OT: Shingles

[tico brown]

Had it about 15 years ago and lasted about a month. Luckily it was only in my back and chest with the wierd feeling that if I touched my chest, I felt it in my back and vice versa. I was ok for first week and was told to stay away from everyone. Then… BOOM!!! Next three- four weeks were BULL with the worst “don’t make me laugh” pain I ever had. After that, it went away.

 

[Loyal_2RU]

I didn’t realize shingles vaccine had such severe side effects. Good to know.

Not severe. Mildly unpleasant for a few days!. It's nothing literally nothing compared to a full on case of shingles, which can result in both acute and chronic pain. Get the damn shot.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

Not severe. Mildly unpleasant for a few days!. It's nothing literally nothing compared to a full on case of shingles, which can result in both acute and chronic pain. Get the damn shot.

I wouldn't describe mine as mildly unpleasant. I couldn't move for an entire day and was in a lot of pain where they delivered the shot. Everyone has different experiences, my wife had none for either shot.

 

[Section124]

Similar to bac I never got chicken pox. In fact when my daughter was little and had JRA, I had to get the chicken pox shots so she could take Embrel. She outgrew it eventually. What a pain getting the shots because adult Dr.s don’t store it. Had to get it under the table from the pediatrician. Maybe things are different now with CVS and others giving shots.

 

[Loyal_2RU]

I'm ready to ask for Morphine

If I survive this, and get it again kill me.

So sorry. It is miserable but you can and will get through it. Work with your doctor and health care team. It can be mitigated at least somewhat.

I wouldn't describe mine as mildly unpleasant. I couldn't move for an entire day and was in a lot of pain where they delivered the shot. Everyone has different experiences, my wife had none for either shot.

I'm sorry you had such a rough experience. My point still stands. If you were sued and fined one thousand bucks, that's a real loss. But if you lose your house, that makes the thousand bucks feel like a mere inconvenience. I had a miserable day after my second shot. My sister had a miserable six months and still suffers from post herpetic neuralgia from her shingles. That's a lifetime of pain. Not comparable to an unpleasant day or two.

 

[SHUSource]

I've been playing with fire. A colleague got shingles a few years ago and she said it was the most painful thing she's ever experienced (and that was after four years at Rutgers and breast cancer in her early fifties). So I tried to get it in tandem with one of my COVID boosters a few years ago, but the tech at RiteAid said, "Oh, no, you don't want to do both if these at the same time." So I deferred the shingles vax and that was a few years ago. I'll do it this winter, I guess.

 

[Knight Shift]

I've been playing with fire. A colleague got shingles a few years ago and she said it was the most painful thing she's ever experienced (and that was after four years at Rutgers and breast cancer in her early fifties). So I tried to get it in tandem with one of my COVID boosters a few years ago, but the tech at RiteAid said, "Oh, no, you don't want to do both if these at the same time." So I deferred the shingles vax and that was a few years ago. I'll do it this winter, I guess.

Just no Haiku for you until 3 weeks after you second shot!

 

[29PAS]

I just checked my running log where I record all sorts of minutia. After the 1st shot (with a flu shot at the same time), I felt achy the next day, fine the next. After the 2nd, no side effects at all.

 

[SHUSource]

Just no Haiku for you until 3 weeks after you second shot!

I might get inoculated against the 5-7-7 format while I'm at it. I have an appointment with @Doctor Worm for a prescription.

 

[RC1991]

Gotta get the shot, anyone over 50. Had a mild case years ago and it wasn’t fun. Shingrix is so effective it knocked Mercks Zostavax out of business. Merck stopped making it

Zostavax was about 50% effective in preventing Shingles per the labeling. 2 doses of Shingrix is around 95% effective and 1 dose is still a bit over 80%. Definitely better than getting shingles.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

Had the two-shingle vax shots a few years ago. That second dose was rough. Yesterday morning I had the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine, administered in one sitting, one after the other, in the same arm. Was unpleasantly surprised at the lingering aftereffects: muscle aches, headache, fatigue, chills....

 

[Knight Shift]

Had the two-shingle vax shots a few years ago. That second dose was rough. Yesterday morning I had the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine, administered in one sitting, one after the other, in the same arm. Was unpleasantly surprised at the lingering aftereffects: muscle aches, headache, fatigue, chills....

Have had one flu shot in probably more than 25 years-got one during the pandemic.

 

[RU848789]

Have had one flu shot in probably more than 25 years-got one during the pandemic.

At our age one should get the influenza vaccine every year (especially the high dose version as immune systems of the elderly are not as robust as they are in the young), as it greatly reduces the severity of the flu, including greatly reducing the chances of hospitalization and death. It doesn't do that great a job of preventing infection, but that's not it's primary goal. The excerpt below is from the linked article below.

• Updated evidence linked vaccination to meaningful reductions in influenza-related hospitalization and mortality in adults, including approximately 29% to 66% effectiveness against death among older adults across seasons.
• A pragmatic Danish trial demonstrated high-dose quadrivalent inactivated vaccine superiority over standard-dose in older adults, yielding 43.6% relative effectiveness against influenza-related hospitalization.

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/...across-high-risk-groups-evidence-review-finds

 

[RU848789]

I have a brutal case of shingles. Has anybody here ever had it? How long does it last? I started my second script of Valtrax today. Any help is appreciated.

So sorry to hear about your misfortune with shingles. My mom had two terrible shingles outbreaks, experiencing debilitating pain for weeks (these were before Shingrix was on the market, although the old Merck vaccine still might have helped her have much less painful outbreaks), so shingles can and sometimes does strike twice and vaccination with Shingrix is the best defense for preventing a recurrence of the disease. Keep in mind, though, that people need to wait for any active case of shingles to be completely over before getting vaccinated.

For more details on the recurrence of shingles and why one should still get vaccinated after having a case of shingles, as well as a nice summary of other shingles vaccine benefits - including the fairly recent findings that this vaccine is associated with significant reduction in the incidence of dementia - see the excerpt below from the linked article below.

https://www.ncoa.org/article/can-you-get-shingles-if-you-have-already-had-it/

To prevent a second infection, it’s critical to get vaccinated. “Wait a minute,” you might be saying. “Do I need a shingles vaccine if I already had shingles?” The answer is yes. Even if you've had shingles before, getting vaccinated can help prevent future episodes.

“The two-dose shingles vaccine is hands-down the most effective way to reduce your risk of shingles and its recurrence,” said Dorothea Vafiadis, NCOA Senior Strategist for Healthy Aging. “By getting vaccinated, you reduce the likelihood that the virus will reactivate and cause another outbreak. If you are one of the unlucky few who does get a shingles recurrence, being vaccinated lowers your odds of experiencing long-term nerve pain and other complications.”

Shingrix is highly effective, with protection lasting for several years. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, Shingrix was 97% effective in preventing shingles in adults age 50 to 69 with healthy immune systems. In people age 70 and older, the vaccine was 91% effective.3

Beyond preventing shingles and shingles recurrence, the two-dose shingles vaccine may offer another surprising benefit: a lower risk of dementia. A 2026 Brown University study added to growing evidence that shingles vaccination may be associated with a reduced dementia risk. Researchers found that older adults who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine after entering a skilled nursing facility were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next four years than similar adults who were not vaccinated.4

A separate study found that people who received the shingles vaccine showed signs of slower biological aging than those who were not vaccinated.5

Recently, the shingles vaccine was also linked with a significantly lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

[RU848789]

I've had Shingles 3 times. In my 20's, 40's and 50's. Always on the right side up by my shoulder. Every now and then I get a sensation of a back stabbing for a couple of seconds. Each time I had shingles it lasted around 2 weeks. Since I knew what it was after the 1 st case, I called my doctor and was put on a script right away and it pretty much slowed it down. Never got the Vax since I figure my body has already had the little f*cker bug 3 times.

Wow, that sucks and is pretty unusual. Might you be immunocompromised? The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for those over 19 who are immunocompromised, especially since those folks are more likely to get shingles multiple times. I'm thinking 1-2 days of flu-like symptoms from the vaccine is worth preventing multiple weeks of pretty serious pain - I would think your doc would strongly recommend that.

As I'm sure you found out, the antivirals can lessen the pain and rashes from shingles (in some cases, not all). About 9 years ago, I noticed a very small discoloration on my cheek and knowing that might be shingles (from talking to my mom who had it badly a few times), I saw my dermatologist within an hour of discovering it and she put me on Valtrex (valocyclivir) immediately and the rash never got any worse and I had no pain, luckily. Shingrix had just come out around then, so I got it soon after that episode. I had flu-like symptoms for about 24-36 hours, which kept me at home for a day (a Saturday, so I didn't miss work).

https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html

 

[MangoCat]

Growing up, I missed most of the childhood diseases. When I was 16 years old, my mother developed a rough case of shingles. I got chickenpox then. Not pretty ay our house. It is contagious.

 

[RU848789]

What was the result of your Varicella Zoster IgG Antibody Test? It's not routinely tested, so how would you know? As I said, it's entirely possible for a person to have had chicken pox and have a subclinical or mild presentation, meaning little no noticeable symptoms of contracting the virus. Lastly, saying because you never had chicken pox means you are probably immune to the virus is based on what? You can still get it and/or shingles if you were exposed to the virus at any time of your life.

You should know from previous medical/vaccine discussions that bac thinks his "research" deep in the dark recesses of the internet is more relevant than your years of medical training and experience and the accumulated medical wisdom from clinical trials and post-clinical observational studies.

While it's theoretically possible that someone over 50 truly never had chicken pox (this would be someone who was a child decades before any chicken pox vaccine was available), the serological test for varicella zoster antibodies is subject to common false negatives, which is why the CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for anyone over 50, even if one doesn't recall having full blown chicken pox - as you noted, there can be mild or asymptomatic cases that are still infections which could lead to shingles much later in life. The CDC excerpt and link are below.

https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html

For patients who don't report a prior episode of varicella​

When vaccinating immunocompetent adults aged 50 years and older, there is no need to screen for a history of varicella or to conduct laboratory testing for serologic evidence of prior varicella. More than 99% of adults aged 50 years and older worldwide have been exposed to varicella-zoster virus; and the ACIP considers people born in the United States prior to 1980 immune to varicella.

Therefore, even if a person does not recall having chickenpox, serologic testing for varicella immunity is not recommended. It is often a barrier to herpes zoster vaccination, and false negatives are common. However, if serologic evidence of varicella susceptibility becomes available to the healthcare provider, providers should follow ACIP guidelines for varicella vaccination. Shingrix has not been evaluated in persons who are seronegative to varicella, and it is not indicated for the prevention of varicella.

 

[Knight Shift]

At our age one should get the influenza vaccine every year (especially the high dose version as immune systems of the elderly are not as robust as they are in the young), as it greatly reduces the severity of the flu, including greatly reducing the chances of hospitalization and death. It doesn't do that great a job of preventing infection, but that's not it's primary goal. The excerpt below is from the linked article below.

• Updated evidence linked vaccination to meaningful reductions in influenza-related hospitalization and mortality in adults, including approximately 29% to 66% effectiveness against death among older adults across seasons.
• A pragmatic Danish trial demonstrated high-dose quadrivalent inactivated vaccine superiority over standard-dose in older adults, yielding 43.6% relative effectiveness against influenza-related hospitalization.

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/...across-high-risk-groups-evidence-review-finds

What are your thoughts on the mRNA version of the flu vaccine? Have seen conflicting reports, but seems mRNA may have better efficacy than traditional flu vaccine?
And you are "older" than me!

 

[RU848789]

Tips from Dr Dray (dermatologist)

Shingles is contagious
Shingles can get to your eyes and be mindful of any rash near nose because its eye region

4:48 in:

Good video, but just to clarify, active shingles infections with blisters that contain the varicella zoster virus (which causes chicken pox in children, mostly, and then remains dormant in one's nerves for decades and eventually reactivates and becomes shingles), can be contagious with respect to the virus causing chicken pox in those who have never had chicken pox, but the shingles infection CANNOT cause shingles in another person.

https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html

 

[Knight Shift]

So sorry to hear about your misfortune with shingles. My mom had two terrible shingles outbreaks, experiencing debilitating pain for weeks (these were before Shingrix was on the market, although the old Merck vaccine still might have helped her have much less painful outbreaks), so shingles can and sometimes does strike twice and vaccination with Shingrix is the best defense for preventing a recurrence of the disease. Keep in mind, though, that people need to wait for any active case of shingles to be completely over before getting vaccinated.

For more details on the recurrence of shingles and why one should still get vaccinated after having a case of shingles, as well as a nice summary of other shingles vaccine benefits - including the fairly recent findings that this vaccine is associated with significant reduction in the incidence of dementia - see the excerpt below from the linked article below.

https://www.ncoa.org/article/can-you-get-shingles-if-you-have-already-had-it/

To prevent a second infection, it’s critical to get vaccinated. “Wait a minute,” you might be saying. “Do I need a shingles vaccine if I already had shingles?” The answer is yes. Even if you've had shingles before, getting vaccinated can help prevent future episodes.

“The two-dose shingles vaccine is hands-down the most effective way to reduce your risk of shingles and its recurrence,” said Dorothea Vafiadis, NCOA Senior Strategist for Healthy Aging. “By getting vaccinated, you reduce the likelihood that the virus will reactivate and cause another outbreak. If you are one of the unlucky few who does get a shingles recurrence, being vaccinated lowers your odds of experiencing long-term nerve pain and other complications.”

Shingrix is highly effective, with protection lasting for several years. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, Shingrix was 97% effective in preventing shingles in adults age 50 to 69 with healthy immune systems. In people age 70 and older, the vaccine was 91% effective.3

Beyond preventing shingles and shingles recurrence, the two-dose shingles vaccine may offer another surprising benefit: a lower risk of dementia. A 2026 Brown University study added to growing evidence that shingles vaccination may be associated with a reduced dementia risk. Researchers found that older adults who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine after entering a skilled nursing facility were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next four years than similar adults who were not vaccinated.4

A separate study found that people who received the shingles vaccine showed signs of slower biological aging than those who were not vaccinated.5

Recently, the shingles vaccine was also linked with a significantly lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

Have seen different information on when the Shingrix vaccine "expires". Is it 10 years?

 

[RU848789]

What are your thoughts on the mRNA version of the flu vaccine? Have seen conflicting reports, but seems mRNA may have better efficacy than traditional flu vaccine?
And you are "older" than me!

The mRNA flu vaccine offers about a 27% reduction in infection vs. the standard flu vaccine in those over 50, but the clinical trial didn't compare the mRNA vaccine vs. the 4X higher dose flu vaccine for those over 65, so we don't know how that compares. I just got the high dose since I'm almost 65 and slightly older than you. The mRNA vaccine also has a significantly greater rate of mild to moderate (but not serious) side effects such as pain, chills and mild fever.

The potentially big advantage of the mRNA platform is its speed of development, as it only requires about 2 months from identifying the mRNA sequence to be used to having vaccines available, while standard inactivated/killed virus technology (in use for 80 years now) requires ~6 months from selection of flu strains (from the southern hemisphere's flu season) to vaccines on shelves. There may be years where that shorter lead time could lead to a much more effective mRNA vaccine if the influenza virus mutates significantly from about March to August, which has happened in the past, leading to a fairly ineffective standard flu vaccine.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/how-the-mrna-flu-vaccine-compares-to-traditional-shots

 

[RU848789]

Have seen different information on when the Shingrix vaccine "expires". Is it 10 years?

It's not actually "known" yet as it's only been on the market for about 10 years, although people from the clinical trials still have good efficacy 11 years later. The fact that the CDC and other experts out there don't recommend any Shingrix "booster" (boosters aren't available or approved) implies that they believe efficacy will extend well past 11 years or else there would be a strong movement towards developing a booster strategy.

https://www.ncoa.org/article/how-long-does-the-shingles-vaccine-last/

 

[RU848789]

And if folks are reading this thread and have young children (or will have them soon), please get them the MMR vaccine. We're up over 4000 cases in 2026 (with over 1000 in PA), the highest amount in over 35 years and about 10% of those cases have resulted in hospitalizations and there have been 6 measles associated deaths (it's typically 1-2 deaths per 1000 cases).

Over 95% of the measles infections have been in unvaccinated people (mostly children), as vaccination rates have dropped well below the herd immunity level vaccination rate (~95%) required to protect those who cannot get vaccinated (children under 1 year old and certain immunocompromised people). If I had a child under 1 year old these days, I might not let that kid out in public in any area that has active measles outbreaks. The MMR vaccine is extraordinarily safe and effective in preventing measles (and mumps/rubella) infections (and there is zero real date linking vaccines to autism).

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/pennsylvania-leading-way-us-measles-cases-top-4000

 

[rureadyforsomefootball]

Wow, that sucks and is pretty unusual. Might you be immunocompromised? The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for those over 19 who are immunocompromised, especially since those folks are more likely to get shingles multiple times. I'm thinking 1-2 days of flu-like symptoms from the vaccine is worth preventing multiple weeks of pretty serious pain - I would think your doc would strongly recommend that.

As I'm sure you found out, the antivirals can lessen the pain and rashes from shingles (in some cases, not all). About 9 years ago, I noticed a very small discoloration on my cheek and knowing that might be shingles (from talking to my mom who had it badly a few times), I saw my dermatologist within an hour of discovering it and she put me on Valtrex (valocyclivir) immediately and the rash never got any worse and I had no pain, luckily. Shingrix had just come out around then, so I got it soon after that episode. I had flu-like symptoms for about 24-36 hours, which kept me at home for a day (a Saturday, so I didn't miss work).

https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html

I'm 71 now and haven't had it in close to 20 years and yes, my Doctor suggest every visit I get that vax along with the flu shots. I had bad reactions to both Covid 19 shots back 2021, I had a severe burning sensation around my heart and swore never again on any vax. Right or wrong, just my personnel feelings. I got Covid 19 twice anyway so I never thought they were a true vaccine. PS. as a child I got the German Measles, I remember being told to wear sunglasses not sure why, Chicken Pox and the Mumps. Yeah I was a mess, lol.

 

[RUinBoston]

I finished my 2 part vaccine this summer. It freakin' sucked, especially the second shot.

Yup. Two days of misery for each shot.

 

[Knight Shift]

I'm 71 now and haven't had it in close to 20 years and yes, my Doctor suggest every visit I get that vax along with the flu shots. I had bad reactions to both Covid 19 shots back 2021, I had a severe burning sensation around my heart and swore never again on any vax. Right or wrong, just my personnel feelings. I got Covid 19 twice anyway so I never thought they were a true vaccine. PS. as a child I got the German Measles, I remember being told to wear sunglasses not sure why, Chicken Pox and the Mumps. Yeah I was a mess, lol.

These decisions are often very personal, based on experience to previous vaccinations and disease.

 

[Jtung230]

I'm 71 now and haven't had it in close to 20 years and yes, my Doctor suggest every visit I get that vax along with the flu shots. I had bad reactions to both Covid 19 shots back 2021, I had a severe burning sensation around my heart and swore never again on any vax. Right or wrong, just my personnel feelings. I got Covid 19 twice anyway so I never thought they were a true vaccine. PS. as a child I got the German Measles, I remember being told to wear sunglasses not sure why, Chicken Pox and the Mumps. Yeah I was a mess, lol.

You are really testing the TKR jinx.

 

[rureadyforsomefootball]

These decisions are often very personal, based on experience to previous vaccinations and disease.

100%. It's based solely on my experiences, not politics. My wife and I drove over an hour away to Burlington County because everything I read said Pfizer was the better option, so we were both all in until the reactions and how it didn't stop us getting Covid. Being around young Grandkids was the main reason we got the shots, never again. Even when picking up regular meds at our Pharmacy, We're asked about the latest Covid and Flu shots, and I just put up my hand and he knows, stop, please stop.

 

[fg7321]

Got both shots about 2 years ago. Was not that bad a response.

I have gotten every covid shot each year and always get a flu shot.

Recently I had to get my Tetanus shot booster and got a RSV shot as well as my covid and High dose flu shot . Two in each arm . The next day was rough slept quite a bit,

BTW I still have not had covid.

 

[Rhuarc]

What were the side effects, just pain?

It was similar to having full blown Covid, body ache, lethargy, tired. About 2 full days of it and then all of a sudden, wham all they symptoms were gone.

Get it on a Friday afternoon if you don't want to miss work.

 

[MulletCork]

Have had one flu shot in probably more than 25 years-got one during the pandemic.

Same. Just turned 50. Doctor offered me it one day with my tetanus shot many years ago and I said sure. Realized later he was just pushy. Taken one sick day in 28 years of work post college.

 

[Letitrip]

Got the vaccine last December. First shot was a bit uncomfortable. Second shot was fine. Got a very light case of shingles two weeks ago. Six or seven bumps. Not pain. Lasted about three days. Get the vaccine.

 

[RAC’emUp]

I didn’t realize shingles vaccine had such severe side effects. Good to know.

Just got both mine. No side effect at all.

 

[Knight Shift]

Getting any vaccine should be a personal decision and a shared decision with one's medical doctor. It should be be based on "just do it" because someone else got it with no side effects. Particular patients may have issues with particular drugs/vaccines. And trust, but verify. Many years ago, was doing work on generics seeking approval of COX-2 inhibitors for pain. Studying the data, there were signals that COX-2 inhibitors showed an increased incidence of heart attacks. When dealing with a pain issue, my doctor prescribed Vioxx. I passed, and he prescribed Celebrex-another COX-2 inhibitor. Vioxx was pulled from the market. Celebrex was never pulled. I never filled the prescription for Celebrex and found a new doctor.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bryce Nickels, a professor of Genetics at Rutgers, provides this example of how drug approvals can occur, when perhaps they should not have been approved, or should have been pulled from the market. The drug was pulled from the market in Europe.

Tavneos | European Medicines Agency (EMA)

The marketing authorisation of Tavneos was revoked by the Commission Implementing Decision of 4 August 2026.

www.ema.europa.eu

This is not an attempt to throw shade at Shingrix. I got the 2 dose vaccine, but it was painful. Will I get a "booster" if one is needed? I don't know. Trust, but verify.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Getting any vaccine should be a personal decision and a shared decision with one's medical doctor. It should be be based on "just do it" because someone else got it with no side effects. Particular patients may have issues with particular drugs/vaccines. And trust, but verify. Many years ago, was doing work on generics seeking approval of COX-2 inhibitors for pain. Studying the data, there were signals that COX-2 inhibitors showed an increased incidence of heart attacks. When dealing with a pain issue, my doctor prescribed Vioxx. I passed, and he prescribed Celebrex-another COX-2 inhibitor. Vioxx was pulled from the market. Celebrex was never pulled. I never filled the prescription for Celebrex and found a new doctor.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bryce Nickels, a professor of Genetics at Rutgers, provides this example of how drug approvals can occur, when perhaps they should not have been approved, or should have been pulled from the market. The drug was pulled from the market in Europe.

Tavneos | European Medicines Agency (EMA)

The marketing authorisation of Tavneos was revoked by the Commission Implementing Decision of 4 August 2026.

www.ema.europa.eu

This is not an attempt to throw shade at Shingrix. I got the 2 dose vaccine, but it was painful. Will I get a "booster" if one is needed? I don't know. Trust, but verify.

What Merck did with Vioxx was the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the pharma industry.

As for Shingrix. Not complicated, get the vax when appropriate. And vax your kids for varicella, so they never have to worry about shingles!