Dis Doctors/Medical Professionals. Does this sound familiar? update

[daughtersrus]

About a week ago, I noticed a lump near the top of my scalp that was pretty painful when touched. I figured it was an ingrown hair or something and it would clear up on it's own. Later that night, the bone behind my ear ob that side (mastoid I think) was sore to the touch as well. Two days later, the bone was even more tender and there were 2 others lumps on my scalp but smaller than the first so I headed to immediate care. The doctor there really seemed clueless as to what this could be or if the lumps and bone tenderness were related. She said that she didn't think that they were bug bites but gave me an antibiotic to take 4 times a day for 7 days. That was last Thurs.

We were away for the weekend and the pain got worse. The first spot is almost gone but there are others now. I'm also feeling pain inside my left ear as well as the left side of my throat is hurting. It's to the point that I really can't sleep because even the pressure on my head resting on a pillow hurts.

The weird thing is that although it's painful, when I'm not getting the sharp twinges of pain, it almost feels like that portion of my scalp is numb from novocaine.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I'm going to make some phone calls to doctors today as soon as they open but I'm sure that there's at least a few week wait to get into a dermatologist.

All of this these symptoms are only on the left side.

Thanks!

 

[Christine]

Since they are on one side, I'm thinking "shingles."

If not shingles, you could have a staph infection in some of your hair follicles.

The one-sided thing, though, is very indicative of shingles. The behind your ear pain is most likely swollen glands. The numbness is nerve related. The pain radiating to your throat is also nerve related. Could very well be shingles. To be treated effectively, you really needed meds within 72 hours of the outbreak. At this point, you are probably going to have to tough it out for the next several weeks. I would still go to the doctor just to make sure it's not staph infection which is pretty common on the scalp/hairline area.

 

[monkeybug]

My mom was complaining of hip pain a few weeks ago. She is a nurse and assumed that she had bumped it on a gurney or something and bruised the bone. After a few days though the pain got worse, and she felt a bit more tired than usual too. One night in the shower she looked at the spot on her hip and noticed two little bumps that looked a little like bug bites. She knew immediately that it was shingles!
From our phone conversation I learned that shingles does not only occur around the abdomen like I had assumed, but can be any where on the body. My mom said that she had a patient who came in for nerve blocks? (I think that's what she said) because she had shingles on her scalp and the side of her neck and it was extremely painful. I don't know enough about it to know if that could be what you have, but thought I'd mention it just in case!
Hope you feel better!!!

 

[monkeybug]

Since they are on one side, I'm thinking "shingles."

If not shingles, you could have a staph infection in some of your hair follicles.

The one-sided thing, though, is very indicative of shingles. The behind your ear pain is most likely swollen glands. The numbness is nerve related. The pain radiating to your throat is also nerve related. Could very well be shingles. To be treated effectively, you really needed meds within 72 hours of the outbreak. At this point, you are probably going to have to tough it out for the next several weeks. I would still go to the doctor just to make sure it's not staph infection which is pretty common on the scalp/hairline area.

LOL! I was typing while you were posting and didn't see your post until after I hit reply! Sorry! I didn't mean to post almost exactly what you posted!

 

[Christine]

LOL! I was typing while you were posting and didn't see your post until after I hit reply! Sorry! I didn't mean to post almost exactly what you posted!

Well, I think it's good that the DIS medical community can agree on this diagnosis!!!

Seriously, I had some sort of outbreak on one side of my neck a few months ago. Lasted 3 weeks and was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. Took me over a week before it hit me that it might be shingles. I never went to the doctor because I had waited to long and it seemed not to be getting worse. It was GOD awful, though, and I still have a little scar. The skin all over that side of my neck hurt as well as my ear.

 

[daughtersrus]

Thanks for the replies. As we were sitting in traffic yesterday on our way home from the long weekend, the idea that it may be shingles popped into my head. Is there any way to test to see if this is what it is? Other than that, the only things that come up in my search are cancer and lupus.

 

[Christine]

Thanks for the replies. As we were sitting in traffic yesterday on our way home from the long weekend, the idea that it may be shingles popped into my head. Is there any way to test to see if this is what it is? Other than that, the only things that come up in my search are cancer and lupus.

No, I don't think they can test for it. A doctor who has seen enough shingles, though, will know it on site. Occasionally, if the shingles don't present in a normal manner, a doctor can be confused and misdiagnose it. Often if you are young, you will get misdiagnosed because often they think it only hits older people (not true).

I would get an exam done and maybe they can get you started on the anti-viral meds to keep it from getting worse.

 

[minkydog]

A doctor who has seen enough shingles, though, will know it on site. Occasionally, if the shingles don't present in a normal manner, a doctor can be confused and misdiagnose it. Often if you are young, you will get misdiagnosed because often they think it only hits older people (not true).

I would get an exam done and maybe they can get you started on the anti-viral meds to keep it from getting worse.

I concur. When DH had shingles he thought he just had a boo-boo on his back. I looked at it(I"m a nurse) and it didn't look like anything serious. However, when he woke up at 6am with pain and I looked at it again, it was clearly shingles--he had a whole line of them. If he had gone to the doctor the first day i doubt that his doctor would have made that diagnosis.

I say go back to the doctor since it hasn't cleared up. If it's shingles you will want an anti-viral. Shingles can be painful for a couple months and in some people lasts much longer.

 

[daughtersrus]

Well, I went back to immediate care last night last night and happened to see the same doctor that I saw last Thurs. She said that the bumps don't look like shingles. Only one or two are red and none of them are fluid filled. Because of the numbness and tingling, she sent me for a few X-rays of my neck and upper spine. The only thing that these showed was some arthritis in the neck but she said that was to be expected with my age. (I'm 45). She gave me the diagnosis of occipital neuralgia and said that the bumps that I'm feeling are probably unrelated. (she said that scalps are bumpy in nature and that I'm feeling bumps just because of the pain. I'm not so sure that I agree with her

She prescribed a muscle relaxer so that I can sleep at night and a steroid pack which I will fill today. I'm also going to call my DD's neurologist today and talk to the nurse. Maybe they can recommend another doctor for me to see.

 

[OceanAnnie]

If it were me, I would probably want a biopsy. I have a few friends that had cancerous cells on their heads removed (not to scare you to death). FWIW, I've been to a doctor for a skin concern and was told it was nothing. Went to another doctor, requested and got a biopsy. It was a basal cell cancer. Thank goodness I had that nagging feeling and followed through.

I hope it's nothing like that for you and it will resolve itself. But to me, better safe than sorry.

ETA- The hurting and tingling don't necessarily fall into a category such as cancer. But if you brushed or combed the area it could make it more sensitive.