Shingles

[Tenngal]

I am in the second week of having shingles.

It is so bad that I wanted to warn everyone and encourage you to get the vaccine.

Back at work today with lingering pain and healing breakouts...………….

[Teacher Terry]

My husband had them near his eye and it left scars. I am very allergic to one of the ingredients or I would definitely get it.

[sweetana3]

There were long waiting lists for the shots at most Krogers. But our downtown store had no waiting list. Must have been due to the demographic of the population shopping there. All young, urban professionals or college students. The backlogged Krogers were much more suburban.

[iris lilies]

Oh OP, so sorry to hear this!

[Rogar]

I had both shots fairly recently. I was on a waiting list for the first one for five or six months and then I was given priority for the second, so not so long. I had some adverse effects both times. Probably an easy description would be mild flu like symptoms for two or three days. If I were still working I might have called in a day. From what I could find out the reactions to the vaccine are more likely to cause some sort of similar effect than other common vaccines. I actually found a forum about this and the common comment was, what ever it is, it's better than getting shingles.

[bae]

I run into patients here with shingles all the time. You really really don't want it.

[beckyliz]

My annual physical is next month and now that I'm 60, insurance will cover the vaccine. It's on my list to take care of at my appointment.

[lmerullo]

I never had the chicken pox, nor the vaccine. Both of my kids got chicken pox as kids and of course I nursed them through it. Hubs had the shingles in his eye, and Dr. Kind of freaked out - too close to the brain.

Hubs should get the shot, but my doc says no for me.

[Yppej]

I had the one shot type last year and my first ever reaction to a vaccine. Apparently the two shot type is more effective but no one at my doctor's office told me this until after the fact so I just went for the one to miss less time off work. Caveat emptor.

[JaneV2.0]

I never had the chicken pox, nor the vaccine. Both of my kids got chicken pox as kids and of course I nursed them through it. Hubs had the shingles in his eye, and Dr. Kind of freaked out - too close to the brain.

Hubs should get the shot, but my doc says no for me.

I'm glad to hear that. Like you, I've been exposed to chicken pox, but have never had it, and I don't plan to be immunized.

[rosarugosa]

Tenngal: Thanks for the warning and I hope you are all better soon. I went for the Shingrix vaccinations last year with my mom, but I am concerned that my DH and Sis haven't had the vaccines yet. I will continue to gently remind them (nag nag nag).

[dado potato]

Recently an acquaintance drove here, pulling a camper trailer. He was suffering from shingles... blinding headaches and muscle pains. I would say he was heavily medicated, but he had doubts about his ability to drive his rig home. I have not heard anything, but I hope he made it all right.

[catherine]

1. Shingles is extremely painful and can lead to lifelong consequences (post-herpetic neuralgia)
2. Shingrix is very effective at reducing risk

I don't get flu shots but I would consider the shingles shot.

[Tenngal]

I had severe pain and some red marks on my neck for a couple of days before blisters appeared.

At that point I went to the Dr. and started on Valtrex, an anti-viral med.

OTC meds for pain...……..and they did not take care of it.

[oldhat]

I got the first shot yesterday. I had a bit of difficulty finding a pharma that had the vaccine on hand, after several attempts recently.

Back for the second shot in two months.

Tenngal, hope you are feeling better soon.

[jp1]

I did the two shingrix shots last tear. Both times i had a fever for about 24 hours which is apparently normal for people with a healthy immune system. Having known people who’ve had shingles i definitely don’t want to get it.

[Alan]

You guys have convinced us, I'm waiting now for my wife to get home from school so we can run off to the pharmacy for the first shingles shot. We had a hard time finding one but the Sam's Club pharmacy got a new supply today and we were able to get our names on the list as long as we get there today.

[Tradd]

Shingles sucks.

[Gardnr]

I know a woman with shingles in 1 eye. HOLE in her cornea. It is slowly healing and now her Dr thinks it may heal completely. She's been eye-patched for nearly 2 months now.

I will most definitely get the vaccine.

[catherine]

It's interesting, because in my market research, there were some doctors who deprioritized getting the shingles vaccine, but there were other doctors who said it was more urgent to get shingles than both flu and pneumonia vaccines. Those were the doctors who had actually had gotten shingles themselves.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I never had chickenpox (nor been vaccinated for it) and this has been confirmed, so I think shingles is not possible, but I could get chickenpox. Is it the same vaccine? And worthwhile in that case?

[rosarugosa]

DH finally got his first Shingrix shot. For some reason, Costco has consistently had supply issues, but we went to Stop & Shop, where the pharmacist says they haven't had supply issues at all.

[Tammy]

You can get the chicken pox if exposed to someone who has shingles. So if you’ve had neither, I would recommend getting the chicken pox vaccine ... but I’m not sure if they give it to adults.

[Tammy]

Web MD says yes - adults should get chicken pox vaccine if they’ve never had it.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I am always confused about this. IF a person has never had chicken pox then they will not get shingles. Is that correct? My mother and my MIL both had shingles just above their eyes and I know it was horrible. But, I didn't have chicken pox as a child and in my 20's I had an itchy rash for a few days but never knew what that was. So I can't say with 100% surety that I have never had chicken pox as an adult. Is there anyway to know this? Like a test or something?

[catherine]

I am always confused about this. IF a person has never had chicken pox then they will not get shingles. Is that correct? My mother and my MIL both had shingles just above their eyes and I know it was horrible. But, I didn't have chicken pox as a child and in my 20's I had an itchy rash for a few days but never knew what that was. So I can't say with 100% surety that I have never had chicken pox as an adult. Is there anyway to know this? Like a test or something?

Yes, that's right. If you have chicken pox, the virus never really goes away. The varicella virus is "in hiding" in your body your whole life, and then as you get older and your natural immunity starts to wane, the varicella virus can come out of hiding. (Younger people can get it, too--sometimes stressed out college students get shingles, for instance). You can get a varicella test to see if you are vulnerable (i.e., have had chicken pox etc.). I honestly know nothing about that test, but I'm sure you can google it.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Yes, that's right. If you have chicken pox, the virus never really goes away. The varicella virus is "in hiding" in your body your whole life, and then as you get older and your natural immunity starts to wane, the varicella virus can come out of hiding. (Younger people can get it, too--sometimes stressed out college students get shingles, for instance). You can get a varicella test to see if you are vulnerable (i.e., have had chicken pox etc.). I honestly know nothing about that test, but I'm sure you can google it.

Thanks. I will check it out.

[San Onofre Guy]

I had shot one last week and had a reaction, not fun but better than shingles

[Alan]

I had shot one last week and had a reaction, not fun but better than shinglesI had the first one 10 days ago and was expecting a reaction but luckily none appeared. That makes me much more likely to have the 2nd in January.

[oldhat]

I had a mild reaction about 24 hours after getting the first shingles shot. Some night chills and perhaps a slight fever. Certainly preferable to getting shingles. I will definitely get the second shot.

[Teacher Terry]

My sister got this huge bright red rash on half her face after getting the shot. My guess is that she is allergic to neomycin like I am. Of course the doctor said it was a coincidence.

[frugal-one]

I had a mild reaction about 24 hours after getting the first shingles shot. Some night chills and perhaps a slight fever. Certainly preferable to getting shingles. I will definitely get the second shot.


I heard the shot is only 50% effective???

[jp1]

For people under 70 the shingrix vaccine is supposedly 97% effective. 91% for people older than that, according to the CDC.

[rosarugosa]

I heard the shot is only 50% effective???

Frugal-one: I believe that was the old shingles vaccine, and that is why people are being encouraged to get the new one even if they had the old one already. The new one is far more effective.

[Tybee]

So is neomycin in the shingrex shot?

I have had big allergic reactions to Erythromycin (sp?). Does that mean the shingrex shot might be risky?

[Teacher Terry]

Tybee, yes neomycin is in it.

[frugal-one]

Tybee, yes neomycin is in it.

I hear talk that we are overdoing antibiotics and this is causing a problem with superbugs. Wonder how neomycin plays into this? Wonder also how this will affect one's gut flora? Something to research?

[Teacher Terry]

I had a bad reaction to it at 18. I now am allergic to 2 other antibiotics.

[Tradd]

At Walmart now to get flu shot. I inquired about shingles shot cost. Turns out NO copay at all. I have a traditional PPO. They have a waiting list but due to me telling pharmacist I had shingles last year, she gave it to me today.

[Tradd]

My annual physical is next month and now that I'm 60, insurance will cover the vaccine. It's on my list to take care of at my appointment.

Your insurance hasn’t caught up with the new vaccine! The old one was for 60 and over. The new one is 50 and over.

[Tradd]

1. Shingles is extremely painful and can lead to lifelong consequences (post-herpetic neuralgia)
2. Shingrix is very effective at reducing risk

I don't get flu shots but I would consider the shingles shot.

Consider the shingles shot? There is no consider. There is only getting. It’s painful as hell. I had considerable muscle weakness in my left leg. I was unable to lift it to get into my car. I had to pick it up! Took 10 sessions of PT and working out on my own to get my strength back. I now know what to wish on my worst enemy. I still have a lack of feeling on the inside of my left knee (when I touch the skin).

[catherine]

Frugal-one: I believe that was the old shingles vaccine, and that is why people are being encouraged to get the new one even if they had the old one already. The new one is far more effective.

That is correct--the new one is 90%+ effective

[Teacher Terry]

I really wish I could get it. My husband had shingles and it isn’t fun.

[Tradd]

I really wish I could get it. My husband had shingles and it isn’t fun.

I know a number of people who know what I went through, watched me hobbling about, ordering groceries online for delivery because I couldn’t even handle walking through a small Aldi store. They had chicken pox as a kid, have no allergy, other health conditions that make them unable to get the shot. No financial constraints either. They just refuse to get the shots. Mind you, these people get flu shots, yet refuse to get the shingles one. I tell them I will delight in telling them “I told you so” if they get shingles.

[Teacher Terry]

It was near my husband’s eye so he had to see a specialist. He has scars. I don’t get flu shots. I don’t remember but must have had chicken pox or I would have gotten it when my kids did. One of my kids had it twice.

[Tradd]

Got the shot in my upper left arm (I’m right handed). Still kind of sore.

[Tenngal]

5 weeks out from the onset.

The electric jolting pains are finally gone.

80% of rash is gone but I still have itching episodes.

This may be nerve damage?

I will get the shot in 6 months.

[Tradd]

5 weeks out from the onset.

The electric jolting pains are finally gone.

80% of rash is gone but I still have itching episodes.

This may be nerve damage?

I will get the shot in 6 months.

Yep. Nerve damage.

Did your doc say to get the shot in 6 mos? Mine said a year.

[Tenngal]

Yep. Nerve damage.

Did your doc say to get the shot in 6 mos? Mine said a year.

He said check back in 6 months.

[beckyliz]

Got the shot in my upper left arm (I’m right handed). Still kind of sore.

Got my first 1 of 2 this morning. Doctor said this is one vaccination that a lot of people have a reaction to. Usually sore arm for 2-3 days. Not unusual to feel crappy the next day. Said to take a couple of Tylenol. So far, I'm ok. I'll try not to sleep on my right side this evening (I'm a lefty).

[Tradd]

My arm is feeling much better today. I often sleep on my left side.

[rosarugosa]

I didn't have any reaction and neither did DH, so it's definitely not universal.