I have no medical training, but I had two friends and a relative all come down with shingles in their 50's. All are healthy athletic people (for their ages). The two still working are workaholics, and continued their work schedule as usual even though they felt tired and in serious pain. They suffered for months. One finally took two weeks off, total rest, and recovered almost completely in that time, although some pain in the hand she uses for a mouse (she uses a computer all day) still returns when she overworks. The other recovered but it seems like it took forever (I don't know how long, but months).
The relative, ERed, had learned from the experience of the other two. Although all three found it early enough to take the antiviral, only the ERed person had very mild symptoms, with complete recovery in a couple of weeks. But it took laying around and doing almost nothing during that time, complete rest, which drove him somewhat crazy because he normally exercises every day.
SO the moral of the story is - REST UP! Take it very seriously. You may not feel very sick or weak, but at least in my relative's case, two weeks of laying around may have saved him months of misery and perhaps permanent nerve damage.
Take it seriously, and take it easy until the rash is gone, IMHO.
I learned my lesson and got the shingles vaccine at the first opportunity. They used to require you to be age sixty, but I got it in my mid-50's. It's not perfect protection but my two friends were so miserable, I'm not taking any unnecessary chances. And if I do get shingles, you know what I'm going to do. Bring on the fluffy slippers and DVDs.
