I am 26 years old and have had attacks of pain from shingles since i was 11. the attacks usually lasts about two minutes and are dormant for months. Recently, they have become extreme and close together. I got shingles from having chicken pox twice in the same week along with double pneumonia. It was a week before my mom realized the rash wasn't going away. By then the nerve damage was consideraby larger than the area of the rash. Damaged areas include nerves below my ribcage and below my shoulderblades. The pain is like electrical misfirings in those areas. Is there a reason that the pain is getting worse? And how can I manage it?

Sometimes shingles will cause persistent pain for months or years, especially after a severe episode. This syndrome is called "post-herpetic neuralgia". Many of the medications that are used to alleviate the pain of peripheral neuropathy can be tried for the discomfort. If your docotr isn't familiar with this, then ask for a referral to a neurologist who specializes in treating peripheral neuropathy or a pain specialist. Good luck!