Quick advice please - 20 weeks pregnant, have a rash, possibly shingles - worried

[chocciechip]

Hi

I have notcied that a cluster of small bumps that I thought were insect bites have now formed a circle of red raised itchiness with clear clusters of blisters on them (on my shoulder). A new set of small bumps is now appearing further down my back, and I have one or two on my neck as well. It looks as if it is spreading quite fast.

I've Googled (I have to, we're on holiday in France) and pics I've seen look like it could be shingles. We thought maybe ringworm but the pattern I have isn't as described for ringworn, and the blisters seem a symptom of shingles

I do not have pain though - which is another shingles symptom - but these are itching.

I've got some Zovirax with me, because I get occassionally get cold sores, and saw that this is sometimes used as a treatment for shingles. So I've lathered some on as a precaution.

Any ideas what else this could be? And anything else you think I can do. Worried. Back in the UK on Tuesday. Not fun to be going through this away from easily accessible help.

Many thanks in advance..

Is there any way that it could be heat rash? It sounds quite similar to what I get when I get that, and I never suffered from it until I got pregnant.
Can you phone your out of hours midwife for advice or is it too pricey from France?

That seems a possibility pixie - based on symptoms. But I haven't really felt very hot - do you get it even in milder weather? I got the first cluster of bumps when I was in Scotland and its developing/spreading while here. But in Scotland I was still wearing cardies etc ..... def not feeling hot.

a friend of mine recently had shingles, he thought it was a rash from his trousers/boxers rubbing and then about 4 days later he started getting pains in his back and realised it was the nerves starting to be affected so just cos it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it isn't (and I don't mean to worry you!)

go and get it checked out, but sometimes it seems worse than it is - he got given a course of anti biotics and told it wasn't contagious as was all dry and flew abroad a few days after

hope its all ok x

I would say if it's in more than one patch on the body it's not Shingles as generally shingles only affects one nerve root. Also to add when I had shingles the pain was likened to having dislocated my shoulder the patch was on my neck, I also felt very depressed and run down.

Thanks for all the replies.

DH and I are thinking/hoping its most likely not shingles, mainly because what we've read suggests pain normally preceeds the blistering and when it does its severe. I've had no pain: it feels like a cold sore - hot, inflamed and tingly and itchy - but on my shoulder. I now have two distinct circular patches, and woke up this morning with more starting up my neck, and a half-moon shape of new bumps starting around one of the circles. The blisters on the one circle have now crusted over into yellowish scabs. I'm still wondering about heat rash ... it wasn't hot at all last night so am wondering why new ones would be starting up.

We're going to try find a pharmacist open today and see if they appear alarmed by it - if so we'll have to find a doctor ... on Sunday, in France, on May Day (joy). But we are hoping I can get something to soothe it and tide me over till we get back.

Could it be impetigo? With the yellowish weeping and spreading.