Just to add to what pretty much everyone has said:
Yep, you’ll feel the shot and the soreness for a while, but I’d rather deal with that than shingles. I hadn’t thought much about it until a couple of years ago when a radio guy I was listening to had gotten it and had a pretty rough time with it, so I thought, “Yeah. . . I should probably get ahead of this thing.”
Off, that’s rough OP… here’s to quick recovery with the antivirals.
An uncle of mine, tough high-spirited guy, got it before the shots were widely available, it laid him low for weeks. So remembering that, I had my Shingrix series as soon as my PC doc said to. Really did not get any heavier reaction than I did for covid, in retrospect.
I got inured to shots of any kind pretty early on in my life (except for the dental Novocain ones). Starting at age 7 I had to have allergy shots twice a week for a few years, then once a week. So I guess I don’t notice shots as much as maybe other people do. I just don’t remember much about these Shingrix shots, except I guess I do remember a little burning sensation at the time.
I am ok(ish) with Novocaine shots except the one in the hard palate (roof of the mouth). That is only done for really major things like root canals or worse but wowzers does that hurt. It is only a few seconds but a long few seconds.
After that I can’t feel a thing (which is obviously the point).
I’m in the UK. I was told I had chickenpox as a child. When aged about 40 and yes, I was under stress at the time, I got shingles. Not too extensive, just in a fairly narrow strip right round my torso on the left side from the middle of my back to my breastbone. But it was very painful for about 3 weeks before the rash faded away. I was told to keep away from work for all that time. I still get occasional “twinges” in that area.
30 years later, I was then eligible for the free vaccination last year in the UK. I don’t know what type it was but I don’t remember it being any more uncomfortable than any other jab.
I can vouch for that. I hadn’t gotten the shingles vax, and I got hit with shingles when I was ~60 years old. It hit the trigeminal nerve in the left side of my face, and remains one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced.
I have since gotten the Shingrix shots. After each shot I had a day of fever and chills, what we used to call the 24-hour flu even though it has no relation to influenza. Still no big deal compared to shingles. I’ll add my voice to all the others: GET THE SHOTS!!
UPDATE: So I’m now able to walk about 40-50 feet before my leg (the site of the rash) burns so badly that I want to cut it off with a chainsaw. Four days ago that number was less than ten feet. Still too early to say that I’ve turned the corner on this thing but (knock on wood) things are pointing in the right direction.
Hang in there, Homie.
(I’ve waited decades to be able to say that without being “that culturally-assimilating asshole.” Or at least the first part.)
I just got back from 4 days in the hospital due to shingles around the eye. That had followed 4+ days of not eating and a buildup of pain. There wasn’t even bile in my stomach. When I threw up 2 vicodins that had not dissolved after 6 hrs I called 911.
The pain from shingles in the face is beyond anything I ever experienced and that includes open heart surgery. It was like a constant thumb jammed in my eye followed by additional stabbing pain. This pain started in my eye and followed over to my temple and then down my neck to the back of my head. They had to try multiple combinations of pain killers to relieve pain. My eye is still swollen and there’s residual pain.
It’s possible that it can attack the optic nerve (blinding you) as well as get into the brain. They were very concerned about this happening. I was told people have been known to kill themselves over the pain and I believe it.
G E T…T H E…S H O T.
Ugh, sorry to hear it @Magiver, it sounds like a really bad case.
My husband had shingles in his early 20s, years before we met, and he still has occasional pain 40 years later. What works best for him is capsaicin ointment on his back and chest, and he was out at 9 PM yesterday hunting for it. He had to go to 3 different drug stores to find it.
GET THE SHOT!
Thanks. I keep capsaicin in the medicine cabinet. I’ll remember that. I can’t get the shots soon enough.
Oh wow. That sounds horrible, I hope you are able to recover fully.
I promise you that the shots will be a walk in the park compared to what you have just been through.
Thanks. I look forward to any and all pain the shots cause if it lessens any future events.
I’m sorry you’re having so much pain and having to be so worried about your vision. Glad you were able to recover enough to be released from the hospital.
Thank you for so articulately sharing your story~I think it will motivate people to get the Shingrix series. Come back and let us know when you were able to start your shingles vaccine, I know I will have a sigh of relief on your behalf when you do.
Wow. That sounds horrible. I’m glad you are mending. Best wishes.
Just remember, capsaicin in and around the eye can also be very painful. So be VERY cautious with its application. Capsaicin itself can cause chemical burns. I hope you get well quick.
Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Really.
This gave me a new insight on what people go through with pain. I was actually recuperating from hand surgery when his happened. Somehow I managed to get a cut on a finger that got so infected they had to slice it open to clean it out. One of the surgeons had casually mentioned it might need to be cut off. It was never that bad but was a “wait what?” moment. It was a simple operation and I just got the stitches out. I have full use of it with no pain.
Anyway, when the pain started to get real bad I relocated a gun to the attic at night knowing it would be very hard to retrieve when it got hot. I’ve never experienced depression but it seemed prudent. It was probably a good idea because what I learned is that it’s not just pain. I took in nothing orally for at least 4 days and must have been severely dehydrated. I still can’t remember the sequence of events at the hospital(s).
I bring this up because at some point I lost control of the situation and wasn’t aware of it. I can see how quickly this could lead someone to do something stupid turning it into a deadly event. I have medical insurance and sufficient funds to get through it unscathed. More important I have family who helped care for me and would have intervened early on if they knew how sick I was. Many people don’t have a support system like this and need looking after.
Yes, good point! My husband has asked me to apply capsaicin cream to his back and the first couple of times I did it without gloves. Even after washing my hands, I got a tiny bit in my eyes, which was quite painful.
Wishing you a quick recovery @Magiver
I really, really need to get the vaccine. I’ve never had much of a reaction to other vaccines, so hopefully this one won’t hit me too hard either. Even if it does it will be worth it.
Reading this thread convinced me to get my first shingrix shot last week. Thank you, thank you, one and all.
I let them talk me into the new COVID vaccine at the same time. I felt like crap for 24 hours, but that was all.