oh god, I think I have shingles.

[flea]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_zoster

Painful skin for no apparent reason? Check. Stared Monday, at my waist on the left-hand side. I thought maybe it was irritation from the zipper on my skirt, but I was wearing tights, so? Application of lotion is painful but also somewhat soothing.

Red rash starting to rise 1-2 days later? Check. It started this morning, and has spread since then. Only on one side. This is described as the most characteristic presentation of shingles.

Fuck. I guess I should go to the doctor, right? Anybody had this? Am I nuts to self-diagnose from Google? It matches so exactly. And I had the fucking chickenpox twice. Really badly, the second time.

Comments

[zmayhem.livejournal.com]

It's definitely worth checking out. I had a college friend who had miserable recurring shingles, and it was excruciating. The sooner treated, the better. And even if you're overthinking and overdiagnosing and it turns out not to be shingles, that alone will be a relief.

[fatoudust.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! Definitely get to the doctor asap. Shingles can be really debilitating, but if yours is starting out mild, you may be okay. Best to get it checked out pronto.

Lotta people I know have had it recently. Wonder if I should get vaccinated? I didn't even know there was a vaccine for it until my mom got it.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes you should. It's horrible. Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can get shingles at any time.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm afraid it does sound like shingles. Only on one side = almost certainly shingles. Is the rash in little clusters of bumps?

The level of pain from shingles can really vary. When I had it, it was painful but not agonizing. Since then, I've known other people who were completely debilitated by shingles pain. If you go to your doctor immediately and start on an antiviral drug like Valtrex, it may help keep things on the mild side.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

The rash is bumpy - I'd have guessed it was poison ivy (which I am violently allergic to) if it weren't February! It isn't very rashy. Yet.

[cass404.livejournal.com]

Or eczema.

Either way, I hope you get relief and quickly.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

I've never had eczema, so I'm not exactly sure what that would be like!

[cassandre.livejournal.com]

Oh no, poor you! Good luck. I haven't had shingles myself but know a couple of friends who have had it this year. (One initially thought it was eczema.) One person got over it very quickly and the other was ill for longer. I hope yours will go quickly if that's what you have.

[amy37.livejournal.com]

Doctor, definitely. And the drugs they give you will help, so.

FWIW, I always self-diagnose first, too.

[gannet.livejournal.com]

Definitely doctor time.

I hope you feel better *soon*.

[mearagrrl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, definitely. This is what one has health insurance for, no? So one can go to the doctor and say "please tell me my google diagnosis is wrong! Or give me drugs!"

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I'm SO SORRY.

I had them last year. Go to the MD ASAP, go to the ER if you have to wait for a regular appt. You can take an anti-viral if you catch it at the onset and it's supposed to help heal it faster. I took Valtrex.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles/DS00098/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
"For best results, start these medications within 72 hours of the first sign of the shingles rash."

I worked the entire time I had shingles, rationalizing that it was a super-busy time at work and there isn't anything to be done for it anyway, except wait it out. My coworker who took a month of sick leave and stayed home, resting, when he had, healed up a month faster than I did. So, don't do what I did! Stay home. Rest. Unless being at work is more restful than being at home, I guess.

The pain was excrutiating. The 2nd or 3rd night was the worst; that's when I was sobbing at 4 AM to the 24-hr. advice nurse. The next day, I saw my MD and started on neurontin, an anti-epileptic drug that is used in hospices for the same reason I was taking it: it disrupts normal pain transmitters, thus giving pain relief.
http://www.drugs.com/gabapentin.html

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Eek! I'd hadn't thought of shingles in years. Hope whatever it is gets better/can be treated.

[serrana.livejournal.com]

Do you feel exhausted?

If you have a rash but you don't feel like complete shit, it's probably not shingles.

If you have a rash and you feel like you're going to die...yeah, go see the doctor. The new drugs are really pretty good.)

(I had something that looked like an infected bug bite, plus the wanting-to-die. It was shingles. Mother had what looked like poison oak, plus the wanting-to-die. Ditto. The wanting-to-die is what distinguishes shingles from your usual rashes.)

[stephl.livejournal.com]

My mom recently had shingles, and everyone is right -- the sooner you start Valtrex, the better. Also, get pain medication, because the related pain can be intense. (My mom called it "iron claw" pain; I assume, like being, well, clawed by an iron claw.)

[cashmerepett.livejournal.com]

RUN, don't walk to the doctor! They can give you antiviral drugs (if you start soon after the outbreak) that can reduce the length of the rash and severity of the breakout.

The painful skin is EXACTLY how it started with me. Mine was at the band of my bra strap so it took me awhile to figure it out, too.

If the rash is tiny blisters, it's probably shingles. Ask for Ultram for a painkiller. It's the bomb-diggity and you can still function without being stoned. Seriously, don't skimp on the painkillers.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Go to the doctor. Say "Gee, do you think I have shingles?" Wait for answer.

Also, dammit.