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Had Chicken Pox. Having Flu Symptoms And Itchy Spot On Neck. How To Cure This?
Question: chicken poxI had the chicken pox when I was in second grade. I had a very serve case and was covered head to toe. I have some spots, I thought they were zits, along my jaw area, below both my left and right ears, and now a couole on the left underside of my neck. I somewhat recently got my face waxed near that area (by my sideburns) and thought it was a breakout from the wax. but none have turned into anything I can pop. And I wouldnt have gone to thinking about chicken pox but a friend of mine posted on facebook that his mom had them. ive had flu symptoms the past two days (achy, havent been able to move without feeling like im gonna puke) as well and the one on my neck has been there for about 4 days, the others almost a week and a half. the one on my neck has been itchy and all have increased in size.
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. Get an urgent examination from a Skin Specialist to rule out Herpes Zoster (Shingles).
2. A flu like prodromal period with non-specific symptoms such as feverishness, fatigue, headaches, local itching, aching, pain among other symptoms may precede the rash. The rash usually changes to vesicles, then dries to form crusts and scabs which heal over a couple of weeks. The rash may be atypical and painless in some cases.
3. Herpes Zoster is due to reactivation of the same virus which causes Chickenpox in childhood and which lies dormant in the body tissues.
4. In my experience, a herpes reactivation many a times signifies some stress or weakness in the body which allows the dormant virus to surface again. Be sure to rule out Lyme Disease. There may be other causes for the skin rash which a Skin Specialist will be able to differentiate.
5. Ideally, antivirals such as acyclovir, famciclovir or valacyclovir should be started in 48 to 72 hours. Other supportive medication such as local anti-viral creams, anti-inflammatory, painkillers and sometimes steroids may be prescribed.
6. I must emphasize that there is no cause for worry. early treatment reduces the severity and sequelae.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for your query.
1. Get an urgent examination from a Skin Specialist to rule out Herpes Zoster (Shingles).
2. A flu like prodromal period with non-specific symptoms such as feverishness, fatigue, headaches, local itching, aching, pain among other symptoms may precede the rash. The rash usually changes to vesicles, then dries to form crusts and scabs which heal over a couple of weeks. The rash may be atypical and painless in some cases.
3. Herpes Zoster is due to reactivation of the same virus which causes Chickenpox in childhood and which lies dormant in the body tissues.
4. In my experience, a herpes reactivation many a times signifies some stress or weakness in the body which allows the dormant virus to surface again. Be sure to rule out Lyme Disease. There may be other causes for the skin rash which a Skin Specialist will be able to differentiate.
5. Ideally, antivirals such as acyclovir, famciclovir or valacyclovir should be started in 48 to 72 hours. Other supportive medication such as local anti-viral creams, anti-inflammatory, painkillers and sometimes steroids may be prescribed.
6. I must emphasize that there is no cause for worry. early treatment reduces the severity and sequelae.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I sought treatment at a local urgent care clinic (I'm traveling for work right now). However, the doctor didn't really give me a solid diagnosis. He interrupted when I was providing my symptoms, asked if I'd been feeling dizzy or nauseous. I had already told the nurse this, so assumed he either read it or knew of something local going around. He said it sounded like I was coming down with something, and with the bumps on my neck (he actually just touched his neck/jaw area and said 'with this') he wanted to kill it right away. He said he was prescribing me 'something I would love' for the nausea and dizziness and then something to kill the virus. But he never really told me what he thought it was our what the other medication was meant to treat.
I've been under a great deal of stress lately both at work and in my relationship, so you're diagnosis, combined with my symptoms makes sense to me.
Maybe you can provide some insight to what he was thinking if i give you the name of the prescriptions? And maybe I should seek a second opinion? It was just really strange, I've never had an interaction with a doctor that was less than minutes.
Also, do I need to worry about this being contagious?
I've been under a great deal of stress lately both at work and in my relationship, so you're diagnosis, combined with my symptoms makes sense to me.
Maybe you can provide some insight to what he was thinking if i give you the name of the prescriptions? And maybe I should seek a second opinion? It was just really strange, I've never had an interaction with a doctor that was less than minutes.
Also, do I need to worry about this being contagious?
Hi,
Thank you for writing back.
1. A high degree of suspicion is required to diagnose early Herpes Zoster (Shingles).
2. If you can provide details of the medications, it may be possible to work backwards to the probable / provisional diagnosis.
3. A second opinion will do no harm. You may also upload a close-up picture of the rash here.
4. This may be contagious, (especially to those who have not been immunized) till the rash heals.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for writing back.
1. A high degree of suspicion is required to diagnose early Herpes Zoster (Shingles).
2. If you can provide details of the medications, it may be possible to work backwards to the probable / provisional diagnosis.
3. A second opinion will do no harm. You may also upload a close-up picture of the rash here.
4. This may be contagious, (especially to those who have not been immunized) till the rash heals.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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