I worried I may have Shingles

[Billydude]

I woke up this morning with a painful red bumpy patch on my back near my spine.  Its just a bit painful.  Could this be shingles.  How can I tell.   I'm on Cellcept which of course suppresses your immune system so its not totally unlikely.   Is Valtrex used for shingles?  I do have some on hand for an occassional herpetic outbreak on my nose.  I'm wondering if I should just take some.  Since this is Saturday night I wouldn't be able to call my doctor until Monday and I'm worried that I shouldn't wait that long.
Steve

[Victoria05202000]

Are you breaking out with any more red painful patches since this morning? If so call your Doc. If not, just relax.  I have two of those red bumpy sore patches on my back now near the spine. Anyone know what this is? 

Take Care!
Vicky

[cinmac]

Hi, I thought I was the only one with this and did not think it was connected to SS.  Every so often I get a sore right at the end of my tail bone.  It itches and burns and I too wonderd about some form of shingles.  Sometimes it is almost like a large chicken pox.  Once in a while I will get one a few inches away from my tailbone, but usually it is on it.  My doctor said if she can catch it at the right stage she would culture it to see what it was but so far no luck-however, I have one right now and I see the rheaumatologist Monday so maybe he will have info.  Will post if he does.

Have a good night.

cinmac

[eyeamdry]

Hi Steve,
This could be shingles and only a medical professional can probably tell for sure.  I had shingles a couple of months prior to being dx with Sjogrens.  I had a rash on my shoulder and went to the dr and was given a cortisone salve and within a couple of days it had gotten worse and I was very sick.

They gave me Valtrex and also an antibiotic.  You can google "shingles" and get an idea of what they can look like, but I don't think it's ever the same.  You could always go to an Immediate Care facility tomorrow rather than wait for Monday.
Lucy

[irish]

Steve, I don't know what you have but please do not take any Valtrex. You might screw up the signs and symptoms and make it harder for the doctor to identify if time comes you need to see the doctor.

If you do continue to have more rash with blisters that goes from the back to the front you need to be seen---you will need to go to ER I would think. They usual way we dealt with them when I was nursing was to make sure the doctor saw the rash ASAP. It helps to get treated within the first 48 hours---helps with decreasing the rash and the discomfort.

Also, if you do have what appears to be shingles make sure that while waiting to be seen by the doctor that you stay away from people. People who have never had chicken pox are at high risk for catching them from people with open lesions of shingles. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chicken pox. Hopefully, this is not shingles cause that is something that can cause some discomfort. Good luck. Irish

[Billydude]

Thanks all!

[Billydude]

I did see the doc today.  He thinks its either shingles or a bacterial infection.  I'm taking drugs for either case.  He seemed more worried about it being a bacterial infection as he said it could get very nasty.   We'll see how it goes the next few days and he'll do a biopsy if it doesn't go away.   This is probabally from the drugs I take for SjS.  The Cellcept is starting to cause problems as I've had heartburn and nausea in the morning.  He thinks its burning my esophagus.   Grrrrr.....what drug next!
Steve

[JannaLee]

Crud, Steve!!!

I'm so sorry the Cellcept is jacking your stomach on top of the scary, painful, rash!

Please post when you know which it is and whether it's improving!

Geeze!
Janna

[Victoria05202000]

Steve,

Thanks for you giving us feedback on the shingles/bacterial infection thing. I have a Doc's appt.ext week and I think I will mention this to them as well seeing how I am on cellcept and have those few patches on my back still.

I am sorry the cellcept is wreaking havoc on your stomach. What dose do you take?  I have loved the results cellcept has given me. I am on a low dosage of 250 mg. every 12 hours. This will increase majorly after my kidney transplant.

Take Care!
Vicky

[Epson]

Steve

Interesting, I have a similar rash, is it coincidence or truly SS related.  I know that mine is not shingles because have seen a dermatologist and have even had a biopsy, which was inconclusive.

Obviously I know way of telling how similar the rashes look, but I am very interest in any dx you get.  I just got over a rash that looked and felt like poison ivy on my right arm, left elbow and hip in addition to the tail bone rash

[Billydude]

Vicky,   I too have felt that CellCept has helped me.  I feel much better than I did at the this same time last year.  I'm back to doing lots of outdoor painting and gardening.  Last year at this time I could barely make it to the mailbox.
I was on 1000 mg a day (2 pills in am and 2 pill in pm) but the doc raised my amount recently to one more pill.  Since then I've had the nausea and heartburn. 
Even though my doc suspects shingles I kind of wonder.  My rash seems like a big red circle with a ring of red dots around the outside edges and some red dots in the middle.
Steve

[Scottietottie]

Hi steve 

When my son got shingles it was like a cluster of little blisters filled with clear fluid. He had a patch on his back and a corresponding patch round the front kind of at either end where a rib joins on. Gave him a lot of pain.

Your rash sounds a bit different.

Take care - Scottie 

[Billydude]

Yes Scottie....and I really don't have any pain with it.   I was actually surprised that the doctor thought it may be shingles.

[ruby52]

This is just the illness that keeps on giving isn't it?I just had a rash on my abdomen,right side this time.I've had it on the left before.It itched but more then that it prickled and stung.Just a patch both times and then would dry up and I can still see the marks where the rash was.I thought heat rash?But was confused because it hurt and was in just a spotted area.Anyway now I wonder because I was down all week with flu like symptoms.Just weird makes no kind of sense kind of symptoms.Rushing,dizzying,headachy,nausea unexplainable symptoms.I was really miserable but no fever and no pain.My DH just drove me nuts making me go to the Dr. for something I couldn't explain much less sit up to be examined for.I went,saw a PA and all she could see was a bulging eardrum.Gave me a script for Allegra to dry me up,nothing was running to begin with and that's the last thing I want.I didn't fill any script and gave my DH a look when I got home.Still a little dizzy and spells where I need to lie down a second but better.Could this possibly be a shingles outbreak?I see Rheumy in June and I want to see what her take is and if and who I should count on when weird crap like this happens.

[Billydude]

Its so confusing Ruby.     I was feeling nausea but felt it was from Cellcept burning my esophagus and the past couple of nights I've had head night sweats like you wouldn't believe.   Today I notice a bit of a deep cough with a metalicy taste.   I started taking Valdrex for this thing on my back but even after I started taking it I get an outbreak on the tip of my nose.  I had Valtrex on hand for this problem but it only occurs a couple of times a year.  I'm just surprised that this nose outbreak started AFTER I went on Valtrex.   My body must be screaming!!!!   I'd understand if I was under stress or working too much but lately I've been more idle and worryless than I have been in years.
Steve