OK, this just keeps getting better and better...went to the doctors today and he said he thinks I have shingles along with the RSD..anyone heard of this one??? He put me on Valtrex for two weeks. He said the Valtrex won't bother the RSD!!! Hope he is right...

We have had some posters on PN, years ago who had the
neuralgia from herpes zoster with no skin outbreak.

They did benefit from antiviral treatment. And so have I.

I had the mini attacks close to the time I had the shingles.
As time has passed (more than 10 yrs) I don't get them anymore.
I had my shingles down my right arm, and only had about 15
lesions. My husband had a bad attack following a bee sting, and his were around his thorax. He had one pain attack about a year later, but so far no more (this was about 6 yrs ago).

One thing that may activate the Zoster virus is a diet high in arginine. This amino acid stimulates the virus to replicate.
Taking lysine orally will help block this too.
http://www.globalherbalsupplies.com/...nformation.htm

In the nursing home provider context we often see this sequence. A patient with bed sores, is given a high arginine powdered food supplement, and then following that treatment they break out in shingles. Not every single patient, but I have seen the connection there too.

I think you are rather lucky...most doctors will not try antivirals without lesions. Good luck to you...I hope it works!