my left upper arm.

"Tingling" doesn't really describe it; I want to call it "crawling". When it happens, it typically feels like many small areas of muscle randomly tightening and relaxing. That part isn't painful, just a little distracting. I haven't found anything in particular that seems to bring it on or relieve it. It tends to go away by itself in 15 minutes to an hour but it can happen several times a day. The affected area was originally 3 or 4 inches below the injection site, later more like 8 inches below.

Recently both the sensation and the location seem to have changed. I get the "crawling" less but now I also get a mix of pain and (what feels like) tightness in my upper arm, sometimes radiating into my forearm. I'm still noting what seems to bring that on but it seems to be related to letting my arm just hang down (as when walking or sitting, as opposed to doing something with my hands).

I'm not particularly worried about these symptoms. I'd just like to get a better idea what might be going on, what I can expect, and what (if anything) I need to watch out for. Among other things, I'm curious if symptoms like these have ever been associated with shingles shots before.

Either the live virus in the shot, or the needle hit a nerve.

You might try the new magnesium lotion that is very good for nerve and muscle issues... Morton Epsom Lotion.
Many of us use it here for various reasons.

It is at WalMart and online at Amazon. Very inexpensive and nice.
Just rub a small bit on the area, and see what happens. Apply only to intact skin. Use at night and you'll sleep better too.
Don't slather this on....it is not like moisturizer lotions...or you may get too much magnesium from that. My 8oz bottles last a LONG time, 3 months at least!;) For the upper arm, perhaps a dime sized portion, for a leg and foot a quarter's portion.

We use it every day at home. It has brought down my hypertension to minor levels, which pleased me no end as well!

http://www.amazon.com/Morton-Epsom-L.../dp/B008X365AU

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.