How long until shingles crust? I wanna work!

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So, after years of school, living through the NCLEX, and four days of butt-flattening classroom orientation, employee health diagnosed me with shingles on my very first day on the floor. There is a hospital policy that I cannot work until the lesions crust. I've done some searching but can't find this answer: What's the average amount of time between eruption and the vesicles crusting? I'm lucky that today is Friday, but I really really REALLY want to be back at work on Monday.

TIA,

Jen

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Very dependent on your individual health status. Best to ask your provider. Good luck and take care - hope you feel better soon.

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Specializes in gerontology.

about the 5 th day post-eruption. I don't believe they all erupt on the same day, however. The new antivirals can cut this time alot. I hope you are being treated.

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Specializes in Home Health, Nursing Education.

Where are the lesions at?

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Sorry about your luck, shingles can be very painful in addition to just irritating. Hopefully you are already on acylovir, famciclovir or valacyclovir, and the outbreak is minimal. If so, then healing should start quickly.

Hopefully you will not experience any ophthalmic involvement or disseminated zoster, which can be completely horrid.

Best wishes.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

As noted previously, I hope they started you on an antiviral already. They will probably want to see you before they let you back on the floor. The facility has a duty to protect the patients - and the other employees.

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So sorry! I had shingles last year and they were so painful!!!! Mine took about 2 weeks to really start clearing up and I was still sore for about a month :(

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They didn't start me on an anti-viral. I was seen in employee health, not by my PCP, so perhaps I need to give him a call. I am very lucky that the outbreak is not on my face. Just typing that has made me start itching at my cheeks. It is a circular patch about the size of a water glass on my lower right back. They did prescribe lidocaine patches for it, but even with that it's starting to ache again.

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They didn't start me on an anti-viral. I was seen in employee health, not by my PCP, so perhaps I need to give him a call. I am very lucky that the outbreak is not on my face. Just typing that has made me start itching at my cheeks. It is a circular patch about the size of a water glass on my lower right back. They did prescribe lidocaine patches for it, but even with that it's starting to ache again.

hmm seems odd, i would suggest seeing your PCP asap....

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

A round eruption? See your pcp .

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

hugs to you. my husband had shingles and it took about 2.5 weeks but it wasn't all at once. it was gradual. fortunately, he was started on antivirals when he went to our pcp. i haven't nagged him very often in almost 30 years, but i did then.

i know you're in a hurry to get back, but don't rush things. my husband's occurred over his summer break. about a week after summer class was to have begun, he received clearance to begin teaching his college students. about 1 month into the class, one student discovered she was six weeks pregnant. after a few very tense months, a healthy baby arrived.

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Specializes in LTC, Disease Management, smoking Cessati.

A round patch of painful rash, hmmmm see your PCP ASAP. Shingles usually runs along a line around one side of the body.....

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