Sunday 4 August 2013

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself...

An update on my herpeticum - The good news is the vesicles are teeny tiny now, around 1mm in size and I think if I were to show someone new they wouldn't diagnose it as herpeticum... however it is still spreading.

This is a first time thing for me as I've never experienced it all over my body! It's on my face, neck, chest, ears, hairline, torso, arms, legs and even up my nose! I don't know how scared I should be and if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can treat it. I've been to the hospital and been given 800mg of Aciclovir to take 5x a day. I've also got some l-lysine capsules of 1000mg with a suggestion of once a day, as well as an antibiotic (but started taking this before outbreak for different reason) and antihistamines.

I've tried using tubegrips to stop me scratching the areas but then read that in the first few days of the outbreak, not to bind the area so tightly... I guess it is so they can dry up? I just don't what is best now. 

I was using Dermol as it is an antibacterial to moisturise but found it too drying so have switched to using my faithful white soft paraffin. I've been taking the Aciclovir since Friday afternoon and although it looks better, it is still definitely spreading so I'm in a bit of a predicament.

I am going to go to the hospital today for an opinion but being the weekend the dermatology department won't be open. I really don't want to have IV as I now have a fear of it from last time when my veins packed in and it was SO PAINFUL! I'm also worried of picking up more infection than going in with because of how wide spread the herpeticum is... and also how will I clean myself properly?



The buggers are really hard to get a good photograph of because they're so teeny weeny.



 
Oh it doesn't look so bad?

 
...until you see a close-up... and see them lurking.

The only part of my body that really gives it away is my legs where you can see the classic vesicles. Both legs are the same.


Poor ankle.



This is one of the parts I'm worried about. This is a close-up of my chest. Over night I must have gone to town on my chest without knowing and it is completely covered in the stuff. Gutting.

Also I'm even more gutted that today was booked off from work as holiday so that I could go to York to watch Shane do a race and catch up with some chums. Some holiday this has turned out to be. *grumble*



Eczema Herpeticum - be gone!!!

9 comments :

  1. Did they swab it and definitely diagnose EH? The reason I ask is because tiny vesicles can also be another symptom of TSW, especially if they are spread all over the body.

    I feel for ya Jenny. Hope you be a break soon because you seem to be having a rough ride.

    Best wishes for Shane in his next race.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Louise! How are you doing??

      They swabbed it on Fri but results can take up to a week so won't know for definite for a few days. The bumps do look a lot like herpeticum but on a very small scale...well large scale but you know what I mean! They just look like mini vesicles... this could be down to the fact I was already taken the medication for them though and they haven't been allowed to expand any more.

      I can tell that there is definitely an infection present though and it is very different to TSW.

      & thank you for the Domeboro! I am so sorry for not thanking you sooner!xx

      Delete
    2. I should also mention that they tingle too!

      Delete
  2. I hope the hospital is able to shed some light on this for you hun, what an absolute nightmare :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope it all clears up soon, sounds a nightmare, poor you :(
    I started getting loads of coldsores every month, and daily lysine tablets have pretty much stopped them. Sometimes they are in the penny sale in Holland & Barrett which helps with the giant cost! I hope they have an equally good effect for you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope you got on well in hospital Jenny and you are over the worst. take care, Aoibheann

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jenny - hang in there! Have you tried spraying colloidal silver on the EH? It is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral. It may help to put something on the skin while taking the acyclovir internally.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Have you considered one of those virulite machines? I think yo can get a little light want that uses a specific frequency that kills the herpes virus. I've never used one myself, so have no clue how effective they are. But it is an alternative to all the other stuff, I suppose.

    ReplyDelete