Mildred
I,too, have had shingles. It is my understanding that shingles comes from dormant chicken pox that becomes activated again. It is not contagious. Your own system activates it. Tylenol helped my pain some, as did, Zorvax. I have read that if the pain is unbearable you could talk to your doctor about the possibility of a pain medication that is put in thru the base of the spine that is quites effective. Good luck. Mildred