Postherpetic neuralgia or TMS ?

Hey

I'm 22M, generally healthy with not background diseaeses or ilness (as far as I know).
But to be honest I suffered from few sessions of depression and anxiety since the age of 15 so mentally I'm not that healthy.

Important thing before we get started - I had symptoms of FMS and IBS 5 years ago for few months that finally resloved after I read book of Dr John Serano so I strongly believe in TMS .

This march I got shingles, had it for like 2 weeks with few days of burning pain on the rashes but after those 2 weeks I completely recovered and pain free.

I was afraid I will get PHN (which is long term pain after the rash cleared up). But hopefully after I recovered I reached a level when I didn't even remembered the exact point where my shingles were.

Fast forward to August 2nd, I'm pain free for 4.5 months and everything fine in my life, besides 2 things - I had this day tell my boss I'm leaving my job in order to study (I wasn't that stressed about it because I knew he will take it ok since were in a good realtionship).
Another thing I started to read posts about shingles again after I leave it for those months because I dealt with other neck pain (that has not connection to that).

So since August 2nd until today (almost 2 weeks) I suffer from burning pain in the area I had the shingles and sensitvity for cold air (clear symptoms of PHN).

However something doesn't seem normal to me, from the following reasons

First - The risk factors to develop PHN its being 50+ , having severe shingles case or having background illness and I have nothing of it (the only thing that put me in risk it's that I started the antiviral treatment too late) + PHN most of the times is continius to the pain from the rashes and it's really unusal to have it few months after everything is fine (but still there is low chance for it).

Second - I didn't read on shingles for all those months until 3 weeks ago I just started to read about it again and Boom I have those pain, coinsidence ?

Last - they say PHN its nerve damage ? And that the shingles its what that make this damage, so how I was pain free for all this months if I do had the damage ?!

Please tell me what do you think

 

Hi ariel233,

I think you're making a very good assessment that this could be a TMS type symptom.

Your list of support for TMS diagnosis is good.
---Symptoms went away.
-----

Notice here your focus on one pain went away, then the "nerve pain" started.

And yes, the diagnosis postherpetic neuralgia is considered to be a TMS equivalent by TMS physicians.

So, lots of evidence to support your self-diagnosis. I hope you can get started with the Structured Education Free at the Wiki, Alan Gordon's offerings, also free, or just dive deep into Dr. Sarno's work, reassuring yourself that you're actually perfectly healthy!

Ask questions, post. We're here to help.

Andy