Shingles--still painful years later

[audreyh1]

Going to get the shot next fall. I asked my doc about it back in October(I'm 59) and he recommended 60 at the earliest. Not sure if he just grabbed the number out of the air or what, but I decided to wait. I think he said the shot is good for 10 years. I remember my mother getting a light case in her early 80's. Hopefully I won't get an early case.

Well, 60 is what is "recommended" as it then covers you to 70 (after which there is too little benefit anyway apparently) but it is approved for younger ages now. It used to only be approved for 60 and older.

I know too many people who have gotten shingles before 60, so I am not willing to wait.

 

[audreyh1]

I had shingles in my mid-twenties. Fever and moderate discomfort were all the effects I had. I suppose it'd best take that prescription my doctor gave me the other week down to the pharmacy though. I've never had a shot at a pharmacy, so question: do they generally have a private room for such shots?

Yes - at least at Costco.

The pharmacist has to go through a careful procedure to prepare the dose and that was one reason DH was in the private room with him.

 

[golftrek]

OP here--to the person who has shingles now--some of the things I did that helped--

Prescription pain medication, but if I took a strong enough dose I was knocked out and could not drive

Pain Patch Lidoderm (expensive but it helps, I wore them every night for about a year)

Accupuncture helped but you should wait until the rash is completely healed

A Tens machine that allows you attach patches to the affected area and it gives you a mild electrical shock, sounds strange but it is soothing. Again, you should wait until the rash is healed to try this. I had to have a prescription to buy the machine but it was not very expensive.

Even to this day, if I sweat I am in terrible pain. Also twisting my body to play golf or exercise is painful. I cannot wear any type of clothing that is scratchy.

My doctor tells me other than pain medication there is nothing that can be done.

Jo Ann

 

[mickj]

Just had my first case of shingles at 38 years old.

Gabapentin for pain is what my doc prescribed.

Thankfully my case was fairly mild.

 

[Telly]

I was researching the Shingles shot a couple of weeks ago. I planned to get it the week after Thanksgiving... well that didn't happen. Still plan on getting it soon.

Have read a lot of wrong info on it on some websites.
The vaccine has to be kept at a minimum storage temperature of 5 degrees F before use. When mixed up, no more than 30 minutes can elapse before it is injected.
There is no conclusive data as to how long immunity lasts, if a repeat is needed, or at what intervals. No studies done on that. That may not be surprising, as a long study of people aged 60 and up over many years will have so many people having health problems of so many types (and death!) that I don't know if one can equalize-out all of the other effects over time.

The vaccine is called Zostavax, developed by Merck. Their website
https://www.merckvaccines.com/Products/Zostavax/Pages/home has a lot of info in the "Prescribing Information" pdf.

Wiki is also a good source - Zostavax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[oldtrig]

About five years ago I had something come up on the left side of my face that looked like the shingles. I went to the doc and he did not know what the heck it was. It was in my left ear and on the side of my face near my ear. It was quite painful and covered about a third of my left side of face. I still have scars in my ear from every what it was that cropped up on me. I hated to go out in public until it healed. The doc put me on pain pills and an antibiotic. It finally went away after about a month so it could have very well be a light case of the shingles. I thought also a spider might have bit me. I will never know for sure. I will think real hard about this shingle shot Monday and let everyone know if I made it through the shot Heck, I had the mumps at age 30 catching it from my son. That was another story and quite a disease to go through. oldtrig

 

[AllDone]

The shingles vaccine is covered under Medicare part D -- the drug coverage plan-- for people on Medicare. Coverage on private plans for those not yet on Medicare is variable and may have a high copay. Tricare covers the vaccine.

Guillain-Barré was associated with flu vaccine one year in the 1970s. However it is more commonly seen in association with viral illnesses. You are about 20 times more likely to get GB from the flu than from the flu vaccine. We often call any bad cold or diarrheal illness "the flu", but they really are not influenza. Influenza is a specific virus and it is a miserable experience when you do get the real thing. I had it when I was in college and I would not want to get it again, myself. A flu vaccine is a mighty good idea. Mine was free this year!

 

[travelover]

Well, 60 is what is "recommended" as it then covers you to 70 (after which there is too little benefit anyway apparently) but it is approved for younger ages now. It used to only be approved for 60 and older.

I know too many people who have gotten shingles before 60, so I am not willing to wait.

I got my shingles shot at age 59 years, 10 months. I practically got into a fist fight with the pharmacist, as he didn't want to give it to anyone under 60 - this after the FDA approved the younger age. As noted, it is apparently more effective for younger people.

 

[JakeBrake]

I'm on traditional Medicare with Megacorp medigap coverage through United Health Care. My medigap med coverage is through CVS Caremark. Well, around here, CVS does not give shingles shots (they do give flu and pneunomia shots). So DW and I had to go to a nearby Walgreens to get our shingles shots. We had to pay cash and were reimbursed by UHC.

 

[dm]

I'm am starting my third week now and still have the pain and rash. Im 56 so waiting till 60 would not have helped me. I'm hopping that I don't have long term effects.

 

[mn54]

I want to warn anyone who is thinking about getting this shot to think about side effects of such a shot. I know it is very rare but other things could happened. That was the case in one of good friends. He got the flu shot and shingles shot at the same time about 6 weeks ago. A few days later he starting feeling sick and had terrible pain in his back area. The next day he could not walk or move any part of his body. They flew him to a larger hospital because the doctors here knew very little about this disease. He has been in the hospital for almost four weeks since in and out of intensive care with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I had never heard of that disease until he came down with it. Nobody can say for sure what triggered it. It could have be caused by anything. The flu or any virus can trigger it. It is also very very rare .

Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect anybody. It can strike at any age and both sexes are equally prone to the disorder. The syndrome is rare, however, afflicting only about one person in 100,000. Usually Guillain-Barré occurs a few days or weeks after the patient has had symptoms of a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection. Occasionally surgery or !!vaccinations !! will trigger the syndrome.
After the first clinical manifestations of the disease, the symptoms can progress over the course of hours, days, or weeks. Most people reach the stage of greatest weakness within the first 2 weeks after symptoms appear, and by the third week of the illness 90 percent of all patients are at their weakest. He is in bad condition at this time. Not sure how long he will be in the hospital, the doctors cannot not say.
I had thought I would get the shingles shot myself until he got this. Now I worry something like this could happen to me. I feel good so why take a chance. Will the shingle shot work? Only a guess but they tell us it will. I probably will take the chance and get the shot next week though.
I know my neighbor who is age 68 just got over the shingles and he told me it was his worst nightmare. He was going to get the shot last year but it was going to cost him $250. He said now he would have paid $10,000 for the shot if it would have stopped the shingles. He has warned me and my wife so now its up to us to roll the dice. Old trig

I had the flu and the shingles vaccinations done at the same time. No problems afterwards, not even a sore arm. I am sorry to hear about your friend but I think it is rare to come down with GB syndrome after getting these vaccinations.

 

[Ronnieboy]

As a practicing pharmacist and zostavax immunizer here is what I know: the powdered vaccine is live and must be stored between -58 and +5 degrees. Once reconstituted it must be injected within 30 minutes. That is why there is a little wait before getting your shot. We don't mix it till you pay for it. The vaccine is kept in a separate freezer with only zostavax in it. The temp of the freezer (and fridge) is checked twice a day and logged as per protocol.

Current ACIP (advisory committee on immunization practices) recommendations are for age 60+ to get the vaccine (to go into a pharmacy and get without a prescription). In 2011 the FDA approved and allowed Merck to change the labeling to include ages 50-59 in the vaccinations but the ACIP has not followed suit due to the supply of vaccine being smaller than demand for 60+ years old. Just imagine what another decade of youngsters being added to the demand side of the equation.
This is why you tend to see discrepancy in pharmacies requesting rx if you are under 60. Typically pharmacy protocols are similar to ACIP guidelines and not FDA suggestions regarding vaccines. This will vary by state too. From personal experience supply has improved dramatically and we are able to get vaccine in a day or two vs weeks. I would not be surprised to see ACIP to follow suit in dropping the age suggestion. But either way you can get the vaccine at any time with a prescription from your doctor. They can call or fax it in.

At this time, it is a one time shot. There have been no studies as to how long the coverage will last. That will take time. If 50 year olds start getting the vaccine and there is an increase of shingles cases in 20 years maybe there will be a suggestion to get a 'booster' shot after 10-15 years? It is unknown at this point.

The vaccine protects about 55% from getting the rash and 63% from getting it in the eye (and if you still get a rash it is less severe). It decreases post herpatic pain by 67%.

If you were born before 1980 it is assumed you have been exposed to chicken pox, whether you remember or had little to no symptoms, you would want the vaccination.

I know that as soon as DW and I hit the big 5-0 we are getting our shots. Too many horror stories from patients I have already immunized (everyone knew someone who had had shingles or had already had them) and from this board

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks for your professional input, Ronnieboy. I intend to get one early next year, after the holidays

 

[dm]

How soon can I get the shot? I assume I need to be clear of my current outbreak. I don't want to go thru this again.

 

[Ronnieboy]

How soon can I get the shot? I assume I need to be clear of my current outbreak. I don't want to go thru this again.

General consensus is to wait till the rash has cleared and at least 48 hours after last antiviral medication has been taken (if your taking or have taken them).