Shingles PSA

[withm]

Yikes - I've joined the shingles club. This is the most painful thing I've ever experienced and I would not wish this on anyone. I'm on the appropriate medications but have a couple weeks of blisters and pain to get through.

There is a shingles vaccine out there and until recently it has been recommended only for people over 60. My Doctor said that it has been so successful that the CDC has recently lowered the age to 50.

Anyone who ever had chicken pox, whether as a child or an adult, harbors the dormant virus in their bodies forever. Then perhaps in times of stress, or exposure to chicken pox or shingles from a friend or family member, it awakens and socks you with the most unbearable pain and blisters that you can ever imagine.

And to add insult to injury, you can get shingles twice, or thrice, or more. Or its more virulent and rare derivative, Ramsey-Hunt syndrome which attacks your face and ears. My sister had that last year. Hence I was waiting to turn 60 in a few months so I could get the vaccine.

GET THE VACCINE. Yes, it is expensive, but some insurance plans may cover it. My Dr. said that Medicare does not cover it, so best to get it before you go on Medicare.

I'm quite sure that anyone you ask who has had shingles will agree that if there is a way to avoid it, to do so at any cost.

I have to wait to get the vaccine until I'm all cleared up but once that happens I will be running to the Dr. to get it.

GET THE SHINGLES VACCINE!

[Veronica]

I had shingles while I was touring Nova Scotia by bike in 2006. I went to a doctor in Canada when all I had was the really bad headache. A few days after the doctor visit the blisters appeared all over one side of my forehead. I had no idea what it was and just kept riding. My oldest sister kept insisting it was shingles every time I called her to check in. (She's such a worry wart; she wanted me to call her every day.) Of course geographically she was my emergency contact. :p I didn't think I had ever had chicken pox. None of my older siblings or my mom can recall me having them. I guess it was a mild case.

I never got any medicine for it. I just kept popping advil and riding my bike. Maybe those 60 - 80 mile days pulling a trailer scared them away. :rolleyes:

I didn't know for sure it was shingles until I went for my annual eye exam and I had some additional scarring on my corneas and my eye doctor asked if I had had shingles since my last visit.

I hope you have a quick recovery.

Veronica

[maillotpois]

My training partner got shingles a few weeks ago - in the groin area - and it sounded so dreadful that I got a prescription from my doctor and shelled out the $200 for the vaccine. I had chicken pox in my 20's and never realized there was any increase in risk because of that until my friend got it.

[Pax]

The year after my dad died my mom had the worst case I've ever seen. It's been two years and she still looks like her ribs are covered in burn scars.

I will be getting the shot as soon as possible.

[Blueberry]

So can you get the vaccine before 50? Or not? I've known that it was something I wanted to avoid - but didn't realize the vaccine was available (or that it had age recommendations).

Hope you feel better soon!

[maillotpois]

You can get it under 50 or 60, but you need a prescription in order to do so.

[zoom-zoom]

I had shingles 3-4 years ago, in my mid-30s. Started as a crazy tingle on my abdomen, then an insane itch...I had a cluster of blisters, but none actually ruptured. I self-diagnosed myself once the little pink spots started and got into the med-center. Doc confirmed my diagnosis and got me on Valtrex (herpes med) immediately. I think that greatly shortened and lessened the severity of my outbreak.

My brother had a similar outbreak that he never had diagnosed. Fortunately our immune systems seem to have been strong enough to avoid serious outbreak. A friend of mine had shingles on her face and has permanent scarring. It's scary, since it can lead to blindness if it develops in a person's eye.

My MIL's boyfriend had it during a skiing trip and spent a few days in the hospital.

Definitely something to vaccinate against, if possible. I like to think that maybe I am at less risk of a future outbreak, since I've already had it once.

[Blueberry]

Thanks, MP. I'll definitely add this to the questions to ask my doc at my annual list:)

[nscrbug]

I got the chicken pox last April (I was 43 at the time) and that was miserable enough. I've heard that shingles is 10x worse than chicken pox. My primary doc insisted that I didn't need to get the vaccine just yet, but after reading this...I think I'll encourage him to write me a script for it at my next visit.

[GLC1968]

My dad had it on his back and shoulders a few years ago and he said it was dreadful. Luckily he lives in FL so he could spend his days shirtless (he's retired). When he had to get dressed, he was miserable. What was weird is that my mom never developed it even though she didn't have chicken pox until she was 39.

I'm going to ask my doc about a prescription at my next appointment. I thought you had to be over 60 for the vaccine as well. Good to know!

[Catrin]

Thank you for posting this information! I am 51 now, and still remember quite well the agony of chicken pox at 12 years old, and the secondary infections I developed from it. Thankfully my insurance covers the vaccine 100% as long as it is at my PCP office, otherwise they require prior authorization. I am due for a couple of other tests so I've scheduled it for next Friday morning.

It can't be as painful as that horrible antibiotic they gave me to fend off infection after the dog bite :eek:

[Sky King]

Thanks for the info, I wasn't sure if I could get the vaccine since I have had bouts of shingles and herpes outbreaks since I had knee surgery at 19. In reading, I have learned that the surgery irritated the nerves in my knee and triggered the outbreak. I have five areas (knee, hip,nose,forehead and back) of problems and note that stress and too much Sun are often behind the outbreaks.

[withm]

Well certainly you'd need to discuss with your Dr. if you are a candidate for the vaccine; there are some contraindications. I am on an antiviral drug for the shingles, and a nerve pain blocker for the nerve pain. It works pretty well and yesterday I had no pain at all and really had to remind myself that I was "sick" and should be resting more.

But last night's dose wore off around 6am this morning and the pain was suddenly very intense, like a dagger stabbing me in the back straight through to my front. I'm still waiting for the ache to go away. I can see that I have to stay ahead of the pain with the drugs otherwise I will not be able to work.

Shingles is evil.

[divingbiker]

Sorry to hear you got this, Martha, and thanks for letting us know.

I called Kaiser, and they said there's a shortage of the vaccine, and besides I don't meet the age guideline (60), so I guess I have to hope the shingles don't get me for 5 more years.

It sounds miserable.

[ny biker]

Sadly for Edvald Boasson Hagen, this thread can now be declared "cycling-related."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boasson-hagen-out-of-norwegian-road-championships-tour-de-france-perhaps-endangered

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with shingles, and I think he is in his mid-50s.

[Catrin]

Sorry to hear you got this, Martha, and thanks for letting us know.

I called Kaiser, and they said there's a shortage of the vaccine, and besides I don't meet the age guideline (60), so I guess I have to hope the shingles don't get me for 5 more years.

It sounds miserable.

Is Kaiser your insurance company or the drug company? I guess guidelines have changed, and some insurance companies are covering it post-50... Perhaps you can check around?

[withm]

Sorry to hear you got this, Martha, and thanks for letting us know.

I called Kaiser, and they said there's a shortage of the vaccine, and besides I don't meet the age guideline (60), so I guess I have to hope the shingles don't get me for 5 more years.

It sounds miserable.

Oh it is indeed miserable. Kaiser needs to read the newspapers because the age guideline was dropped just recently to 50. I'll see if I can find a link.

[Biciclista]

I am going next week to get my shot. Thanks for the information!

[divingbiker]

Oh it is indeed miserable. Kaiser needs to read the newspapers because the age guideline was dropped just recently to 50. I'll see if I can find a link.

That would be great. Not sure how to navigate the bureaucracy of Kaiser to get to the right person who can change the age cutoff, but it might be worth a shot.

And Kaiser is Kaiser Permanente, my HMO. Overall it is great--I've had the same fantastic endocrinologist for almost 20 years, which doesn't happen often in HMOs.

[withm]

OK, here is the link from the FDA approving shingles vaccine at age 50:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm248390.htm

And here is a blurb from WebMd:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/news/20110324/fda-shingles-vaccine-ok-at-age-50-and-up

If the vaccine really does work as reported, and prevents a few cases of shingles, that's all the better. Those that never get the disease will not fully appreciate how lucky they are. But all you have to do is look at images of shingles on the internet and I expect you'll be convinced pretty quickly that not getting it is a good thing. (Fortunately my blisters do not look that bad - yet. Then again I get terrible poison ivy every year so I'm used to blistering.)

Of course you can't photograph the pain, and I can't begin to describe the stabbing pain that seems to go straight through your body like a dagger. The nerve blocking drugs help a lot, but there is still considerable sharp pain and generalized achiness. It is not likely I'll be on my bike in the next week or two.

The Harvard Family Medical guide raises some questions about the vaccine, mostly about the cost and logistics of obtaining it. This piece is also from 2007 so it's probably out of date.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/The-shingles-vaccine.shtml

I'd recommend doing your own research, talking with your Dr. about this. For myself though I'll be first in line to get the vaccine once my Dr. says I'm cleared up. Some websites suggest a few weeks after a shingles attack, but I found one that says to wait a year. Whatever - I'll do it.

Oh, and if you look at the shingles pix on the web... warning ... some are very gruesome, esp outbreaks on the face.

[Possegal]

The change from 60+ to 50+ occurred because the company did a study with over 22,000 people in it (half getting the vaccine) and showed that it was safe and effective in a patient population between the ages of 50-59. The approval initially was based on a study in people over 60. The way drug approvals work is, you only get approval for the patient population you studied. So the company had to do another study in order to get approval for the vaccine in patients between 50-59. It wasn't pressure from Merck but actual data that got them the change in the label to include younger patients.

The FDA website contains information about the approval of drug and biologic products that the public can read.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM249230.pdf

[starcloud]

When a relative came down with shingles, that inspired me to get tested to see if I had immunity to chicken pox. I found out that I didn't, even though there was another case in my household when I was a kid, and you can get CP from someone with an active case of shingles if you didn't have CP already. So I got the CP (varicella) vaccine. It takes two visits, since the shots have to be given 28 days apart.

So if you don't think you ever had CP or aren't sure, you might want to look into that. CP is worse for adults than kids usually, and if you can avoid CP, you should avoid shingles later on. The CDC's info on both vaccines is available here:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm

[Biciclista]

I just tried to find a doctor to give me a shingles shot that is covered by my insurance - the insurance gave me a list:
Doctor #1 (in my area) works in a nursing home.
Doctor #2 and #3 do not give shingles shots.
the local pharmacy does not play well with my insurance. (but they give shingles shots)
so back to calling the insurance company.. (sigh)

[withm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/health/12shingles.html

Article in todays New York Times about the shingles vaccine, and the difficulty in actually getting the vaccine, drug shortages, etc.

[new2ride]

OMG - shingles is by far the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. I continue to have post-herpectic neurolgia. My outbreak occurred Christmas of '09. It was across my back, along the bra line, under the insdie of my left arm going down towards my elbow and across my left breast. My doctor prescribed Valtrex, gave me some pain patches and Lyrica. I don't know if the Valtrex helped or not, my outbreak was very bad and I remember crying for three weeks.

My PCP states that the likelihood of getting shingles a second time is not that great. He also said that since I had the shingles I couldn't get the vaccine.

I see the advetising signs at Walgreens all the time offering the vaccine. I am so tempted to go in and get the vaccine. I don't care if I have to pay for it myself -- I don't ever want to experience that kind of pain again.

The post herpetic neurolgia (PHN) is bad, but no where near as bad as the shingles pain. The PHN seems to flare up when I'm under stress.

If you can avoid this horrible outbreak, do so by getting the vaccine.

[Bethany1]

I had shingles when I was 25. Didn't know it until I had a doc appt for something else and he said the rash was shingles and was surprised I hadn't come in 3 weeks earlier. I just felt flu sick for a couple of days and then had the lesions for about 3 weeks. I just figured the rash would go away and since I had been clearing the nasty weeds behind my house I thought they were bug bites.

I'm grateful it was a small outbreak and just stayed above my hips.

[withm]

I had shingles when I was 25. Didn't know it until I had a doc appt for something else and he said the rash was shingles and was surprised I hadn't come in 3 weeks earlier. I just felt flu sick for a couple of days and then had the lesions for about 3 weeks. I just figured the rash would go away and since I had been clearing the nasty weeds behind my house I thought they were bug bites.

I'm grateful it was a small outbreak and just stayed above my hips.

My first thought was I had a spider bite. Then when it grew, figured it was poison ivy, which I get pretty regularly. It didn't really look like PI, and was in a place that would be pretty difficult to get PI, not to mention that I had not done any gardening nor had I knowingly been near any PI recently. But when the nerve pain hit I knew something ain't right and went to the Dr. who readily diagnosed shingles. Now almost 4 weeks later, blisters are gone, but the nerve pain.... continues....

[Biciclista]

ah withm get well soon.
I'm getting my shot tomorrow. A coworker's mother just got Shingles and she is scared to death.. We are going together to get our shots!

[OakLeaf]

... the vaccine only has a 50-50 chance of working???

My dad had shingles and it was awful - I think he's still dealing with the pain, it's just dwarfed by the pain he has from other things right now. He's lucky that we were on vacation in Austria when it struck him and he was able to get great medical care to keep it from blinding him - even though changing his flight and going home early in that kind of pain can't have been much fun. But vaccines aren't without risk, and 50-50 just doesn't seem worth it to me.

[Biciclista]

what i read is if you get shingles after getting the shot it will be a much milder case. I'll hedge my bets!

[withm]

Anyone who has actually suffered through shingles would surely recommend getting the vaccine. It reduces the risk of getting the disease, reduces the severity if you do get it, and lessens the severity of the post herpetic neuralgia.

On the other hand, if you enjoy the sensation of ice picks periodically penetrating deep into large sections of your body, well then knock yourself out!

[itself]

Can shingles take a less severe form? For the last year, on and off, my right shoulder gets an outbreak. It's not painful, but feels like burning/electrical shocks. It seems worse at night for some reason.

Any insight would be nice...I hate going to doctors, mostly a waste of time I find..