Bloody hell... NHS direct have just told me I may have meningitis! Surely not??

[TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench]

I had a weird virus a couple of weeks ago, & ever since have been exhausted, nauseous, had aching joints, hands, feet & neck. This morning I noticed a funny purple / pink spotty rash on my legs & feet, so thought I should give NHS direct a ring. The nurse I spoke to said that I have the symptoms, but not severely. So I'm waiting for my out of hours GP to call me back.

I'm a single parent, so god knows what I'll need to do with DD if I have to go to hospital. I don't think I've got meningitis, but I do feel pretty crap. Bit scared now.... anyone want to give me a lemsip & a hug?

lemon or blackcurrant just put kettle on hope your ok

Have you done the glass test? Press a glass test over the rash and see if it blanches/fades. If it doesn't then it might be serious - didn't the NHS direct nurse advise you to do this?

Oh dear. However, don't panic just yet, NHS Direct are renowned for over-reacting - they have to as you can't actually diagnose someone over the phone unless it's really, really obvious.

Dh decided he had bloody meningitis when he woke up with a cold and went onto the NHS Direct website. The daft apeth had answered 'yes' to breathing difficulties on the grounds he had a sore throat!

I rang NHS direct a couple of months ago about a rash DD had that didn't fade & the nurse said there were several other things that could cause a 'meningitis type rash'
It wasn't meningitis - hope yours isn't.

Thanks bigdonna - mines a blackcurrant please!

Yes, done the glass thing - it doesn't go away

O dear - hoping it's not [hopeful]

Bloody inconvenient! Meant to be taking DD to Brighton to meet her dad later (staying overnight so good timing in a way). Then due to go & help some friends dig their allotment, followed by dinner & cinema with my boyfriend later. Grrrr.

I hope it isn't! (I think they are being cautious as there have been meningitis outbreaks recently - saw it on the news).

bloke at work had something similar and turned out he had picked up the adult version of slapped cheek (parovirus B19 I think it is called). He had dreadful aching joints poor bloke!

Hope you are ok and it isn't meningitis, but be prepared to get sent to casualty for lots of antibiotics if your GP suspects it is. It would be incredibly unlikely - it's just not that common in adults. Let us know what happens.

Ew.. what's slapped cheek? Apart from aching joints, obviously. Virus?

it's a bit medical speak this one but all of the others just talked about it in children!

yes, it's a virus.

Let us know how you get on! Hope you are ok!

i had a scare like this in sept with dd
temp of 40.6 couldnt bare light soreness in neck etc, taken to hosp in ambulance (which she hated + scared the hell out of me) but thankfully turned out to be a virus again

hope u are ok!

I had a bad virus and developed what looked like little bruises on my lower legs It just took its course but I felt awful so be careful going out!

TMWOSQ - yes it had happened to my Dp's sister as she was in her late 20's when she had meningitis...... I would always thought that would happen in kids but adults

GET WELL soon xx

DD3 had this on her hands a few months ago. She was otherwise well. We monitored her closely for a few days but she was fine.

The rash is usually but not necessarily the last symptom. It is your body giving up.

The rash doesn't usually start on the extremities.

The rash does usually spread v v rapidly.

Very wise to e cautious - but if you were here saying teh rash was on your trunk, spreading by teh hour, you had a fever, headache and could barely type I would be much more worried.

Thanks everyone. You lot are lovely.

Have just spoken to the GP, who said that as I'm clearly not at death's door I should go to the surgery on Monday for some blood tests. Rash & other symptoms aren't getting any worse, so I think this is all a storm in a tea cup, thank gawd.

How are you today? Hope you're feeling a bit better

Hi Rusty. Well, I slept for 14.5 hours! So not too bad thanks, and will take myself off to the docs tomorrow morning for some blood tests. It's clearly not meningitis, otherwise I guess I'd be in hospital by now.

Thanks everyone for being lovely and supportive, as ever. I heart MN.