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I've got shingles

Posted , 11 users are following.

ruth1711
ruth1711

Hi,

Ive had shingles now for about 2 weeks. I only noticed the blisters about 7days ago. Though I had pain under my breast and round to my back. I was treating the rash for a day or two with sudocrem thinking it was a heat rash. (I've quite large breasts) then noticed blisters and it spreading.

after reading this forum I'm assuming I had a mildish attack.

it painful but I try not to take much pain relief. Only at night. I had to ask gp for Amytriptline. She only gave me antiviral meds. 

I work for a palliative community team. 

My gp did not think I needed to go off on the sick. I took a few annual leave days and with my usual days off, will be off for just over a week.  Is this enough?  

My family and friends are telling me different. 

I feel,ok except for the pain. Get a fairly good nights sleep now after taking amytriptiline. 

Indont seen to suffer the awful,fatigue some of you speak off. 

Though I did at the beginning. 

What should I do? Go off on the sick? Or try to go back to see how I am. 

4 likes, 40 replies

40 Replies

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  • marcia_budde
    marcia_budde ruth1711

    Posted

    Well I'm on week 8 and mine sound just like yours. Back to front around the ribs. I have had prickly pain and severe swelling. I am 8 weeks in now and my shingles just healed over still a little painful BUT the prickly pain and tazer hits are still happening and i feel aweful and fatigue is horrible. Here's hoping you recover quickly but i wasnt so lucky. Hard to say each journey is different. Good luck!

    • colin1147
      colin1147 marcia_budde

      Posted

      I had `taser' hits for about a week out of my 3 month Shingles journey. Now `just' have PHN on my face. Still not nice! Good luck.

       

    • lisa65143
      lisa65143 colin1147

      Posted

      I have been suffering with scalp temples forehead eyebrows for six years. I hope you do not suffer too much longer
  • Adldiane
    Adldiane ruth1711

    Posted

    Hi I have had shingles twice and if I had tried to work I don't think that I could have. Shingles is an illness like non other. You may be different but I wouldn't even think that you have completely broken out yet. I had them for 6 weeks and I broke out behind my right ear down my back and on and on. First thing my right ear stopped up. I admire your desire not to take pain meds but I had no such desire what pain I had. And I have to fight them off continuously. Good luck. Hope Merry sees this she is our shingles guru. 

    Diane

  • lisa65143
    lisa65143 ruth1711

    Posted

    This sounds unusual, but you could be lucky. What is sudocrem. Yes go to another MD to get another opinion.

    You should rest , you really need to rest.

    A week does not seem to be enough.

    i was out for nine weeks. 

    I have had PHN for six years.

    LisaLisa

    • marcia_budde
      marcia_budde lisa65143

      Posted

      Lisa what you doung for PHN? I have just recently been diagnosed with this.
  • Merry19451
    Merry19451 ruth1711

    Posted

    Dear Ruth,

    I am sorry you are going through this. The problem with Shingles is the pain can become much worse the third and fourth week, or just be milder. If you overdo the activity at work, the pain can increase markedly. I do not know how your bosses are regarding sick time. As your rash is covered by clothing, you would not be infectious.

    Your GP doesn't know how severe the pain of Shingles is, or he would have offered more time. If the pain is truly mild, and you have no fatigue, go back to work. However, if the pain is moderate to severe, don't try to power through it. You need to rest and sleep. Activity does make the pain worse.

    Best Wishes

    Merry Juliana

    • colin1147
      colin1147 Merry19451

      Posted

      Thanks for your posts, Merry. I am a  reasonably well muscled 70 year old male, so a bit past my prime ! About 7 days after the first scab appeared on the side of my nose, it once took me 20 minutes to work myself out of bed and onto my feet. I could barely raise my arm high enough to reach the light switch. That fatigue was scary, but luckily that bit of the infection cycle only lasted 2-3 days. Regards, Colin (England)
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 colin1147

      Posted

      Colin,

      I would writhe in pain with spasms over a mere breeze passing my ear. It is terrible how the younger medical doctors fail to medicate for the pain.

      As a nurse since 1973 and NP since 1999, I could never stand to see a person suffer.

      Best Wishes to you.

      Merry Juliana

    • babs99203
      babs99203 Merry19451

      Posted

      Ruth, Merry's response was the first I've read about the pain starting weeks later (and I've been following these since my back/breast shingles 10/2016) and she's absolutely correct. I had tiny bumps, but some bad pain for 24 hours, then almost no pain for two weeks, then a few more tiny bumps and tremendous pain that increased for the next week. That's when I got the fatigue, nausea and severe pain. It was almost like I had it twice in 3 weeks, but now I understand it better. Maybe you'll have a mild case, but usually if you don't get the anti-virals, that's not the case.

    • barbara76811
      barbara76811 Merry19451

      Posted

      My GP failed to diagnose shingles.Basically told me to go away-It's a virus -no treatment.I returned after the weekend to a different-very young-doctor who in seconds said-classic shingles.But as it was then over a week since the start of my shingles he said that  it was too late for anti virals .He gave me opatonal eye drops and Fexofenadine hydrochloride-neither of which are making much difference.My right eyelid and eyebrow are so itchy and sore it's driving me carzy.I has a few shooting pains last week-my original GP said -go to the dentist.But I'm not in pain.I just have this sore intensely itchy eye and eyebrow.There is a rash on the eyebrow.I'm putting E45 cream on my forehead,eyelidand eyebrow but it doesn't sem to help.I feel that I have insects crawling over the whole area.

      Is there anything else I should do at this stage please?

    • lisa65143
      lisa65143 barbara76811

      Posted

      I am so sorry you went to a total moron. You must go immediately to an ophthalmologist and a neurologist.thr first moron might have caused you blindness and I hope you are okay now. What is e 45 cream.

      since I am a long term veteran, I know what you feel in the same places exactly. 

      I have used magnilife painful rash relief cream for many years. Don't put it any where close to your eyes. It will help the pain. It's a little $$$ , but you will get relief. Go to a competent doctor and get some opoids .You don't have to be tortured 24/7.

      lisa

    • barbara76811
      barbara76811 lisa65143

      Posted

      Thank you,Lisa.I telephoned the second doctor and asked if I should see an opthamologist.He said as I didn't have pain-no..It's the itching which is driving me crazy and the antihistamine tablets are having little effect.I'll be back to the doctor next week if no improvement.My life has stopped.I suggest you google E 45 cream.I think it's for dry skin conditions.He said moisturise the skin and as I happen to have a tub of E45 I'm using that which he said was a good idea.Although he immediately diagnosed the condition he is newly qualified and wthourt experience.I'm very unimpressed with my own GP .What are opoids please?

    • colin1147
      colin1147 barbara76811

      Posted

      I would ring up Moorfields eye Hospital for advice - my GP told me in no uncertain terms to get an eye check at the Lister hospital in Stevenage ..... your call, but not impressed with your Docs ! Regards, Colin
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 barbara76811

      Posted

      Barbara,

      You absolutely need to see an Ophthalmologist STAT. Itching is a symptom that your eye is involved, and it needs to be evaluated by the eye specialist. It doesn't matter that it is itching or pain. I am so sorry you were seen by an ignoramus the first time.

      The opthalmologist will probably prescribe eye drops.

      Please let us know how you make out.

      Best Wishes

      Merry Juliana

    • ruth1711
      ruth1711 Merry19451

      Posted

      Hi Merry,

      thankyou for your reply. I've had quite a bad day today. I went out shopping with my daughter and granddaughter for about 3 hours. Was in pain most of the day. Felt tired etc. 

      I feel my pain would be moderate to,severe. I do have a fairly good pain threshold. I have bought myself vitC slow release and was advised to,take up to 4,000 gms per day. Also vitB12 VitD and magnesium 

      in the hope I will build up my immune system quicker. 

      Because my work is with end end of life patients, it tends to be stressful and I drive mayb 70-100 miles per day in the community, after reading everyone's posts, I feel I should take sick leave. 

      Thankyou to everyone. I hope I don't get quite so bed as some of you. It must be awful.

    • hope4cure
      hope4cure barbara76811

      Posted

      Yeah the ever non-ending itching. Warm showers then use a wash cloth with skin so soft oil (Avon) on wash cloth to dry skin instead of a towel. Even coconut oils or others u may prefer. Also pure body soaps like glycerin or use body washes for dry skin with no additives. Then with low heat from portable fan dry the skin that has nor been completely dried with wash cloth. The oil traps the water from shower in layers of skin and is soothing which immediately helps the itching especially while air drying taking care not to rub or scratch skin which in many cases can rev up the itching cycle again. Use any skin moisturizers, creams, lotions for dry skin. 

      Also hydroxyzine hcl 25-50 mg taken really stops the itching so sleeping is easier. Anti histimines don't releive the itching. Also be cautious of the side effects with other drugs .

       

    • ruth1711
      ruth1711 hope4cure

      Posted

      Ahhh!

      i wondered about coconut oil. Good to know. Will try tomorrow.

      thanks for thus tip. 

    • hope4cure
      hope4cure ruth1711

      Posted

      Also one standby I have used for 8 years is 50/50 mix of glycerine and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle for quick relief during the day. Or mix with witch hazel no alcohol added with glycerine. The ACV helps curve any skin bacteria or use tee tree oil added in mix. Keeps itching at bay immediately! 
    • barbara76811
      barbara76811 Merry19451

      Posted

      Thanks so much,Merry.There was  an over 5 hour wait at the A and E and I didn't know how I would get home in the middle of the night.Going back tomorrow.Moorfields in the City of London is the top eye hospital

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