My mother has a rash around her midsection.  It goes from her stomach around to her back all along her waist.  She is 77 and had shingles about 3 years ago.  It itches and is bumpy sort of like when she had hives before.  There are no blisters or liquid in them but they seem to have a definite bump in the middle of each one.  It started 4 days ago.  They range in size from a pencil eraser size to about an inch across.  She went to the doctor and he said he didnt know what it was and gave her a topical cream.  He said it didnt look like shingles.  It is just on her waist in about a 4 inch band from back to front going from the right side of her spine to the whole front across.
Hello. Thanks for writing to us at Chat Doctor Your description of the rash and its distribution does seem to suggest that it is Shingles; it is arranged in a stripe like pattern across one half of the body, with a sharp mid-line cut off. I would suggest that you visit a dermatologist for a confirmatory diagnosis. A dermatologist would be better able to confirm it or rule it out. Shingles may initially start either as red raised bumps or as raised patches and subsequently may develop fluid filled lesions. Therefore, absence of fluid filled lesions from the start doesn't rule out shingles. There is usually associated pain and burning sensation. If this is confirmed to be shingles on visual inspection, treatment would be with an oral antiviral e.g. acyclovir or val acyclovir. Associated pain also need to be managed appropriately because it is usually severe, specially in old age group. Treatment options for pain include Oral NSAIDs, Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, Antiepileptics like carbamzepine, gabapentin and pregabalin. First step would be to visit a dermatologist for a confirmatory diagnosisRegards