Oh no, does this sound like shingles?

[Olivo]

Have been feeling a bit grotty for the last couple of days. Last night, woke in the night with a sharp burning pain in my left lower side. Felt sore to touch the skin too. Took nurofen and managed to get back to sleep. This morning, it hurts agin and I have three red blotches on my lower back, where the pain is. Does it sound like shingles? Is there any point in getting it checked out, or will they just tell me to rest?

Do the blotches look like blisters? It definitely sounds like it could be shingles. Speak to your out of hours GP service or go to a walk in centre (not A&E). If antiviral medication is started early it can limit how long you have symptoms for.

No, they are just blotches. I am not in the UK,so don't have quite the same system, but there is. A kind of walk in surgery on a Saturday so I could go and wait. The reason I'm hesitant is because it s quite expensive!

It does sound like it might be. There is a time window (72 hours) between getting the rash and it being worth taking antivirals that got me to the Dr earlier than I might have otherwise gone when I got shingles
It's on here:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Shingles/Pages/Treatment.aspx
By the way, antivirals don't make you better, but they do stop it getting worse IFSWIM.

Hmmm, I think I'd better go then. Thank you.

I'd say more than likely shingles based on what you've said. You could give it a few hours to see if blisters develop.

Good idea, Drs not open for a couple of hours anyway.

Thank you for your wisdom, dr thinks it might be too ,so I have antivirals.

You're very welcome! Hope you feel better soon!