Is it a fungi infection or Shingles??

[darcy865]

We need help.  My husband,59, has had a rash and painfull sensations in the inner buttocks area going on now for almost a 1 1/2yrs.  He went to his primary doctor and they had him soaking in epson salts and cortisone creams to no avail.  He then returned to doc. and then he told him it was a fungal infection and prescribed some Ketoconazole tablets for 2 weeks and the same kind of cream.  After the first week was done my husband said it felt like it was all gone, no itching or pain.  The pills made my husband very nausiated a couple of hours after he would take them, but at least we thought we were getting somewhere in getting this cured once and for all.  Wrong!  The pain and itching came back and he went back to doc. only to be told he doesn't SEE anything there and he needs to just get -over-it!   Like it's all in his head.  My husband had his first Shingles outbreak about 4 yrs. ago, mostly on his face and head area's and was treated for it it by his doctor and an eye doc, for preventative purposes because it was right next to his eye.  My question is, could this possibly be being caused be the shingles virus?  At first there was a raised rashy itchy area that was visible along with painfull sensations.  I've been reading material on shingles and am learning that this can happen.  We asked the doc. if it could possiby be that and he said No-but were not sure about anything now.  Can you please help us?

[jagesh50]

Like diabetes,and ther nutritional and health problems by what i meant about the immune status.Shingles rash is transitional by which I mean dissappears in a few days,but post herpetic neuragias that follow do not show a visible rash nevertheless painful.Ketoconazole if it produces nausea is an indication to get liver function testsbecause it is toxic to liver in some.But  shingles virus elsewhere would not cause problem in a different location.

[darcy865]

Thank you for your reply.  My husband says it is so hard to tell exactly where the exact place is but it may be more severe feeling on the left hand side of the inner buttock area and now the small raised itchy little bumps are comming back and are actually feeling like it is in the anal opening itself.  We are getting ready to make another apt. today for him and would also like you're opinion on those Ketoconazole pills.  When he took them for the 2 weeks and got relief-felt liked it had gone away completly-after the first week-but then it only took about 2 weeks longer than the symptoms, pain & itching came back, minus the visable rash-and being that whatever this is has been going on for some time now-should he ask to try those pills again but for a longer period of time?  The only other information I can tell you other than this ??  is  that he is in good health, does have a heart murmor that was detected about 4yrs. ago-last year took alot of antibiotics when he had alot of dental work done.  We don't know if that had anything to do with making him suseptible to whatever this is- is that what you meant when you refered to "immunocompetent people"?  

[jagesh50]

The deciding point will be whether the symptoms are on one side,post herpetic neuralgias do cause lot of pain but in immunocompetent people it is strictly related to a nerve root and not at random.