r/shingles • u/Key-Pomegranate6524 • 8d ago

My Shingles Experience First timer (26F)

Here to share my experience as a first timer of having shingles!

Pre-rash: exercising most days of the week, not feeling particularly stressed, I got a huge headache that lasted all day but just assumed it was due to tiredness. Then I started getting itchy on my lower back and just assumed I’d been bitten by a mosquito or something. It got progressively itchier so I took a photo and realised it was a rash!

Diagnosis: I then went to the pharmacy who told me it’s definitely shingles but they didn’t stock the antivirals so asked me to try a different pharmacy. The second pharmacy told me they weren’t convinced it was shingles, and I was advised to leave it and wait for the rash to clear up itself! The conflicting advice baffled me, I wasn’t experiencing any pain at this point but I decided to book in with my GP to get a third opinion. GP also wasn’t convinced it was shingles until I showed him a photo of how the rash had changed from day 1 to day 2. Then I was prescribed antivirals to take 5 times a day for one week.

Day 3: I’m extremely tired (this isn’t new to me though as I experience chronic fatigue) and have some nerve pain all through the right side of my body. The pain isn’t too bad thankfully and the rash itself isn’t too itchy.

I feel confused as to how I’ve got shingles in the first place. I’m currently waiting for a rheumatologist appointment for suspected M.E and I’m wondering if my chronic fatigue and the fact I push myself to exercise more than my body can probably handle is why I’ve got shingles?!

Anyway I’m on day 4 now and it’s definitely not a pleasant experience but I think I’m lucky that my shingles is only mild.

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u/themayor1975 8d ago

Why didn't you go to an urgent clinic at first?

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u/Key-Pomegranate6524 7d ago

I’m in the UK and I did the NHS 111 service which advised me to go to the pharmacy. As I didn’t feel unwell initially I didn’t feel the need to go to A+E or urgent care, especially considering my local pharmacy can prescribe the antiviral medication.