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Dear Listmembers, The following is from Encarta: Herpes Zoster "Known as shingles, this is a one-time recurrence of the symptoms of chicken pox, usually during adulthood. It is caused by the chicken pox virus attacking a sensory nerve. The skin over the nerve generally breaks out in blisters a few days after the onset of the disorder, which is accompanied by pain and frequent numbness or hypersensitivity along the course of the nerve, usually the trunk. The blisters are at first clear, but become cloudy within a few days and form crusts that dry up after five or ten days. The skin manifestation of herpes zoster is not serious, but the pain caused by the inflammation of the underlying nerve can be severe, lasting for weeks; recovery may be followed by persistence of neuralgia in the area of the involved nerve. High doses of acyclovir can significantly reduce the symptoms of herpes zoster. Normally, medication relieves pain, and the disease subsides spontaneously. More severe cases may be treated with such steroids as cortisone. In cases of persistent pain, the involved nerve may be either blocked by drugs or cut." I had shingles and chicken pox as a child and shingles again in my mid-30's. I remember my adult episode occurring during a period of extraordinary stress in my life (job and family related). As a child, I don't know what I was stressed about. Have any of you suffered from shingles and do you suspect any relationship with PD? How many have had chicken pox? Did we not have some postings this past fall concerning herpes? Any comments? This is not intended to be a survey. I was just curious and wondered if others had similar experiences. Larry Fleming 51/1 [log in to unmask]