Non-itchy painful rash

Hi,

My girlfriend started complaining last week of bumpy red blotches on her left lower back and torso.  Now they appear to have spread still all on her left side from her back to her stomach.  She says they are not itchy, but are painful to the touch and the blotches have raised white-ish bumps on them.  At first I thought they were probably insect bites of some kind because she is very susceptible to bites and reacts strongly to them, but these are not itchy and are quite wide in diameter.  Also, I am not getting bitten so I don't think it's anything in the apartment.  

Any thoughts?

Thank you

Ian

[willy851]

folliculitis is a possibility

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

If she had a history of chicken pox, this could be shingles or herpes zoster. Shingles is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body. After several days or a week, a rash of fluid-filled blisters, similar to chickenpox, appears in one area on one side of the body. Shingles pain can be mild or intense. The most common location for shingles is a band, called a dermatome, spanning one side of the trunk around the waistline.

The severity and duration of an attack of shingles can be significantly reduced by immediate treatment with antiviral drugs. Pain medications may also help with the pain.
If it persists, it would be best to see your doctor for further evaluation and management.
Take care and regards.

[simonsdahlia]

Can I take a bath with shingles? I was diagnosed with shingles today. They presented on the lower buttocks and just shy of my anal sphincter, and are causing me intense pain.  Any suggestions on specific care of these areas?
Thanks,
Dahlia

[jmbirds]

try lysine its a b supplement get rx for valtrex.. type drug , get hsv 1 and hsvll  blood test see if you have another virus lurking