Shingles

It’s been a couple of days since getting diagnosed with Shingles, and they’ve now gone red. Some have burst, presumably during sleeping, but I haven’t seen any blood on my bed, so I suspect the fluid inside them is clear as opposed to actual blood.

This is good news – partially, as it also means they are progressing to the next stage, which means they should start to clear. In fact, the earliest clumps of rash are now starting to fade. My only concern now is lasting nerve and/or skin damage.

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I’ve pulled the plug on my running for now whilst I try to deal with my shingles breakout. I’ve been on the medication for just over 24 hours now, and apart from the side effects, it seems to be working. The first blisters appear to be scabbing over and they are not as red as before. There’s a couple of large ones which will cause a mess when they eventually burst (and they will.)

The shingles have spread into my left wrist and have started appearing on the palm of my hand, right on the callus-prone area, which causes a very pin-prick-like sensation when trying to pick up objects.

The medication is making me sleep a HELL of a lot more. Normally I sleep 8-10 hours. Last night, after getting the tiredness and fatigue caused by the medication, I slept 12 hours. Not often I do that…

Aciclovir

This medication is pretty crazy….

Side Effects:

Common (1/10 Users):

  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhoea
  • Stomach Pain
  • Skin Rashes
  • Itching
  • Tiredness
  • Light Sensitivity

Uncommon (1/100):

  • Hives
  • Hair Loss

Rare (1/1000):

  • Increased Liver Enzyme Production
  • Increased Blood In Urea and Creatinine
  • Impaired Kidney Function
  • Nervous System Reactions (Confusion, Hallucinations)
  • Sleepiness
  • Convulsions
  • Coma
  • General Discomfort/Illness
  • Agitation
  • Involuntary Shaking
  • Difficulty Controlling Movements
  • Difficulty Speaking
  • Erthema Muliforme
  • Stevens Johnson Syndrome
  • Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Very Rare (< 1/10,000)

So far I’ve had nausea, headaches, dizziness and tiredness — within 24 hours of starting to take the medication.

Skin Troubles

You may remember my post from yesterday with a mystery skin ailment. Well, after spending 3 hours waiting at a walk-in clinic, I have my answer.

Shingles. Caused by the same virus as Chicken Pox. Still a mystery where and how I picked it up. I suspect the virus been dormant since I caught and recovered from Chicken Pox when I was young, but the blood test must have triggered its release.

Now, I have a week’s worth of medication where I have to take it every 4 hours.

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Half Marathon Training – Day 11

Today’s run: EASY RUN WITH 5 STRIDES 4.60 KM (20sec high, 1min recovery x5)

I ran around 3k, but my phone rebooted. Again. Also, found an angry rash developing on my arm, which seems to have developed since my blood test earlier this month, so I’m going to get it looked at at the walk-in clinic tomorrow, and check with my GP next Wednesday.

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