No. Does that look like shingles?
Kinda, maybe? And the symptoms could fit, depending.
But I’d trust your dermatologist over internet buds. 
(You might want to get that shingles vax at some point. I hear shingles sucks big time.)
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Looks like herpes to me. Shingles would affect a bigger area. Both could be activated by Rapamycin.
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Here’s hoping it’s a bug bite!
But it could be a Rapa rash due to the timing. But the itchiness is different from pre IOUs Rapa rashes. Is herpes itchy?
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Usually herpes is more tingling, burning, but could be also itching… usually you can sense tingling, burning, itching before you can see any skin changes. Herpes sores can be quite painful and tingly. They look like small blister filled with fluid… your pic looks really similar to herpes simplex. Shingles is hepres zoster virus, herpes family, so similar initial symptoms. Herpes zoster is more common elsewhere on the body, but can occur on hands and fingers as well. Since your picture looks like herpes (simplex or zoster) and you are taking rapamycin that can trigger both viruses I would have a doctor look at that and maybe prescribe you with antiviral therapy. Once I had herpes simplex on my skin and it started with a small lesion on my chin but a few days later my whole chin and upper lip and inside my nose was covered in herpes blisters and scabs. It was really painful and unpleasant experience. Now I know better and have aciclovir (herpes antiviral medication) always on hand…
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I tried something new with this dose. I took 1 mg of Metformin along with my GFJ a couple hours before my Rapa of 3 mg. I may have boosted the bioavailability up to @Agetron like multiples of 6X by doing that.
@Agetron Do you take your Metformin before your Rapa? That may be why you had 6-7X results. Just hypothetical of course. Metformin also inhibits the enzyme that GFJ does.
Unfortunately the spot is growing but the non localized itchiness is gone. It’s all localized now.
Seems to be spreading down the crease in my skin…
If it is a virus, do I need drugs to control it or will it go away with time? It’s about the size of a dime now.
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Saw a local GP. He thinks it’s a bacterial infection and allergy and has prescribed antibiotics and an allergy medicine. Probably Rapa caused. 
The antibiotics turned out to be topical.
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I don’t think you need systemic antibiotic treatment for that small skin lesion. Maybe antibiotic ointment. Doctor thinks it is allergic contact dermatitis? Could be… but since I see the the small blisters popped and it is starting to scab I myself would not go down that direction… I had allergic contact dermatitis before and usually blisters don’t pop and surrounding skin is usually red… I am certainly not a doctor and judging just from pictures is really not the way to do.
Herpes simplex is a common virus, I think 80% of us were exposed to it and carry it. It is dependent on immune system suppression, so it is easily triggered (even by stress or anything that weakens immunity). But then again if you ever had herpes simplex you know exactly how it feels. I now know when it is coming way ahead by a very distinct tingling sensation before it appears. (maybe you need reconsider dosing or time between doses as it might seem that your immune system is too suppressed if this is indeed rapamycin caused and not just allergic dermatitis…)
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Are you aware of any tickbite? If so, and if it is expanding, then I think of lyme disease.
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Chris - I have not taken Metformin for over a year. My gut doesn’t do well with it, so I stopped completely.
Instead, I have done Acarbose since November 2022 and no issues.
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With the caveat that this is only my understanding, if it’s one of the various herpes, yes, it will go away on its own eventually, but waiting for that might not be any fun at all, especially if it’s shingles, which is, I’m told, a nightmare of discomfort. (also, if it’s herpes, you’re contact-contagious, so be careful who you touch.)
I am not a doctor (though as I recall we have a few of them around, and maybe they’ll weigh in), so you should take anything I say with a huge grapefruit (heh), but I’m surprised that your doc didn’t even raise the possibility that it might be herpes, with the itching extending through the forearm (herpes travels along nerves) that you reported.
Anyway, herpes anti-viral meds are Rx, so your doc would need to be involved to get you the Rx.
Keep us posted?
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I took all the meds my doctor gave me as well as two topical creams. The itchiness is gone along with the swelling. It still looks ugly, but if I don’t think about it, I don’t notice it. Hopefully it goes away quickly.
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The rash has improved greatly. The anti inflammatory and anti allergy meds worked well. It is well on its way to healing. It appears it is not a bacterial infection as there is no pain or puss. I still have no clue what it is, but it probably involves an allergic reaction.
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The SPRINT trial finds that even people >75 can benefit from not just blood pressure control, but intensive BP control.
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Has someone else experienced an increase sensitivity to coffee? I could tolerate a couple of coffees in the morning, now if I drink one that is a tad too strong I can’t sleep and my heart rate stay elevate throughout the night.
It is me getting old or something to do with rapa?
If anything, I have felt the opposite. Coffee seems to be having less of an effect on me.
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Thank you for this: I started 4 days ago with 1 mg ( Pfizer) with some fat soja yoghurt and I got a disgusting and painful skin infection on my left buttocks , with skin around very low red too and with gland swollen on same side and some painful spots on leg skin on the same side ( without - touch wood- infection so far ) , will try as you suggest. still having diarrhoea and less appetite ( which I don’t mind) and bad sleep : waking up around each hour besides last night when I managed to sleep around 2 hours in a row each time) first days also had headache and soar throat but that seems to be gone🙏. I exercised once so far and still sore but that may be coincidence. Also my period seems to be delayed (6 days so far) - am 46 yr old female
Considering all this, I wonder whether I shouldn’t wait at least 2 weeks (if skin has cleared by then?) or until skin totally healed ? to take next 1 mg ? Thank you for any advice you may have 
Update :
After a 5 week break ( still tiny rash on my buttocks) , 2 days ago I took my second 1 mg of rapamune but later in day , with food and this time so far so good ( just some sleep issues and night sweats ) so I may continue next week 
my period never came though, let’s see the following weeks…
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I would wait for two weeks at least for the skin to heal… perhaps longer if it isn’t entirely healed. I used to get a rash under my fitbit whenever I took rapamycin. It would barely heal before the next dose and it then returned. I ended up stopping wearing the fitbit because of it, but people have suggested I might have benefited by disinfecting the fitbit strap.
You seem to be very sensitive to rapamycin from your reactions at 1mg. I’ve gone as high as 28 mg and never had any side effects like you have had.
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Thank you - i was wondering whether females may have more issues ( although from what I read on the blog it didn’t seem too). I just woke up and see I have a new outbreak next to the first one ( which is somewhat better but still pretty ugly 
) the capsules I bought are 1 mg so I cannot go lower. are you taking the Pfizer ones? Thanks so much
Bicep, Thanks for the D-ribose article. Have you used D-ribose with coffee? If so, how much and have you noticed any benefit? Thanks.
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