Donna asks…
Is this lump a normal sign of shingles?
I have shingles and I get the ordinary rashes all over the back of head and neck. I take medication and everything seems to be going fine.
The rashes still grow a bit because I’m still on my first couple of days. Today I found two lumps under my skin around the same location the rashes have been forming. One is right under my ear and the other one is on the left side of my neck. The lumps are the size of a quarter and one of them kind of moves a little when I poke it.
Is this just another symptom of shingles or is it something else?
Please, someone who knows about this, tell me about it. I’ve tried reading about it but I can’t seem to find anything on it. I’m going to go to the doctor again to ask – but I want to know right now.
I’m 18 btw. Thanks!
admin answers:
You are describing what sounds like reactive lymph nodes, these should get better as the disease prgesses and you improve, do stay in touch with your doctor if this persists or worsens, good luck
Carol asks…
Is shingles, herpes zoster, and herpes type II, all the same thing?
Im suffering symptoms which I can’t identify, as either, herpes II, shingles or herpes zoster. Some of these symptoms are: redeness on around the pennis area (not on the pennis itself), itchy, red and swollen patch skin area (across the chest), and under the arm (right side), also, a red big blemish (on right side of my lower back) that has lasted for 5 days swollen, no head, no pus. What kind of herpes I am suffering from? Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.
admin answers:
For two years I had skin outbreaks on my upper back, both upper arms and upper chest and on the left side of my face. They were insanely itchy and ranged in size from a small spot to the size of a bread and butter plate. For two yrs this was diagnosed as shingles even though all the creams medications and treatments were not working. Ive recently now been diagnosed with Lupus. This skin irritation is Discoid Lupus. There is no cure and its horrible. Sometimes i will not go outside for weeks because the outbreaks look like some dreaded catchy disease and I can imagine what people would think. There could be many things this could be. Plz go see your doctor. Don’t leave it n accept one opinion. It could be something quite serious and the earlier its diagnosed the quicker you can get the relevant treatment. Good Luck. Hope its just a minor little problem.
Lizzie asks…
Difference between Impetigo, cellulitus, and Shingles?
I thought I had Impetigo, got treated after 3 antibiotics in the “mycin” family, it got worse and I found to be allergic and went on Dermisil on my own, didn’t work. Then thought I have shingles since I have headaches, light fever, foggy head,swelling and pustules around mask area of face that crust over. It comes and goes(re-emerges) about every 6-7 days. Doctor now thinks I have cellulitus. But I don’t have any symptoms of cellulitus and she wants me back on antibiotics from the tetrycylin family again with 4 Duflicans to counteract the radical yeast infection. I don’t want to go back on antibiotics. All info says shingles, can anyone help? Note: I think I got it from the hospital following surgery last summer.
OK. I was on Bactroban in the first place, then Amox., then Clindomycin, then Dermisil with no avail. Now using watered down Apple Cider Vinegar to sooth and it really helps. Have used honey also, anything mildly antibacterial but it doesn’t go away. Dr. thought it would be Impetigo because of the outbreak that has been going around. The rash first starts red gets hot and swells, but is a perfect ‘mask’ from bottom chin, sides of mouth, towards nose. Not one-sided.This last outbreak included sides of nose and rim of nostrils. My mind function has gotten much foggier as it re-occurs, but once the pustules and swelling is down, my mind is fine. INfo says cellulitis is caused by almost the same bacteria as Impetigo, if so, wouldn’t the cellulitis have been cleared out by all the antibiotics? That’s why I am hesitant to take more. And , no, I have not had any cultures, doc tried but really isn’t good at that kind of stuff. I’m really in ‘hixville.’
admin answers:
You don’t get shingles from anywhere; you already had them in their previous form when they were called chicken pox. The virus had simply retreated to the base of your brain where it had remained dormant until something triggered it to become active again. Then it will follow along a nerve pathway, and cause an eruption of vesicles that are painful and infectious, but generally limited to that particular nerve’s skin distribution area; ie. You generally find the shingles on only one side of the body, either on the neck/face/shoulder or underarm/chest/back.
Impetigo is usually a staph or strep skin infection seen in young children, and can be treated with various antibiotics like Penicillins or Cephalosporins (or perhaps Erythromycin for those with pen allergies), or topical Mupirocin if the infection isn’t severe. If the infection is persistent and doesn’t seem to go away despite aggressive antibiotic therapy, the wound should be cultured to rule out MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), especially if there is cellulitis involved.
Good luck
Ralph
Addendum: From your follow up message, it seems that in this case, being in Hicksville may be to your detriment, though I’m not sure what you mean by “doc tried…?” A culture is simply a sample taken with a sterile Q-tip swab used to sample the wound, then is stored in a special thin plastic tube with a culture medium, then sent off to a lab. Even if you’re in a small town, that shouldn’t be a problem for even the smallest doctor’s office.
Since it is all over the lower half of your face and not unilateral, my suspicion is that it is some form of impetigo (though other differentials like herpes simplex, pemphigus, or contact dermatitis cannot be ruled out). Again, your doctor being unable to culture the organism is bad news. Part of the value of culturing wounds or infectious material is to identify the actual organism, and then to ensure that the antibiotics chosen and prescribed to the patient would be effective against it. If worst comes to worst, it would identify if the bug is of the sort that is resistant to most antibiotics (MRSA). If this is the case, then you may have to be hospitalized for Antibiotics via Intravenous.
Further, I just thought to mention that any antibiotics prescribed must be taken for the entire prescribed course. Many patients mistakenly believe that once symptoms abate, that they’re cured. The fact is, the infection was weakened to a point where you can recover, but not yet totally killed. If you stop the antibiotics before all the bacteria are dead, the germs that were briefly exposed to the antibiotics will then become resistant to them. You will then be subjected to another bout of the same infection, but this time, the same antibiotics (or same dosages) won’t work.
This has been a major problem world wide as many antibiotics are no longer effective against certain germs.
Daniel asks…
Can shingles be caused by the hand foot mouth disease virus?
I contracted hand foot and mouth disease from my kids and younger sister (sore throat, body aches, head ache and then some slight spots inside my mouth and a couple on my hands and feet). I’m over the symptom-y bit and the spots are pretty much faded, but a couple days ago I felt a tingling on my forehead and discovered some fluid-filled bumps showing up. There is now a big cluster of them about the size of a quarter or a bit larger. The next day I noticed a lump in front of my ear which I take to be a swollen lymph node. I’ve been looking up rashes and bites and have come to the conclusion that I most likely have shingles. I am wondering if the shingles is related to the hand foot and mouth disease (specifically if it could be caused by the same virus), of if it is just an unlucky coincidence.
Do any of you medically knowledgeable people know the deal? Thanks!
admin answers:
Two completely different things. Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus lying dormant in your system. I would say, unlucky coincidence. Best of luck to you
Ruth asks…
Why Do I have Lower Back Symptoms!?
I woke up with my lower back hurting (after sleeping for 12 hours). Well needless to say I had to urinate really bad (so I figured it was some pain on my kidney’s for my bladder being so full). Well just now I decided to stretch my lower back by standing up and arching my back inwards until just then I got a head rush as if I was going to pass out due to dehydration. I sat down for about 15 seconds to regain my composure and my back still hurts when I bend it in a weird way (I’m sitting down now and it doesn’t hurt, but it’s difficult to walk). I just got over Shingles (still remnants of it a little, but most of it’s gone now). I’m 23 years old and I’m a male.
It seems it’s not the muscles, because I’m pressing on my muscles all over my back and nothing seems to trigger the pain, it’s just when moving around it hurts, something more internal is going on here :/
admin answers:
Actually, there are as many causes of low back pain as there are questions. You should see a doctor if this persists.
Common causes of low back pain include lumbar strain, nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, and conditions of the bone and joints.
Symptoms in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.
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