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Mystery condition

(82 Posts)
GagaJo Mon 05-Dec-22 21:25:34

Seen 2 GPs, 2 A&E doctors, 2 maxillofacial doctors.

It started 2 weeks ago with an inflammed area on my face. Became infected and had to be drained. Given antibiotics and an antibacterial ointment.

Next developed a range of lumps on my face (they look a bit like hives). No heads. Nothing inside to drain.

Have something in my ear. Possibly a boil, or maybe one of the lumps.

Also 2 lumps on my bottom lip and one inside my mouth.

Even the max fax doctors don't know what's wrong. They've said:
Boil
Ulcers (mouth)
Shingles (I've got tingling, itching, nerve pain).

I'm fed up with it. I've got a big scar from the infection draining. Ear ache. A sore mouth.

Anyone got any ideas?

cc Fri 09-Dec-22 19:05:00

It's being said that everybody's immunity has suffered because people didn't mix during the worst of Covid. This is why they think that Strep has been so bad this time around.
I know that I had shingles just after I had my last child, when my immunity was low. All four of my children had chicken pox at the time and my youngest, then fully breast fed, had such good immunity that she only had one spot! She's now in her mid-thirties and has never caught it again so must have developed immunity despite the lack of spots.

growstuff Fri 09-Dec-22 09:06:07

harrigran

Don't want to worry people but my neighbour has a very bad case of shingles at present and she was vaccinated against it. Proves nothing is 100% effective.

I'm not eligible for a shingles vaccination yet, but 99.99999% is good enough for me.

harrigran Fri 09-Dec-22 08:45:54

Don't want to worry people but my neighbour has a very bad case of shingles at present and she was vaccinated against it. Proves nothing is 100% effective.

growstuff Fri 09-Dec-22 08:33:38

Personally, I won't be wasting my money on any such procedure.

Covid is known to compromise the immune system, so it could be that people who have had Covid are more susceptible. If possible, it's a good idea to avoid Covid and being vaccinated will mitigate damage if you do catch it.

Tamayra Fri 09-Dec-22 07:46:02

In my experience Folk are getting all kinds of strange symptoms now that may be a biproduct of having Covid jabs
Perhaps look at doing a Gall Bladder Liver cleanse to clear toxins out of your system Good luck x

GrauntyHelen Fri 09-Dec-22 01:45:24

Shingles or Sarcoidosis I have both and this sounds like could be either

glammagran Thu 08-Dec-22 23:42:41

Jannipans I too had Hand, foot and mouth caught from one year old GS in Spring. Had blisters in my mouth which were fairly short lived but then developed an extremely itchy rash on my buttocks which spread up my back which lasted a couple of months before some medication finally got rid of it. So it can affect adults too.

Longdistancegrnny Thu 08-Dec-22 22:11:33

No idea what it could be! But I did have very strange lumps and bumps that appeared on my body - in ears, on legs arms and trunk - not loads like a rash but more isolated. My GP did a biopsy of one on my rib cage, which came up with no definitive result. However the biopsy site became infected, I think I was allergic to the dressing they used - that was worse than the spots, tender, raw, itchy and weeping - so I was given antibiotics to clear that up - and hey presto the spots disappeared in three or four days! No real solution as we never knew what it was....I think it just shows that our bodies can react to so many things in different ways and there is not always an answer. Do hope you get better soon.

Betty25 Thu 08-Dec-22 19:00:43

Many years ago I had a nasty embarrassing rash on my face, saw doc and skin specialist. No luck. I started taking flax seed tablets from Holland and Barrett and it was gone within 3 weeks. Worth a try as it’s non evasive and not drug related. Good luck

win Thu 08-Dec-22 18:33:10

I have suffered with hives on and off for the last 50 years and have had every test available. Still no diagnoses. I have a course of prednisone available at home that I take as soon as they start, it is the only thing that helps to stop them getting infected as I scratch in my sleep. I always wear gloves in bed as my skin particularly on the face has started to break down badly in places. It Is just horrible I really emphasise with your dilemma.

LondonMzFitz Thu 08-Dec-22 17:26:12

Milliedog

If it's like small blister like / hard small lumps, it could be dermatitis herpeteformis (related to coeliac disease). My mum had this and so does one of my brothers. My other brother and I just have common coeliac disease

Or pustular psoriasis - my neighbour was showing me these small lumps he had on his hand that he said were full of pus - and I recalled he had told me he has psoriasis (as do I). But I've only seen it on hands, no idea if it's plausible elsewhere.

welbeck Thu 08-Dec-22 17:22:26

just looked up the cost of shingrix vaccine, £600,
for both doses, which is complete course.
so maybe i'll wait.

welbeck Thu 08-Dec-22 17:16:37

Katy03, that sounds rather like giant cell arteritis, also known as temporal arteritis. it can affect the optic nerve if not treated promptly.
i suppose they ruled that out in your case.
it is often experienced by people who have long standing rheumatology problems.

GoldenAge Thu 08-Dec-22 15:32:46

GagaJo - sorry for your condition and I have no answers but I can say that covid, and the covid jabs have left many people with immuno problems and this is predisposing illnesses of all types that vary from one to another. The evidence is now becoming available of statistically significant increases in minor ailments (and major ones) that occur because of low immunity (not to covid) but in general. Hope you soon feel better, take lots of food with vitamin C and B.

Vintagegirl Thu 08-Dec-22 15:23:59

A timely reminder to get on a book the vaccine. Shingles lurks in our system from early exposure to chicken pox. I had shingles on face and got the acyclovir on board in time. Apparantly it does not protect me from further attacks and there is a one in three chance of an adult getting shingles. It is quite expensive and now is a double jab.

ExDancer Thu 08-Dec-22 15:17:43

PS - cellulitis was one of them. It was a bit frightening so keep going with the treatment.

ExDancer Thu 08-Dec-22 15:11:13

Gagajo, I've had shingles twice, and didn't have bumps or scabs either time, more a red slightly raised rash. It sounds as though people experience different rashes, very unpleasant all the same.
I really feel for you, which is no help at all.
BUT, whilst researching Google (don't tell me - bad idea) about my husband's toenail fungus I read that it could have several unpleasant since effects, one of which was hives and other dermatological problems, some of them really weird.
It might be worth following up on that first nurse's suggestion?

GagaJo Thu 08-Dec-22 14:51:12

Too late for anti virals. Had it for nearly 2 weeks as it was hard getting NHS healthcare.

Silverlady333 Thu 08-Dec-22 13:33:10

mouth!

Silverlady333 Thu 08-Dec-22 13:32:54

I had hand foot and moth many years ago. It was a very small pin prick rash, nothing like you are describing.
I second trying to see a dermatologist. They can take biopsies to determine the cause. If it is shingles definitely get anti-virals. Hope you get the help you need soon.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 08-Dec-22 13:31:40

GagaJo

Shingles turn to blisters though don't they? And then scabs? I don't have that.

Usually, yes, I believe they do, but we are all different, and some of us react in ways that doctors rarely or never see with ordinary infections etc.

I hope you get better soon.

Have you tried dabbing the lumbs carefully with a little pure glycerin in liquid form? This cures blisters in the mouth, so it might just work.

Milliedog Thu 08-Dec-22 13:30:47

If it's like small blister like / hard small lumps, it could be dermatitis herpeteformis (related to coeliac disease). My mum had this and so does one of my brothers. My other brother and I just have common coeliac disease

Sawsage2 Thu 08-Dec-22 13:27:35

Not sure what it could be. I don't trust doctors/hospitals.

mokryna Thu 08-Dec-22 13:23:01

Thank you icanhandthemback. I’ll put on the medical list again and pick up courage to ask why if refused as it sounds horrendous what people are going through.

GagaJo Thu 08-Dec-22 12:55:59

They still think shingles. I do have scabs in my ear, so maybe it is. The facial ones are a bit dry and flaky now and the large area that was infected has a huge black scab on it. Really unsightly so I've put a skin coloured plaster over it for when I'm teaching on screen.

I do have the nerve pains so it does have some similarities with shingles. Just as well I didn't know at the beginning what it was or I'd have taken unpaid time off work (self employed) and as it is, I've only missed a couple of lessons.

I think I got it because I'm not eating much and had stopped taking my vitamins and minerals and so got run down.