Suggest treatment for shingles, fever and chills
Patient: I was recently diagnosed with Shingles/autoimmune disease (October 1, 2014). I was very ill for almost two months, sometimes in bed for a day or two, here and there and always itchy with lesions on the right side of my lower spine...not so much pain, but itchy. I also had hives. I was weak and fatigued, had headaches, low grade fever and chills and lost 15 lbs. Around Halloween I began to feel a little stronger, the hives were gone and it still took a couple of wks. to begin to feel normal again. I began to gain some of the weight back. Last week I got two small lesions under my nostrils and yesterday I was in bed most of the day with low grade fever and chills again. Does shingles reoccur or does it have more to do with the autoimmune disease? Will I have to be sick for two months again? I moved here from Iowa and do not have a doctor who treats this disease. I have seen a Pulmonologist. Doctor: Hello,This is Dr. Papaqako answering your question.Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays sleeps forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again. But it is possible to get shingles more than once.If you have shingles, symptoms happen in stages. At first you may have a headache or be sensitive to light. You may also feel like you have the flu but not have a fever.Later, you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area. That's where a band, strip, or small area of rash may occur a few days later.I don't think the fever is connected with shingles, but it may be another virus, that because of low immunity have reactivated a simple Herpes lesion. That because the time difference between the lesions and fever is large.Treat it as a common cold. But if in 3-5 days, is not getting better, or is worse, then I would recommend to see a doctor.Hope this helps, Take care.