Shingles/chickenpox anyone?

I am 50 years old. On Tuesday afternoon, I felt a little achy and made a point to check frequently and never had any fever. Woke up yesterday, Wednesday, morning somewhat speckled up, especially in my scalp. Went to see my doctor.....went through the COVID mask & screening bs......no fever. Doc says it looks like flea bites. Ha, I do actually end up waking up with my son’s lab, Rossi, sometimes. She’s big as a horse, but I don’t ever notice when she joins me in the night. So I did wake up with Rossi yesterday morning.

Told my doc about the achy feeling so he decided it might be chickenpox, but it just didn’t look like chickenpox. I told him I had never had chickenpox and he said that by age 50, I had most assuredly been exposed to it. So he gives me medicine for shingles, even though it doesn’t look like shingles. This morning, I’m all speckled up like a big ole crappie, except my spots are red with little clear blisters. All over my head, face, neck, chest & back. None below the waist yet. They kinda itch, but I’ve been attacked by chiggers before and nothing itches like them tiny little buggers.

Just sitting here wondering if anyone has had shingles or chickenpox later in life like I have now. Not too bad yet........probably just jinxed myself!!!
https://i.ibb.co/WHXCNyj/EFD56338-7-...84-BD53-F2.jpg

GTT

I am surprised by your doc as he can take a blood test and have it checked to see if you have ever had chicken pox as the VA a couple years ago wanted to know if I had ever been inoculated for shingles,,,and I told them that I couldn’t remember if I ever had chicken pox. They did a blood test and found out,,I hadn’t ever had chicken pox and you definitely do not want to be inoculated for shingles if you haven’t experienced having the chicken pox. You can get chicken pox at any age I was told by my VA docs. I would call the doc back and see what he says.

VA gave me shingles shot. Actually 2 shots.

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

VA gave me shingles shot. Actually 2 shots.

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Ah Ha! He serves Jack Daniel with his shots.

My wife tried to get me to take a shot some time ago, but I didn't........get the chickenpox shot, I mean. I like Wild Turkey. Had a few shots of that bird not too long ago. It made my head feel funny too!

I had chicken pox once when I was little and again when I was 19.

I was already sick with something, just a cold I think, and was in contact with one of my nephews who had it. Guess my immune system was beaten up enough that I was susceptible.

It sucked, I didn't get much on my face, but had a sort of scabby rash on the bottom of my nose that was awful. I don't remember being all that itchy either, just irritated. Took a few days before I could wear jeans without pain.

I had shingles last year at 60. You look like shingles. If the itching gets too bad use spray calamine. It works great but I went through about 8 cans.

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Originally Posted by silverside

I had shingles last year at 60. You look like shingles. If the itching gets too bad use spray calamine. It works great but I went through about 8 cans.

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That's what the doctor listed on my chart. If he's right and it is, then I'm not contagious to anyone.....I just look like I've been on Naked and Afraid. I spoke with my older cousin who had it and she said DO NOT let it get in my eyes. One spot is close.

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Originally Posted by GoTennTitans

I just look like I've been on Naked and Afraid.

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We don't need to see any more pics.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

We don't need to see any more pics.

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I could send you a PM. :)

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Originally Posted by GoTennTitans

I could send you a PM. :)

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https://rennlist.com/forums/attachme...r-photo952.jpg

Here is what I know, I caught CP at 40 years old from my daughter. You do not want CP. It is very dangerous for old pharts. Especially if it hits your privates. Doctor said it doesn't affect kids much, but, adults can die from the stuff.
Also what I was told is you can not get shingles if you haven't had CP' The virus is the same, but, shingles is a flair up of CP as it stays in your body near the nerves
Copied from Mayo:
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

So you can not get shingles without having an earlier case of CP.
Believe me CP is nothing to mess around as an old phart.And for you guys that have never CP. Get A Vaccine!

I don’t know what I’ve got. Doc says shingles, but I’m fairly spotted front and back from my waist up. Very prevalent in my scalp and the back of my neck and under my ears. I think I’m gonna check with my doc again in the morning.

If you have lesions on both sides of your face, head or torso, it is most likely not shingles. The latter usually presents with unilateral lesions that follow the course of sensory nerves on one side of the body. The lesions appear as irregular lines oftentimes.

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Originally Posted by USMA65

If you have lesions on both sides of your face, head or torso, it is most likely not shingles. The latter usually presents with unilateral lesions that follow the course of sensory nerves on one side of the body. The lesions appear as irregular lines oftentimes.

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That’s what I found on the internet. I think I have pox, but I’m going back to see him in the morning.

shingles hurt real bad, burn like fire.
"gene"

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Originally Posted by GoTennTitans

That’s what I found on the internet. I think I have pox, but I’m going back to see him in the morning.

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Hard to make a diagnosis over the phone, the internet or a picture, but it does not fit the classical appearance of shingles. My guess would be chicken pox, or flea bites. The latter would be my first guess since you did wake up with a dog, isn't that correct?

I got shingles at 35. Hurt like heck, felt like a had a gaping oozing wound on my back, but there wasnt even a spot. I had other spots though.
Its totally a neurological issue that make your body attack nothing. I think its always limited to one side of the body, kind of like a stroke.
I'm still not allowed to take the vaccine for another 20 years....

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Originally Posted by USMA65

Hard to make a diagnosis over the phone, the internet or a picture, but it does not fit the classical appearance of shingles. My guess would be chicken pox, or flea bites. The latter would be my first guess since you did wake up with a dog, isn't that correct?

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I did wake up with the dog, but I knew this was not flea bites. It’s not just on one side of my body and it doesn’t burn or hurt. It itches a little bit, but not bad. About 1/3 of my spots now have little blisters, but they’re not red like a painful pimple with pus.

I think I know what he’s gonna tell me tomorrow. I just hope that my two days of meds that I’ve taken would have been the same either way. Thanks.

I had shingles a few years back, worst lesion was above my left eye and the swelling all but closed it. It can damage your vision badly for life. Was told it effects the nerve roots. What this works out to is that you can have it on the breast and side of your torso on one side and virtually nothing on the other side, above or below it. I’m no doc, they put me on strong antibiotics to get rid of it, levaquin as I remember. That is also bad stuff for us older folks, effects tendons and ligaments. Get back to the doc, do your homework on anything they tell or give you, and don’t treat it lightly. Please. You’re hard to replace.

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Originally Posted by GoTennTitans

I did wake up with the dog, but I knew this was not flea bites. It’s not just on one side of my body and it doesn’t burn or hurt. It itches a little bit, but not bad. About 1/3 of my spots now have little blisters, but they’re not red like a painful pimple with pus.

I think I know what he’s gonna tell me tomorrow. I just hope that my two days of meds that I’ve taken would have been the same either way. Thanks.

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What did your doctor decide, if you do not mind sharing?

How did things go today ?

My dad had shingles infect his right eye 10 years ago! Can affect your sight and predispose you to glaucoma later in life. He was lucky and made a full recovery! I still remember when my brother Ray came down with chicken pox in the mid 1960’s my mom and her sisters in law had all the cousins over to make sure everyone got it and got over it that summer! She said many farm families did that.


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Originally Posted by USMA65

What did your doctor decide, if you do not mind sharing?

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Last night, my wife bought me a bar of oatmeal soap and I used it just before bed. It was nice; just abrasive enough. Then she put sandwich bags on her hands and rubbed me down with calamine lotion. I looked like something from a haunted house!

Musta worked because this morning, I had no new spots and almost no new blisters. No pain and very little itch. So I called the clinic and waited for my doctor to call me back.......his nurse called and I told her what I’ve just posted above here and she called me back later and said to come in Monday if I was worse. Otherwise, she said the meds, soap, and lotion seemed to be working.

My mom is in the hospital and I’ve been really worried about her and I also lost a high school classmate this week, so this might be stress related and may not even be shingles or chickenpox. I’m expecting to be much better tomorrow. Thanks to you all and if this applies, tell your parents, kids, spouses, and friends that you love them. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.

there is another thing out there not mentioned that acts like chicken pox , it typically effects kids .
I cant remember the name of it right now but one of my daughters had it and its a lesser known mimic .
it seems to crop up late in the day and be gone in the morning and does it several days in a row .
you would swear its chicken pox until you wake up and its gone
then here it comes again late in the day the next day
the rash tends to be on the torso though and not on the head and scalp .
head and scalp rashes tend to be chicken pox
but then again I am not a doctor ,but my grandpa was
my 2 cents

I think I’m all good today. No new spots and the original ones are fading and dry & scaley. Never thought I would be so glad to have dandruff!!!! Oh yes, they call me Big Sexy.

No way you had shingles. You would know.
The pain of the blisters is really bad. Like you are on fire.
There is also strange nerve pain down in the muscles below the spots.
Glad you posted this tho. I need to go get the shingles vaccine.
I don’t want to catch it again


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Originally Posted by GoTennTitans

I think I’m all good today. No new spots and the original ones are fading and dry & scaley. Never thought I would be so glad to have dandruff!!!! Oh yes, they call me Big Sexy.

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Don't let the dog sleep with you again. ;-)

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Originally Posted by USMA65

Don't let the dog sleep with you again. ;-)

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Lol....yeh....he has the mange

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Originally Posted by "G"

Lol....yeh....he has the mange

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Funny, but no. He has classic presentation, history and outcome for insect bites, probably from the dog. All of this determined by his words, not mine. Listening to a patient often allows a doctor to diagnose, or get a pretty good idea, what the problem is. Shingles would have never been a consideration by anyone who knew anything about how shingles classically presents itself. He woke up with a dog, who the patient is convinced is flea free. I have had dogs that I treated with flea preventative and they still got fleas. A dog can be treated and flea free, can go outside for five minutes, pick up fleas, sleep with you, and those same fleas can feast on you, or the dog. If the latter, they will die because of the treatment. If they feast on you, you will exhibit bites that itch, swell and sometimes fester. In this case the fleas will not die unless TN Titan has been treated ;-) , but they will develop a bad case of the uglyies .
Y'all saw his picture .......a face only a mother would love :Rofl

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Originally Posted by USMA65

Funny, but no. He has classic presentation, history and outcome for insect bites, probably from the dog. All of this determined by his words, not mine. Listening to a patient often allows a doctor to diagnose, or get a pretty good idea, what the problem is. Shingles would have never been a consideration by anyone who knew anything about how shingles classically presents itself. He woke up with a dog, who the patient is convinced is flea free. I have had dogs that I treated with flea preventative and they still got fleas. A dog can be treated and flea free, can go outside for five minutes, pick up fleas, sleep with you, and those same fleas can feast on you, or the dog. If the latter, they will die because of the treatment. If they feast on you, you will exhibit bites that itch, swell and sometimes fester. In this case the fleas will not die unless TN Titan has been treated ;-) , but they will develop a bad case of the uglyies .
Y'all saw his picture .......a face only a mother would love :Rofl

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You are correct on all counts....and on that last one....only on payday :Rofl

Just kidding TN Titan. I hope you get well. :pray

We all hope you get better quickly!!

It’s not shingles....no pain. It’s not chickenpox......very minor itch and only one day of spots forming. It’s not fleas.....the dog ain’t got that many fleas on her. :)

I am truly starting to believe this was some sort of stress related rash or shhhhhhh (herpes). Just picture Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop saying to that waiter that he had “herpes simplex 10.” One of my all time faves from Mr. Murphy.
YouTube

sleepin with the dogs bro …..just saying :Rofl

Funny thread! I’m glad you are feeling better!


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Poison oak?

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Originally Posted by catchNgrease

Poison oak?

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No. I think now, a week later, that it was either a nervous hives-type breakout or an allergic reaction to something. Nothing now at all. Back to my normal ole good looking self. :)