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Original poster

I think I have Shingles?! Do I need to see GP or just crack on?

35 replies

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:36

I have a couple of blisters come up on/in my ear, some pain in my ear, and nerve pain/tingling/skin soreness across my ear, cheek, around the eye, down the neck and oddly as far as into my left arm.

Eased by the fact that I have good pain meds for other reason, but there nevertheless.

I don't feel ill particularly, other than the way the weird facial pain makes me think I am going to have a migraine, but without it developing into one.

Is this shingles? do I need to see the gp? do i need to avoid people ? or can I just continue self medicating? how long is it infectious for? there are pregnant people at work, don't know if they are immune.

(i have had this before, several times, in my life, but never considered it to be shingles, until i read a little about it when the children got chicken pox, so not been to the docs about it for years, last time was when i was a teenager, had blisters on ear, told it was a virus. had not connected the face pain then).

OP posts:

Valpollicella · 29/08/2012 22:39

Call the docs tmrw Pav (you poor thing)

I think they can give anti viral, although I might be wrong

I hope you're better soon

Valpollicella · 29/08/2012 22:40

You do need to avoid people btw as you can contract chicken pox from shingles (and not the other way rounds as some people do believe)

TheFidgetySheep · 29/08/2012 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

3littlefrogs · 29/08/2012 22:41

You can give people chicken pox, so you need to think about the implications of that.

It is worth getting antivirals - shingles is miserable.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 29/08/2012 22:44

I had shingles just as I was about to return to work after having 12 months maternity leave with ds2.

Mine was a small area on my trunk. I could easily cover it with a large dressing so my dr and occ. health were happy for me to return to work. The infectious bit is in the little blisters. If the area can't be covered then you are infectious and should stay at home.

Hope it doesn't get too painful.

3littlefrogs · 29/08/2012 22:46

It is very difficult to completely cover blisters on face and neck though. The other problem is that you are tempted to touch them, and end up with live virus on your fingers.

TheLightPassenger · 29/08/2012 22:48

I don't know about the infection control point, but agree about going to GP asap, as the sooner you get anti-virals the better.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:49

oh crap so i could be then couldn't it? am i going to feel ill? it only started this afternoon, i had a hot patch on my ear and as i touched it, hand brushed across my face and I had that tingling/numb/slightly painful sensation (neuralgia?) and then felt the blisters, not big, only a couple or so.

I could wear ear muffs to work! i have some ace headphones for listening to music, could wear those? it is not the ear i put the telephone to normally, but, i could do that without thinking if i was distracted. no-one normally uses my desk, but i dont work every day, so in theory someone could hotdesk (at pain of my wrath).

Not back in work til monday - will i be ok by then?

bloody hell. I am actually falling apart. 35 is not a good age for me.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:50

3littlefrogs yes i agree, cant really cover my ear easily and most definitely would be tempted to touch absentmindedly. I am a picker as it is

OP posts:

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 29/08/2012 22:51

Not sure about how long the blisters will stay for, I have a dreadful memory I'm afraid! I don't remember feeling unwell, but the affected area was very tender.

I think a call to your GP in the morning will be in order.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:51

I shall go to see gp tomorrow then. Typical. my day off, and i was hoping for a lie-in. Already seen gp for a lengthy chat this week. He is going to roll his eyes when he sees my name!

OP posts:

GhouliaYelps · 29/08/2012 22:52

Shingles site on the face/ neck needs to be checked out .

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:53

yes, tender, that is a good word for it. it is feeling numb/tender without touching it on the side of the infected ear. marvelous.

OP posts:

Valpollicella · 29/08/2012 22:53

Pav, you really can't go to work with shingles... It really is far too easy to infect someone with CP.

I don't know how long it takes for it to be non infectious so best bet is GP over the phone or NHS Direct to get the definative info...

So sorry you are poorly though

chickydoo · 29/08/2012 22:54

I've had shingles 3 times. ( who said you can only get it once) it can be so painful!
Def go to GP for anti virals

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:55

No, i wont risk it with pg colleagues. I was only being half serious about my headphones. they are huge

OP posts:

Valpollicella · 29/08/2012 22:56

x posts. Glad you are speaking to them. Rest as much as you can. If you can get hold of any calamine acqueous cream that might help. Its amazingly cooling and doesn't dry out like the lotion, leaving scabby itchy flakiness behind

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:56

chicky i have heard you can get shingles many times in your life as once you have the virus, it stays there forever, and can surface forever? is that right?

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 29/08/2012 22:57

val i have a big tub of the aqueous cream, as the children only had CP in april/may or thereabouts (memory like a seive) not long ago anyway. good idea.

OP posts:

SilverSixpence · 29/08/2012 23:01

Yes go to GP antivirals are most effective within first 48 hours but still help after that as reduce length of illness and prevent complications like chronic pain

chickydoo · 29/08/2012 23:01

I think you are probably right Pavlov, I just remember someone telling me I couldn't get it twice. It is grim though.

Valpollicella · 29/08/2012 23:01

Stick it in the freezer for 10 mins. Even better then And yes, you can get shingles again and again.

What fucking joy....

Apparently it's an immune response - so the usual tired, stressed, run down mean the virus rears its horrible head and you get it again and again....

georgie22 · 29/08/2012 23:05

Get yourself to the GP as you can be given aciclovir which will help to reduce severity of shingles especially if you start it early. You can get bad post herpetic pain following shingles so would be good to be seen. I had shingles when I was pregnant so wasn't treated - it wasn't too bad although the lesions were on my back. I didn't feel well enough to go to work though. You're infectious until lesions are dry. Hope you're better soon.

CaroleService · 29/08/2012 23:08

You need to see a GP; isn't there a danger of the shingles getting to your eyes / optic nerve? (I have a dim memory of a friend at Uni wandering vacuously to his GP with facial herpes, and the medical equivalent an air raid siren then going off).

Pooka · 29/08/2012 23:13

A friend of mine has permanent damage to er sight in one eye as a result of shingles (blister was slap bang next to eye and was undiagnosed for a few days so too late for antivirals). I think.

She was b/feeding at time and gave chick pox to 2 yr old nd 12 week old was rotten, bsolute nightmare for her.

Hope you get seen ASAP and that Antivirals do trick.

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