Some people with shingles may feel quite ill at first, almost as though they have the flu. These symptoms—fever,
headache, nausea, and chills—may be part of the prodromal stage (prodrome refers to symptoms that appear before the rash appears).
Shingles occurs in two stages—the prodromal stage and the eruptive stage.
Prodromal Stage
The prodromal stage occurs about 2 to 5 days before the rash appears.