Could this be shingles?

[User72655]

For the past 3 days I've struggled with sleep due to what I thought was kidney ache. Yesterday it was really quite bad (right kidney) and I took pain relief. I have also noticed I have a rash on the right side of my stomach and now wondering if the symptoms are related and it could be shingles? I am 32 and my immune system is suppressed due to a low dose of azathioprine. However, I don't feel unwell, I'm not run down, I don't have a fever.

Could be, although it's not the greatest photo (hard to photograph yourself I know). Shingles typically appears as blisters or small clusters of blisters. The pain and then rash is fairly typical too.

As you are immunosuppressed, could you go to a walk in centre today? You would need anti virals ASAP

Thanks I've tried to take a couple more. Really reluctant to go to a walk in centre but will speak with a pharmacist shortly and will go if they say to

I'd get on with getting those anti virals. Just because you feel ok now doesn't mean you will tomorrow.

My partner had this after his first Pfizer vaccine, looked exactly like this. His GP said it was shingles, it lasted weeks

Thanks I will go to the pharmacist now and let you know what they say. My second Pfizer dose was in April so don't think it relates to that. Have just had a lot of stress at work

When I’ve had shingles my rash looked almost exactly like that, just more of it. Ask the pharmacist for some emla cream too, if you do start to feel the itch and pain it can be horrible and emla really will help with it.

Yep looks like shingles. I just had more of it.

Pharmacist thought it was shingles so have called 111 and spoken to the doctor and now sent the pics. If the doctor agrees it's shingles they will send over the prescription. The pharmacist thought my horrible kidney type pain was odd for shingles but the out of hours doctor thinks it's all connected. Im feeling scared I hope nothing bad happens with it 😞

I had exactly the same thing last year - terrible pain in my back (though a bit further up than kidneys) and then a typical shingles pattern of painful lumps which were never looking like shingles blisters you see online but the GP said was shingles and they looked like yours. I couldn't believe how much it hurt

@CMOTDibbler thanks for your message that is really helpful! What hurt for you? The back or the rash? My rash isn't really that noticeable at the moment but the pain near my kidney on the same side is awful

I thought my shingles was kidney pain to begin with. The rash followed

Hey everyone the doctor diagnosed shingles and I've just taken my first aciclovir tablet (5x a day for 7 days). Really hope it doesn't get any worse as it's currently manageable.

It was my back, and then the rash as it really developed. Wish I'd gone to the GP earlier to get treatment!

This looks just like shingles x hope the anti virals work, I needed two load and was ill for weeks.
Not a nic illness and makes you feel very strange x

What's peoples experience been of the anti virals? I've had 3 tablets so far (out of 5 per day), wondering how long to kick in and do they always work?