I'm so sorry Believe, yours is a common nightmare as there's a lot of misinformation about shingles. I had a similar story (even tho I diagnosed it in my husband and my father). I had the pain in my back and chest area. The virus is re-activated from the chicken pox in a nerve. The pain "generally" follows that path, but as nerves get inflamed the pain can also come from the opposite side or areas near it. I had maybe two tiny spots on my back and two weeks later four tiny spots on my lower left breast. The pain appeared, was miserable for one evening, then disappeared until weeks later. Two weeks after the initial pain is when I found the spots on my breast. I was told as I had no pain now, it couldn't be shingles. I did have some discomfort but attributed it to other things. A week after that, the pain was worse and I got the diagnosis. It was at this point when the pain was unbearable. That was a year ago. I now have PHN, which is pain which lingers due to nerve damage from shingles.
I've learned a lot here, but I also had a background as a medical secretary which has helped me. Here's what I can tell you. The Gab will help, but it needs to be slowly increased to get the optimal effect of pain relief. It's a drug that's also used for seizures so the side effects can be VERY difficult to deal with. You may end up with choosing either them or the pain. HOWEVER, the longer you have severe pain, the higher your risk of developing PHN. Generally, it's found more often in people over 60 (I was 61). So do as much as possible to take care of yourself!
1) Your entire body is dealing with this virus, so you may feel nauseous, have headaches and extreme fatigue.
2) The pain may feel generalized, but depending where the rash was or the most extreme pain, that's the nerve affected. It may help to look at anatomy drawings. Do as much to avoid aggravating that nerve as possible.
Where is your pain? Is it back/chest, down a leg or arm? If back/chest, avoid lifting, leaning, bending etc.
3) Rest, rest, rest. Do NOT try and power thru this. It will likely last 4-8 weeks, as like me, you didn't get the anti-virals. The more you can sleep the better and don't feel guilty for it. It's an invisible condition for people like you and me. Try and distract yourself with anything that helps, watch movies, read, stroke your pet. Anything that can give your mind respite from the worst discomfort. IT WILL GET BETTER!
4) My regimen is, Gabapentin 3 times a day, extra-strength Tylenol 3 times a day, Aspercreme with 4%Lidocaine pain cream (OTC) 3 times a day. a prescription NSAID I've been on for years for another condition. Some research shows using and NSAID in addition to Gab enhances the pain-relieving effect. At my worst, the Tylenol and Aspercreme were 4 times a day, which was pushing it, dosage wise. You can also use the Aspercreme patches, but they're expensive and can only be used for 12 hours. I found the roller-ball works easiest and is most cost-effective as you don't use as much.
Unfortunately, this IS the new normal for you for a while. It can take a bit to accept this, hey I didn't either! It took me three months to realize I had PHN, when I clearly did.
Did you tell your doctor about the new rash? Is it in the same area or a different area? This is very difficult as it could be a new case of shingles or a reaction to something else. If it were me, I'd strongly encourage the doctor to give me the anti-virals. They have to be given in the first 72 hours after the "symptoms". This danged illness has SO many twists and variations to it, that's one reason why there's so little research and so much misunderstanding. I'd err on the side of taking the meds.