Chickenpox !

[Julia9054]

Get to the docs. I had shingles 18 months ago, at first I had intense stabbing pains in my chest on the rhs which I ignored as it wasn't my heart, then I got some spots and I discounted these as ant bites (I'd been lying on my side whilst gardening), but then more spots and by the time I went to the docs the spots covered my shoulder and side. Whatever he gave me helped, but apparently the earlier you catch it the better. I had six weeks of itching and scabbing, the itching was intense, especially the first couple of weeks. Calamine lotion helps (spell check put gasoline, which is a bit drastic). I've still got the scarring on my back.
Shingles can be triggered by stress, which given I was in the middle of moving house and had been living at my in laws for three months, I'd go along with.

Sounds awful. The OP has chickenpox though, not shingles.

 

[screenman]

I used it to get money out of a bank in Cornwall when I was 23, horrible thing to have.

 

[byegad]

I had shingles after coming into contact with chicken pox at 47. I had a comprehensive dose of chicken pox age 9, even the soles of my feet had spots and you couldn't lay a postage stamp on me without hitting a spot! Mam tried!

The shingles was not in a dangerous place, you don't want it erupting near your eyes for instance, but was properly painful for a week or two.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Sounds awful. The OP has chickenpox though, not shingles.

I know, but I still think the doc should be visited.

 

[Julia9054]

I know, but I still think the doc should be visited.

Unless he has complications e.g. fever, he should stay away from the docs - surgeries are full of sick people and he is highly infectious

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Unless he has complications e.g. fever, he should stay away from the docs - surgeries are full of sick people and he is highly infectious

We can let the doc's receptionist make that judgement when the prof calls for an appointment.

 

[midlife]

Yep - felt ropey at work (working away) and went back to hotel and bed early a couple of nights. Yesterday saw a load of spots and thought hey ho, this aint right. nhs website said book a call back with a nurse - they were very helpfulland thorough but a bit non comittal. Whilst encouring me to see a doctor, there didn't seem a lot of point since, though in late middle age, I'm in good health. To be fair they want to rule out the more serious but rare things like meningitis or tropical deseases. Today looking in the mirror it is pretty obvious it's chickenpox

Its not nice when older, virus can evade the immune system and get into various organs, I had it when in my 40's. Needed Acyclovir to stop it in its tracks and also helps with post viral pain and possible shingles. Go see doc and see if antivirals will help.

 

[Profpointy]

Unless he has complications e.g. fever, he should stay away from the docs - surgeries are full of sick people and he is highly
infectious

I agree - there's actually f-all the doc can do to help, so I may as well brass it out at home. If I get proper ill that's another matter, but there's absolutley no point trapesing to the doc to be told, "yep, looks like chickenpox, it'll get better in a week"

 

[classic33]

NHS have said go to the doctors. I'd be willing to phone the doctors at least, see what they say.

 

[EltonFrog]

Sounds bloody awful, get well soon Prof.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you start clucking, and flapping your arms then get down A&E immediately.

 

[furball]

I had chicken pox in my 20s. It was horrible. The most painful spots were on my scalp. I also had huge mouth ulcers that took a long time to heal.
I had shingles in my 30s. This is more a nerve pain that affects one side of the body. It was as though a line had been drawn down the middle of my face.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

I too avoided the pox until I was in my 30s. You do seem to get it properly if you avoid it during childhood! There wasn't a single part of my carcass that didn't have pox. The couple on my tonsils were worse than the many on...err.. further south!

I ended up going to the doc's just to check it wasn't smallpox as I looked even more hideous than usual. The got vey excited and, having put me somewhere where I wouldn't frighten old ladies or small children, every doctor in he practice called their students in to behold he specticle.

I ended up on retro virus drugs for a few days similar to one of the array of drugs used to keep HIV under control. The side effects were not nice but it did clear the virus a few days earlier.

I used a garden spray bottle full of very dilute shampoo to 'wash' my hair. It helped with the itching considerably.

 

[classic33]

Piece of common sense and community co-operation saw all the kids, from one small street, who'd caught it placed in one double house. Under proper medical care.

No contact with any that hadn't caught it previously. With parents helping when & where available. That was in 2001, would it happen now I wonder.

 

[Profpointy]

Piece of common sense and community co-operation saw all the kids, from one small street, who'd caught it placed in one double house. Under proper medical care.

No contact with any that hadn't caught it previously. With parents helping when & where available. That was in 2001, would it happen now I wonder.

Back in the day, before the war, all the kids in my Dad's village had it. They all went on a bus trip to Tenby regardless.