Shingles?

[FrothyDonkeyMilk]

About a week ago I had a deep pain in one shoulder - like I had a pinched nerve. And some of the skin around the side of my breast and onto my back was numb. I thought I'd done it sanding and painting.

It was more painful at night and was bad enough to wake me a few times overnight and take me an hour to go back to sleep.

This lasted for 3-4 days before reducing down so the ache is still there but it no longer wakes me.

However, in the last 3-4 days I've developed a rash: a small patch inbetween my breasts and a few spots on my breast and then in a strip under my arm and onto my back. Just above where my bra back strap sits.

It's itchy and sore and prickly - a lot like sun burn and feels sensitive when clothes brush it etc. The patches don't have defined edges but are a little bit pale or yellower to the very centre - though not strictly a blister.

I've also had a headache for a few days, that comes and goes.

Has anyone had shingles and does this sound like it?

I had shingles relatively recently.

If the rash is in a straight line and only on one side of your body, then it is likely to be that.

You should get medical attention when you can, to get antivirals if you think that is what it is.

Yeah - it is in more or less a straight line. And is just on one side.

This is so inconvenient! I am meant to be going on holiday on Saturday with family members who have been looking forward to it forever (we've already had to move it because of illness in someone else).

Desperately hoping this is about as bad as it'll get, so I can still go.

(but thanks for replying )

It doesn’t sound like it. Shingle rash is usually very easy to identify and is painful (surface nerve pain) and follows a distinctive line rather than itchy. The symptoms seem to indicate something else, more like dermatitis or a fungal rash maybe.

Location is usually around your middle, lower back or face with shingles. The headache is slightly indicative, do you feel tired or rundown?

Nonetheless it sounds like you need your GP’s opinion as if it is shingles promptly taking antivirals is important to limit the symptoms.

Yes, get the anti viral ASAP. I had the shingles along the same nerve area. I was uncomfortable for the couple of days and sent hours bra shopping trying to feel right. Then I noticed a spot, then more.
Ring 111 Hoathly can arrange medication and advise on how contagious you will be- I was only contagious if someone ingested the fluid from the spots apparently.

Sounds like shingles, get a drs appointment for antivirals and amyltripaline. Use calamine lotion and sudocream , good luck. It's horrible

Thanks all. I do feel a little bit tired/run down - but not especially so.

I'll see the GP tomorrow just in case I need the anti-virals and to get advice on contagion. I want to still go on holiday but don't want to risk anyone else!

A friend of mine recently had shingles and didn’t even realise it. Her rash wasn’t painful and didn’t look like any of the ones on Google and she didn’t feel unwell. She only knew that’s what it was when she popped into the chemist to ask them if there was anything she could put on it to dry it out as she was competing in a race at the weekend and didn’t want it to rub on her running vest. Very lucky I know.

That's encouraging @Iheartmysmart !

That's the kind of shingles I'm hoping it is (if it is shingles).

This was my shingles rash on day 4. , It didn’t really follow a distinctive line, it was all over the top right hand side of my face and scalp down to my ear and it wasn’t easily identified by two pharmacists and a paramedic - who thought it was orbital cellulitis and sent me to A& E, where they did identify it instantly.
I was prescribed antivirals, though they did say that they are generally not much use unless started within 72 hours - they only gave them to me because I was over 65 and it was near my eye.
I believe pharmacists can now prescribe antivirals for shingles, so that might be your best bet if getting a doctor’s appointment takes as long for you as it did for me.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you @FrothyDonkeyMilk

If it is shingles it will make you feel tired and rundown, so you will be ok on holiday if it is not too active and busy.

But please make sure you get those antivirals asap and before you go, if not shingles can last months, the earlier you start taking them the better.

Presumably you had chicken pox as a child? If not it will not be shingles.
Shingles is not infectious like chicken pox. The virus remains inactive in your body after having chicken pox for years, shingles usually happens after a period of illness or stress which has compromised your immune system.

Thanks @SomethingUniqueThisTime - yes, I had CPox as a child. Quite badly, apparently - though I don't remember much of it.

The holiday is walking in Scotland . However, we have a nice cottage and one of our party is not a walker so I'll have company for those walks I miss.

I'll be sure to get the anti-v's.

@RustyBear - that's looks so worrying! I hope you are now ok?

I had shingles 12 years ago it was caused by stress I didn’t feel unwell but it was a little painful…anti virals done the trick hope you feel better soon

It was a year ago this week, and I still have some lingering effects - my right eyebrow always feels stiff - like a local anaesthetic when it’s starting to wear off, and I get occasional stinging sensations in a few spots around my eyes & on my scalp, but generally I don’t really notice it unless I think about it. I think the lasting effects are worse for me because of the delay in diagnosis- if you’re going to get shingles, try not to do it on a Friday! I couldn’t start the antivirals until about 5 days after the rash started, so if you can get them quicker than that the outcome should be better.

The worst thing about my shingles was that I couldn’t see my month-old granddaughter for ages until it had scabbed over, so I missed DDks first Mothers’ Day. You can’t catch shingles from someone who has it, but an unvaccinated person can get chickenpox from coming into contact with the rash and I didn’t want to risk it.

Oh no! That sounds really rubbish but totally sensible not to risk her catching it.

I had this on my chest a couple if weeks ago. Did you get a headache with it or feel OK?

Pharmacists can now prescribe for shingles (I work in pharmacy). Might be faster option as you can just walk in.

Thanks @astridforty

What puts me off is in case they see to see the rash? It's not really in a spot I can show discreetly in public. But maybe they don't or maybe they have private places for this kind of thing?

Shingles can feel like bad bruising before the spots appear. It follows the line of ur nerve endings I thought?

@EveryOtherNameTaken I actually had more earache than headache - apparently I had some spots inside my ear - luckily that was one symptom that didn’t last long.

They’ll need to see it to be able to prescribe but will be in a private consultation room (they have to have a private room to be able to offer the prescribing service).

I've had shingles twice and your description is exactly how my 1st time presented i was a child and remember feeling really unwell in general as well as the pain, i did recover quickly though , 2nd time was very much milder as a young adult but i did get after pain for quite a few years that time.
Not much you can do other than plenty of rest and pain relief.