hi everyone
Heres a new one for you, cuz it was for me ,finished RT 2weeks ago , since then my breast has been sore and then became infected and now the GP tells me i might have shingles[might? either i have or havent}.
So i am on anti bio for infection and now tabs for “shingles”. started tamoxifen just over a week ago.
Could this rash be SE of tamoxifen, cuz i thought it was side effect of anti bio.{GP says i have had these tabs before, so its not them}
Anyone else had similar?
yvonne xxxx
Shingles comes from a virus related to chickenpox so I don’t think it will have anything to do with the Tamoxifen. More likely to be that your body has taken a bit of a hammering and your immune system is not as robust as usual.
Hope it clears soon. I’ve had it about 6 times now over the years and its the pits!
Laurie x
My friend started on Wockhard tamoxifen and got a terrible rush all over her trunk, itchy, red and scaly. She is on antihistamines to cope with it, have suggested to her to try APS. Chicken pox is the varicella zoster virus which stays in your body dormant once you had it and can reappear as shingles in adulthood. Antibiotics can also cause reactions such as rushes! Sorry you are suffering like this at the moment, maybe you could discuss this with your GP again if it doesn’t respond to treatment to see if changing brands could help. X
Hiya laurie
You should be a GP, cuz i got more sense from your post , than the GP this morning LOL,
yvonne xx
Hiya tina
the rash is restricted to my left shoulder blade, also a little itchy. the soreness of my boob has maybe taken away the real pain of it. Iam wishing the days away, so i can be pain free.
up wards and onwards
yvonne xx
Hi Yvonne,
I’ve had shingles three times at stressful times in my life. It may be visible on your shoulder blade but it will be sending pain along a nerve pathway. My first bout started as a pain under my ribs and then next morning I found some itchy blisters on my back just under my bra band.
What you are describing does sound like shingles and you may find the rash spreading along a line and even appearing on your breast. The medication will stop it in its tracks. Try to get plenty of rest and eat well. Your immune system needs to be treated kindly just now.
All the best and hope you feel better soon.
Love,
Kathleen
hiya kathleen
it all starting to make sense now, it would seem its all linked to my immune system, over the last few weeks my appetite has been non existent, never had an appetite when going back and forth for RT,diet slowly getting back to normality.
have lost over a stone in 4 weeks, probably for all the wrong reasons.
Wonder if any other ladies have had this diet problem during RT.
thanks yvonne xx
I had shingles towards the end of my herceptin treatment. I was also on tamoxifen then. As others have said, I think it is all down to a depressed imune system.
Re “might be shingles”
The shingles rash is fairly distinctive in look (as it progresses) and also where it is (to do with the nerve affected) - so your GP can still be a good GP if they say it might be shingles - I expect they meant that it fitted the bill as a shingles rash, but they can’t do a definitive Yes or No.
Drug side effect rashes can be a lot more varied as they depend on how you, the patient react. Although some rashes are “typical” of drug s/e.
I expect your GP has used their experience and your rash looks more like a shingles rash than a drug side effect rash.
It’a an art, not just a science!
Hope the antivirals kick in quickly.
Hi Gardenparty,
As laurie say’s shingles comes from the chickenpox family of virus’s, before dx I had shingles 3 times throughout my lifetime from the first time when I was 16 up until about 8 years ago when I was 34 which was my last shingles attack, I found it raised its ugly head whenever I was stressed out or just plain tired out, I used to work nights and think I had become very run down. Shingles can also signify that you have low immune system which if you’ve been through chemo and rads and surgery you probably are very low immune wise, I would try to build that up with daily supplements like high strength vit c and d and also a good probiotic. I would not think it was tamoxifen that caused shingles as the virus that causes it is totally unrelated to tami, also as I seem to be quite susceptible to shingles I would of thought I would of had shingles if it was anything to do with tami which I have been on now for the past 5 months. I finished RT 4 weeks ago and my skin is tight sore, rashy and very itchy. Hope this helps.
Love and light
sarahlouise xxx
Hi GardenParty,
I finished rads 8 days ago. Also completely losy my appetite during treatment and it hasn’t returned yet. I make myself eat little and often but have still lost weight (not that that will do me any harm!).
Also find my breast quite itchy!
Lynda
hi all
went to see onc dr to day, he said i have not got shingles, i have SE of RT, which looks very much like singles, told to keep taking antio bio, also gave me cream called Flamazine for my very burnt boob.
iam 11 days after RT my appetite is slowly returning, tho its healthy , i know iam not eating enough.By the sound of it Lynda this is normal,
iam getting to like the word normal.
lol xxxx yvonne
yvonne
If your skin gets no better contact BCN