What is shingles (herpes zoster)?

Shingles is a disorder caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) that has remained dormant, often for decades, after the patient's initial exposure to the virus. It may cause severe pain and blistering along the path of the affected nerve.

How do members experience shingles (herpes zoster)?

Top 5 symptoms reported by people with shingles (herpes zoster)*

*Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.

Top treatments taken by people for shingles (herpes zoster)*

*Data from patients with shingles (herpes zoster), who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.

Compare treatments taken by people with shingles (herpes zoster)*

Treatment
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Treatment

(Valtrex)
Perceived effectiveness
No evaluations
Side effects
No evaluations
Total evaluations
0
Tried for
shingles (herpes zoster) (2)

*Data from patients with shingles (herpes zoster), who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.

Who has shingles (herpes zoster) on PatientsLikeMe?

Age

Age Proportion # of patients
<20 0
20s 7
30s 52
40s 83
50s 134
60s 203
70+ 179

Distribution of sex

Sex

Sex Proportion # of patients
Male 151
Female 501

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What is shingles (herpes zoster)?

Shingles is a disorder caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) that has remained dormant, often for decades, after the patient's initial exposure to the virus. It may cause severe pain and blistering along the path of the affected nerve.



Common symptoms reported by people with shingles (herpes zoster)

Common symptoms
How bad it is
What people are taking for it

Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.
Last updated:



Treatments taken by people for shingles (herpes zoster)

Treatment name(s)
Type
How many have tried
Tried for
Treatment name(s)

(Valtrex)
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
107
Tried for
shingles (herpes zoster) (2)

Data from patients with shingles (herpes zoster), who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.
Last updated:


Compare treatments taken by people with shingles (herpes zoster)

Treatment name(s)
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Treatment name(s)

(Valtrex)
Perceived effectiveness
No evaluations
Side effects
No evaluations
Total evaluations
0
Tried for
shingles (herpes zoster) (2)
  • Major
  • Moderate
  • Slight
  • None
  • Can't tell
  • Severe
  • Moderate
  • Mild
  • None

Data from patients with shingles (herpes zoster), who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.
Last updated:



Who has shingles (herpes zoster) on PatientsLikeMe?

  • 2 new patients joined this month
  • 234 say shingles (herpes zoster) is their primary condition

Age
Age Proportion # of patients
<20 0
20s 7
30s 52
40s 83
50s 134
60s 203
70+ 179

Distribution of sex

Sex
Sex Proportion # of patients
Male 151
Female 501

These charts show data from shingles (herpes zoster) patients who have completed their condition history
Last updated: