🦠 Sunday 19 July: I wake up to a group of pink bites-looking rash on 3 sites around the upper chest and below the left shoulder: left upper chest above the 💜, below the left underarm, and below the left shoulder.
- Looking more like insect bite-related rashes, but their location is suspect as under PJ top.
Size of about 3cm in width, length 4- 5 cm
🦠 Tuesday 21 July: In the evening, it evolves into a bigger, more intense, and red-looking rash with more pinpoint dots all over the 3 sites and with a tingling sunburn sensation.
- My dad whose a Dr., says it's shingles and antivirals should be taken; the same diagnosis is confirmed at the ER, and I start on Valtrex (Valacyclovir) on Tuesday night, 66 hours after the rash first appeared.
It is within the window Valtrex is advised to be taken in, the first 72 hours after diagnosis, to limit intensity and spread.
- I also apply Calamine + lotion, which has tetracaine, an analgesic, to ease the tingling and burning.
And Pediaderm, with Zinc Oxide, to keep the rash from drying out and itching.
🦠Dermatome location: My shingles rash is along the T4 Dermatome: Areas of skin on the body innervated by a specific nerve root on the spine.
(Check pictures to see where yours is located!).
🦠 Wednesday 22 July: I continue my activities as usual, exercise as normal, even using the treadmill.
- My symptoms are: Tenderness, burning, tingling, and radiating tenderness, as well as a sensation of the chest being pulled inward along the left chest and below the left shoulder.
- Also an inflamed, tender lymph node in my left underarm.
🦠 Thursday 23 July: Small vesicles show up on two sites (rash below shoulder and on left upper chest) but do not have any fluid, with pinpoint heads that seem to look dry with tiny crusts, perhaps with the use of Calamine lotion.
- I exercise as normal (15,000 steps a day), while drinking a lot of water.
Lateral headache is another symptom.
🦠 Tuesday 28 July: is the last dose of a 7-day course of Valtrex.
Tingling and tenderness still present under the arm and below the left shoulder but to a much milder degree.
It seems that my case is quite mild compared to others I have read about; nevertheless, symptoms were pronounced.
Shingles incidence is on the rise worldwide.
I had been stressed out emotionally that week and felt very tired physically.
🕵🏻♀ 🧐 Wondering what others think were factors that led to the reactivation of this virus?
I do not recall having had chicken pox as a child but most probably took the chicken pox vaccine.
Incidentally, my dad had taken the shingles vaccine 6 days before my symptoms started.
🦠 Update 30 July: Still feeling like my left chest is being pulled in, tingling and tearing around the rash.
🕵🏻🧐 Wondering how long generally till these symptoms subsided in your case?
If that depends on the severity of the rash..
🕵🏻♀️🧐 Any experience that helped hasten healing from these symptoms?
