Doctors

[PerkyOchrePeer]

Im experiencing a medical issue. I am not sure whether I've gad a severe alergic reaction or ive got shingles. My eyesight is swollen and ive got head pain and a forehead rash. I saw my GP today who said it's not shingles but a severe alergic reaction. She said the rash is not a typical shingles rash. She fave me antihistamine tablets and told me to come back in the morning for a further assessment from another GOto see if it develops into shingles. If my Go was confident that it was an alergic reaction then why would she ask me to go back for someone else to look at

Do you think just maybe that she wasn’t that confident that it is an allergic reaction?
Consider yourself fortunate that you have a GP who is actually following up on your issue.

Shes being thorough

My colleagues and I often asked each other for 2nd opinions. Medicine is not an exact science and things change overnight. Sometimes a second pair of eyes and opinion is really helpful. We are "General" practitioners. We can't be 100% all the time. Illnesses present in many different ways.. We also learn from each other and I never stopped learning in my 30 years as a GP.

Yes maybe. Apparently the blisters can appear up to 5 days after the person gets initial symptoms. I will see the second GP and see what they say. Im glad this has happened now because I'm going on holiday in march

Im actually petrified that I haven't been given antiviral medication now

There's no need to be "petrified". You're being seen again and monitored so you're in good hands.

Have the antihistamines made a difference?

The head pain isn't as bad and the last time i took painkillers was about 10 hours ago

The headache combined with rash makes me think its more likely to be shingles than an allergic rash. My shingles was diagnosed on the basis of bad headache and a tiny little rash that wasn't characteristic of shingles at that point.
As your eye seems to be affected when you see the second GP, I'd very strongly press the issue - its not worth risking your eyesight.

I've been to the optician and has the eye looked at and nothing serious. I phoned 111 and they said if the second Gp also says its not shingles then I will have to accept it because they are doctors and if I keep arguing then I will make myself look silly and if I ask to see a third GO I run the risk of being thought of at my surgery as a hyperconfriact

If the second GP says its not shingles ask if they are willing to put in writing that it's definitely not shingles, and if not why are they then willing to risk your eyesight.

My initial rash looked a lot like an allergy rash so I actually thought I'd developer an epoxy allergy (had been working with epoxy)

How on earth did you manage to access an optician overnight or more accurately if it was someone that was actually going to review your eye health an optometrist?
Have they referred you to the eye hospital?

I saw the Gp this morning i g because the GPyesterdag booked it as an emergency. The GP said why are u here and I said because the GP yesterday told ne to come. She looked at my symptoms a d said ypu do not have shingles so I cannot help you. I said I have symptoms and she said your rash is not shingles. I said j could develop the rash ad it can appear within 5 days. She said unless and until it does no doctor will treat you for shingles. J said I will go to a and e and she said it's a waste of time because j r being treated for an alergi c reaction not shingles. My friend said go to a abd r because she knows someone who had a rash like mine and was told it was shimgles

It's not true that no doctor will treat for shingles before the rash appears. I've had shingles sine herpete and was given zovirax promptly as it's more effective the earlier you take it. I would think being given antivirals unnecessarily would be the lesser of two evils copared with leaving ocular shingles untreated unnecessarily. If you have an eye casualty near at hand, I would go, OP.

They've been to an optician and seen two doctors, all say it's not shingles. But a friend thinks it could be so the friend is right and they should go to A&E!

I saw i would not go to eye casualty as optomertrjst thoroughly examined eye and said nothing serious

you can always ask for an opinion in a pharmacy too. it was a pharmacist who spotted my shingles on my eye, and sent me to the gp

I saw i did and the pharmacist told ne to see a doctor

I dont really understand this message at all. Please explain

It's not true that no doctor will treat for shingles before the rash appears. I've had shingles sine herpete and was given zovirax promptly as it's more effective the earlier you take it. I would think being given antivirals unnecessarily would be the lesser of two evils copared with leaving ocular shingles untreated unnecessarily. If you have an eye casualty near at hand, I would go, OP.

CA SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS POST AS IM NOT SURE WHAT IT MEANS

That its better than a doctor prescribes antivirals even if its not sure that you have shingles because unneccessary antivirals aren't as dangerous as untreated shingles around the eye.

Did you ask the second GP to write in your notes that you definitely don't have shingles?

I was just glad toget out of there. Im in a and e waiting to be seen because I had no confidence in the GP this morning

I had to keep going back to my GP over an issue I was having. They were good but the medication wasn't doing much. I was then told they have a skin doctor on site who could see me tomorrow

I understand it's better to treat for shingles even if not sure but ive been to 2 Gps and a pharmacy who closely looked at my symptoms and none of the. Suggested treating for shi gles. You cannot force them to give you medication for shingles because they will say we have examined you and it's a alergic reaction take antihistamines. You would look silly if you argued with them and insisted. They would think I was bonkers. That's why Im at a and e abd if the doctor says just fake antihistamines tge. J can't argue and will havd to accept it

How much shingles do you think the average A&E doctor sees compared with the average GP?

It doesn’t sound like the doctor’s not sure, it sounds like they’re sure it’s not shingles and that’s why they’ve nt prescribed.

OP where is the rash? Is it around your eye? Any eye redness/watering/pain? Does the rash cross the centre of your face or is it confined to one side?