Shingles?

[leannebr]

saw my family Dr the 26th for small rash and sharp stabbing pain on back and in also chest with stinging cutting feeling next to incision with this small lump Ive mentiod on my posts. .My therapist thought it was shingles that day due to it was mainly on my left side. No blisters and really the rash was very small area around the incision.
Saw a spine sugeron and he did a CT and said hardware is ok. Saw pain mngment dr 3 days ago and he didnt know but wanted me to try some med ( anticonvulsant) for pain and injections. I havent yet. Tonight as all other days and nights the pain is stinging and intense and percocet or anti-inflamatories dont help. I have not had a fever that I'm aware of. my temp is usually always low actually. it was 94. 1 the other day.
I noticed a couple tiny little red dots tonight in places where its stinging.. Go to ER ? Its late sinday night.. actually monday morning 12;00 am... have heard its best to get on med early with shingles . I have had stinging and pain tho since 16th with out blisters..

[JenniferG]

I'm probably too late for you Leanne but it does SOUND like shingles. I've seen it several times but not had it myself but from what I've heard it does feel like a stingy cutting feeling. I think I'd be getting to the dr. or ER first thing in the morning - a few hours shouldn't make much difference. If you're early enough, the medication causes the symptoms to subside within a few days to a week. Good luck!

[leannebr]

jenniferG

Hi,
Well I went to the Er last night/ this morning and the Er dr didnt think it "looked" like shingles. same with the allergy dr I saw today and the pain mngmnt dr I saw last Thurs. My family dr on the 17th wasnt convinced it was either, never the less she let me get a blood tst late Friday and it was sent out today. if its shingles Ive had it for quite a while. No fever. the pain has been and is excruciating. it is like this burning/itching under the skin on my back along the incision and in areas to the left, like my shoulder blade bone crest and blow that in one area. I guess the test will hopefully tell, but its too late for an antiviral drug it sounds like. By my symptoms and the pain I feel, it seems like the descriptions I read on shingles. I worry about a hardware infection of course because of stories out there and people having the itching with no fever and winding up with infections anyway.

[JenniferG]

When do you get the results Leanne? Let us know, won't you.

[Pooka1]

Have they ruled this out? This is extremely rare as I understand it (which I probably don't) but a kid on the Spinekids group was diagnosed with this after her surgery. The claim IIRC was it was triggered by the surgery. The main reason I am mentioning it despite how rare it is if because the success of the treatment apparently is increased if you start it early. Given your symptoms, maybe should should ask if this needs to be ruled out by a pain specialist.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/com...ndrome/DS00265

Good luck.