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Post by heckofagal on Oct 18, 2017 17:05:35 GMT
Hi ya'll. I've got a rash/some bumps on my upper back. I thought maybe the tag from one of my shirts irritated my skin, then realized this is lower than any tagline in any of my shirts. Had my DH look at it Monday evening and he could not tell what it was. Had him look again last night and he said it is definitely bigger, although it is still relatively small area. (Maybe around a square inch.) Can't say it really hurts, but it does itch. I don't feel ill per se, but I have been feeling more run down lately. Does this warrant a trip to the clinic to rule anything out or should I just wait and see?
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Post by gar on Oct 18, 2017 17:13:50 GMT
As I understand it, Shingles blisters are very sensitive and painful. DD couldn't even bear to have clothing touch her sore area. And they normally follow a nerve path so are in a sort of line.
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Deleted
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May 3, 2024 10:14:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 17:18:57 GMT
I hope it's not shingles. Those are very painful. Good luck. If it is shingles, though, and you get to a doctor quickly they can give you some meds that will help you. If you wait too long, the meds won't work.
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Post by elaine on Oct 18, 2017 17:27:35 GMT
Hi ya'll. I've got a rash/some bumps on my upper back. I thought maybe the tag from one of my shirts irritated my skin, then realized this is lower than any tagline in any of my shirts. Had my DH look at it Monday evening and he could not tell what it was. Had him look again last night and he said it is definitely bigger, although it is still relatively small area. (Maybe around a square inch.) Can't say it really hurts, but it does itch. I don't feel ill per se, but I have been feeling more run down lately. Does this warrant a trip to the clinic to rule anything out or should I just wait and see? You are up against where antiviral medication would help. It needs to be 24-48 hours after symptoms first appear. So, I don’t know if going to the doctor would help. As @gar said, the rash will follow one nerve (if it is shingles) on one side of your back. So, as it grows spread, there is a definite line pattern to the clusters of blisters. Also, the bumps will turn to blisters any time now - 3-5 days after rash appears - if it is indeed shingles. If it doesn’t blister, it isn’t shingles. Can your husband take a picture of that area on your back with your phone?
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Post by littlemama on Oct 18, 2017 17:39:33 GMT
Is it on one side of your body, not in the middle and not on both sides? DH had it a few years ago on the back of his head. He doesn't really complain about pain, but he talked about how painful it was. If it is just itchy, I wouldn't think it was shingles, but I saw how bad DH was ON the antivirals, that I would probably go my doctor and get it checked out to be sure.
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Post by kimmie75 on Oct 18, 2017 17:49:25 GMT
Shingles are very painful, not itchy. I had mine on my lower back many years ago. They can come in different places, not just your torso.
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scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
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Post by scrappyesq on Oct 18, 2017 18:32:32 GMT
I have shingles in one quarter size spot right under my breasts. I've had outbreaks consistently every 3-6 months, usually when the seasons change (go figure). My outbreaks itch horribly for a day or two before they blister. I don't take anything because its such a small area, and I've had the virus for over 24 years. I just deal with it for the few days I have it, putting a breathable bandage over the area to keep clothes from irritating the blisters.
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Post by snugglebutter on Oct 18, 2017 22:02:05 GMT
Shingles are usually on one side of the body. Mine were definitely more itchy than painful. I had (thankfully) pretty mild case.
I would probably get it checked out. Don't hold any babies in the meantime as they could get chicken pox.
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suzastampin
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Post by suzastampin on Oct 18, 2017 22:33:00 GMT
You can't always say that shingles are only on one side of the body. My mom had them around her midriff. They started in the back and came all the way around front and almost touched the other side of the back. She had about a 1/2 inch on either side if her spine that didn't have them. This was about 35-40 years ago before there were antivirals. She suffered so from the neuropathy the last five years she lived.
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bluemomj
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Jun 26, 2014 1:55:17 GMT
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Post by bluemomj on Oct 19, 2017 17:25:47 GMT
I would go to the doctor right away just to check. My husband just had shingles. It was 3 red spots on his back and he noticed it because it was itchy. He went to the doctor the same day and started the medication right away. It never became painful or progressed beyond those 3 spots so we think because he started the medication so soon it really helped.
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Post by lisae on Oct 19, 2017 17:41:18 GMT
When I had shingles, I had it for days before I knew what it was. It started out itching and I thought it was poison ivy. It stopped itching and that was fine by me. After a few days it started hurting and I finally went to the doctor because at the time, I didn't know anything about shingles. I was the first of my group of friends or family to have it. It was a mild case, fortunately.
But it can start out as an itch so if it doesn't clear up or starts to hurt at all, I'd have it checked out.
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Post by chitchatgirl on Oct 19, 2017 18:04:59 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak.
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zella
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Post by zella on Oct 19, 2017 18:05:52 GMT
Hubby currently has shingles, just a small patch on his underarm. They were definitely itchy. I sent him to the dr and he got on the antiviral medication and it has prevented any more spots from appearing. At day 5 or 6 now they do look like little blisters.
Compare your spots to some pics of shingles online, and if you think it could be shingles, get to the dr pronto and see if you are still eligible for the anti-viral.
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queenofkings
Full Member
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Jun 26, 2014 15:26:41 GMT
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Post by queenofkings on Oct 19, 2017 18:25:47 GMT
I had them on my back as a kid and they were extremely painful. Just the slightest touch felt like I was being stabbed with needles. It may be some other sort of rash. Have you tried any Benedryl?
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 19, 2017 19:17:58 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak. I know several people in their early to mid 50’s that got it and it was horrible. Our clinic won’t even talk to you about the vaccine until you hit 60 but by then it may be too late.
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Post by Dreamsofnyssa on Oct 19, 2017 19:48:34 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak. I was in my 30's when I got them.
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Post by Anna*Banana on Oct 19, 2017 19:58:20 GMT
Shingles are very painful, not itchy. I had mine on my lower back many years ago. They can come in different places, not just your torso. Actually, they can start out as very itchy before they blister and become painful. I have a pretty constant pattern of them and they start out this way.
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Post by miss_lizzie on Oct 19, 2017 20:04:03 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak. When I asked my doctor about it, she said some insurance companies have lowered the age to 50.
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rickmer
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Post by rickmer on Oct 20, 2017 0:22:35 GMT
mine started on my left should blade... itchy itchy at first, then blistered. i was too late for anti-virals and was going to disney 2 days later. both my underarms were crazy itchy too but didn't get the blisters there.
i would certainly have it looked at, to know for sure.
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moodyblue
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Oct 20, 2017 0:39:51 GMT
You need to be seen early on in order to get the antiviral med that can help lessen the severity of the outbreak.
I had them in my forties and it started with just a feeling when I woke up like I'd pulled a muscle in my back (just under my right shoulder blade). Within a couple hours it progressed to feeling like I was being stabbed in the back whenever I took a deep breath. And, I never had more than two tiny spots of the rash/blister, two spots that together didn't add up to the size of a quarter. I went to the ER that morning (didn't know what was going on), got the antiviral and prednisone and started on them right away. The pain only lasted for a couple more days, but I had months of the neuropathy later and the nerve pain would flare up for years after that, usually when I was under stress.
Shingles are nothing to take lightly. I had the vaccination shortly after I turned 60.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Oct 20, 2017 1:07:51 GMT
I was 34 when I got them.
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Post by tracyarts on Oct 20, 2017 3:17:51 GMT
When I came down with shingles (at 45 years old), it started with random sharp prickly pins and needles pain up and down my right arm. I started breaking out in a faint rash and went to my primary care doctor's office. One of the physician's assistants said it was poison oak or ivy. I thought it might be shingles, but she said that was highly unlikely, because of my age, and the rash being on my forearm instead of my torso. She also said that unless there were clusters of blisters to confirm a shingles diagnosis, she wouldn't prescribe antiviral medication.
Well, by the next morning, there were clusters of little blisters all over my arm, from my armpit to my wrist and onto the base of the palm of my hand, in a wide stripe. It felt like my arm had been stung by a Portuguese man of war tentacle. Burned like fire. I went back to the doctor's office, got seen by a different PA, who said it was definitely shingles, but by that point the antiviral drug wouldn't do me much good since the telltale band of blisters had fully developed.
I pitched a massive fit over being sent home emptyhanded the day before, and they prescribed it anyway just in case it might help some, along with a nerve pain relief medication (because shingles pain is nerve based).
The blisters lasted several days, and until they burst and scabbed over, I had to quarantine myself. Because they couldn't easily be covered and if I came into contact with pregnant women, infants, or people with compromised immune systems, it could really make them sick or even put lives at risk. But I was in so much pain and felt so sick, I didn't want to leave the house anyway. Once they had scabbed, I wasn't contagious any longer, but the rash lasted another couple of weeks and it took a couple of months before the red stripe faded completely, and all the prickly sensations went away.
The pain was something else. Nothing really relieved it. And all I could do was lay or sit with my right arm propped up at a right angle away from my body, or resting in a sling, to keep from rubbing against my body so much.
I'm Pea Livid that my insurance company won't cover the vaccine because of my age. It's possible to have it more than once. And I'm past the waiting period after an outbreak to get it. I keep pushing for it though.
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Post by utmr on Oct 20, 2017 14:14:20 GMT
I had shingles when I was 47. I compared it to fire ant bites, itching at first, but painful to touch, progressing to burning and stabbing pain. Mine spread from.scalp to face to eyelid, thank goodness not in my eye. Antiviral med plus pain meds. The scabbing and redness took about 6 months to fully heal.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Oct 20, 2017 15:47:53 GMT
I was 31. It was awful. I asked my pharmacist how long I would feel awful and he said up to six months. I looked at him incredously. Six months??? That was with the antiviral! Oh man!!!
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Post by Belia on Oct 20, 2017 16:52:18 GMT
I was just diagnosed with shingles this morning. I'm 44. They said that no one my age gets shingles unless they immune system is compromised in some way. I am unhappy in my job and stressed out.... not to mention overweight and not in the best health.... so there you go. It started one week ago today. The waistband of my jeans was bugging me, even though they weren't tight or anything. It felt like I had pulled a muscle way deep in my abdominal core. Very painful, tingly, kind of itchy deep in my body. Only on my left side. Like a belt stretching around from my belly button to my spine. Touching the spot is painful. Clothes are painful. Normal painkillers did no good at all. More nauseous than usual, and WAY more tired than usual. I chalked that up to staying up to watch Cubs games, and stress, and just feeling drained from being so uncomfortable for so long. I noticed the rash on Wednesday. Went to the dr today. They did prescribe the antiviral and a painkiller that supposedly works on nerves, but think its pretty much too late and all I can do is wait it out. BOO. This is miserable. Very painful. It's not the WORST- hyperemesis while I was pregnant was worse. But I'm only on week 1. Ask me in a month if I'm still feeling this bad.
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Post by tracyarts on Oct 20, 2017 16:59:31 GMT
I was just diagnosed with shingles this morning. I'm 44. They said that no one my age gets shingles unless they immune system is compromised in some way. I am unhappy in my job and stressed out.... not to mention overweight and not in the best health.... so there you go. I had just gotten over a very severe case of viral bronchitis when the shingles outbreak happened. My immune system had taken a beating, and I guess that's what allowed the shingles virus to emerge.
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 20, 2017 17:05:16 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak. I know several people in their early to mid 50’s that got it and it was horrible. Our clinic won’t even talk to you about the vaccine until you hit 60 but by then it may be too late. That seems odd to me. Even in the commercials they suggest 50. I got mine the summer I turned fifty. Too many people have gotten it in their early fifties. I didn't wait for someone to talk to me about it. I just told my doctor I wanted it and insurance paid for it.
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 20, 2017 17:07:52 GMT
This makes me wonder. Why do you have to wait so long until you can have the shingles vaccine? Why not in your 20s-30s instead of waiting until your in your 60s. Even if you had to have a booster every X number of years, it seems like it would be better than having the outbreak. When I asked my doctor about it, she said some insurance companies have lowered the age to 50. Even though the vaccine is expensive, it is so much cheaper than treating it. You can also get it and pay for it yourself if you really want it and can afford it. ETA: Zostavax is a $200 vaccine.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 20, 2017 23:03:24 GMT
I know several people in their early to mid 50’s that got it and it was horrible. Our clinic won’t even talk to you about the vaccine until you hit 60 but by then it may be too late. That seems odd to me. Even in the commercials they suggest 50. I got mine the summer I turned fifty. Too many people have gotten it in their early fifties. I didn't wait for someone to talk to me about it. I just told my doctor I wanted it and insurance paid for it. I specifically asked about it when I had my physical this year (turned 50) because DH’s 55 yo friend got shingles last year, and she told me no, not until you hit 60.
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scrapnnana
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 21, 2017 0:48:37 GMT
It could be a type of contact dermatitis, since it is itchy.
I had pain in my back left side (I thought I had a kidney stone because it hurt so much), but I broke out the next day with the rash on my abdomen. The rash itself was both itchy and painful.
And for the record, getting the Shingles shot is not a guarantee. I had the shot a few years ago, but I got the Shingles in May of this year. I had a lighter case than I probably would have had if I had not had the shot, but it was still pretty miserable. I got in quick enough for the anti-viral to be prescribed and to help, so it is a good idea to have it checked. After 72 hours of the rash appears, the anti-viral doesn't help as much).
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