I woke up yesterday morning with a rash on my lower abdomen about 1/3 inch across and about 4 inches long. Its red and blotchy but only slightly raised and not blistery at the moment. I also feel a bit fluey more than yesterday. I am on anti virals. If it does not go to blisters in next few days does it mean its not shingles and what else could it be
that's how mine started out.....only felt "stingy" when i rubbed a wet one over it. in the next few days it totally broke out into pussy scabs despite being on valcyclovir the second day i noticed the rash. that was jan 12 '16 it really broke out on feb 9th and i still have marks today. i'm guessing that the marks are now scars(?). prayers yours are like mine and Not overly painful
My rash only developed 2 little blisters in the middle of a large red, slightly raised area. It healed in about 7-10 days. I was also on the antivirals within 12 hours of the rash appearing. I believe if you start them qickly you can diminish the severity of the rash, but it is still shingles. I also had the stabbing pain and burning internally that is typical with shingles. Good luck and get on a regimen to boost your immune system so you don't get them again.
Jon,
So sorry for your suffering. Even if you don't get the vesicles-blisters, you certainly could have Herpes Zoster-Shingles. The earlier you start the antivirals, the shorter the course of the disease process. Usually, once the rash starts, it takes five to six days for it to appear across the region. The vesicles-blisters appear in crops. The pain can become more intense. Hopefully, your physician gave you an analgesic for the pain. If you are young, you might not have any pain. The older you are, the higher the risk for pain.
Please feel free to ask any questions.
Best Wishes
Merry Juliana
Mine took about 5 days to start blistering. Mine was on my left arm. I'm going into my 8th week. The blisters were gone in 2 and half weeks. I still have red bumps on my upper arm and the pain is really bad. Does yours feel like someone is burning you with a cattle prong. And does it feel painful . I was told some people don't get blisters. I hope u are one of them. Or even better it's not shingles.