Remember the chicken pox vaccine requires two doses.
Not to discourage anyone, but just how likely is getting shingles, really? I mean, since chicken pox is so prevalent that the majority has probably had it sometime, and I’m sure at those prices, there’s plenty of seniors not getting vaccinated. So why aren’t there massive crowds of seniors getting shingles? No one that I know in that age range has come down with it.
The massive advertising for the vaccine has made me cynical.
According to the CDC:
And to sort of piggyback on what barath_s says about the UK recommendations, there’s a theory that children getting the chicken pox in large numbers in the past acted as sort of human shingles vaccines. Grandparents would be re-exposed to the virus at a low level from their grandkids, or kids in the community, and that would retrain their immune system to fight the virus, much like the vaccine now does. Since we now routinely vaccinate children, there’s not nearly so many little human vaccines running around, so our elders need the vaccine from the bottle, instead.
So that may be why shingles was pretty rare among our grandmothers, a little more common among our mothers, and will be frighteningly common when we’re 60, unless we vaccinate.
My mother and my aunt both had it before there was a vaccine for either shingles or chicken pox.
Interestingly, my neighbor came down with shingles as soon as he started chemotherapy. I understand that is common. If there had been a chicken pox vaccine before he originally got chicken pox, that would have prevented both the chicken pox and the later shingles.
I had shingles when I was 24 or so, and then had excruciating pain, with no warning, actually bring me to my knees on and off for a year after. Pay whatever you can to avoid this. I was on chemo at the time, so I was at increased risk.
Once you get your shingles shot, do you need to get it again every so many years (or a booster)?
Or is the shingles shot something you only need once and it’s good forever?
Right now it’s once and done. We’ll see if that changes as the old farts age. Given how older people tend to form crappy immunity from vaccines, it probably won’t.
My mother, one of the toughest women I know (holocaust survivor) was reduced to a quivering mass of pain from shingles, begging to die. Years later she has chronic pain on her neck and is in tremendous pain nearly every day.
Vaccinate.
After reading all of the horror stories here, I guess I was pretty lucky. I had shingles but it was localized to the elbow of one arm and there was no rash. It was still rather painful though, I must admit. When the first Dr. wanted to do a muscle biopsy or some such nonsense, I went for second opinion. That guy, my present physician, diagnosed me (I later discovered) even before I opened my yap, just by virtue of the fact that I was wincing in pain and cradling just the elbow of that arm. In hindsight, maybe he was bragging a bit, but I don’t really care. He still nailed it, so to speak.
He gave me a course of prendisone, an antiviral and some dope. I thought the Vicodin would be what helped the most with the pain, but oddly enough, it was the prednisone. I started feeling better within 24 hours.
I can’t say it was anywhere near the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, but it certainly wasn’t much fun either. There didn’t appear to be any sequelae, although I did develop a case of Bell’s Palsy not long after that. I suspect both issues were due to weakness resulting from another illness.
The Shingles vaccine is something worth getting, shingles is VERY painful, and depending on where you develop it can have many negative side effects (besides the pain), including blindness (if you develop in the eye).
Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, and anyone who has gotten chicken pox (even if they had a very minor case) can devolop Shingles later in life. The chicken pox virus is a herpes virus, and once your body fights it off, the virus takes refuge in your nerve cells where your immune system can’t get it. Occasionally, the virus tries to break out of the nerve cell and become active again. In most cases your immune system will see the virus, it will recognize it, and say “STOP! Get back there! Go any farther and I’ll KILL YOU!” The awful virus will go back to the nerve cell and go to sleep… Till next time…
However, occasionally, your immune system won’t catch the virus when it leaves the nerve cell, and you come down with Shingles. The virus follows the path of the nerve (hence why it is very painful, and only on one side of the body). This happens mostly when the immune system is compromised. A period of extreme stess, a disease that affects the immune system (Cancer, HIV, etc), or as you get older and your immune system “forgets” what the virus looks like, which normally happens as you get older.
Shingles is a big deal in today’s age, and wasn’t in my parents time because we came out with the Chicken Pox vaccine in the late 80’s. My generation is the last generation that will have to deal with shingles. It used to be that as you got older, you would take care of children who had chicken pox, your children, your grand children, and your great grand children. Being around people with the active virus reminded your immune system what the virus looks like. Today, since we vaccinate all our children, you don’t see Chicken Pox in the wild anymore. This is why it is such a big deal now, and wasn’t before.
The vaccine is to remind your immune system what chicken pox looks like, so it can keep it in check. It does help, and is worth getting. When it first came out it was recorded for anyone 65 years old or greater. However, during post release studies, they have found the older you are the worse the response (since your immune system gets worse). Recent studies* have shown that having the vaccine younger grants a better immune response allowing for better resistance to developing Shingles. Based on these studies and results the FDA has lowered the approved age of the vaccine to 55 years from the original 65.
- I haven’t read the studies myself, in full disclosure I heard about the studies and the change of the FDA during a presentation by the drug company, Merck, at Maggiano’s, with yummy free food. Though I believe the pharmacist that they had presenting the presentation.
Personal anecdote: My mother and her sister are identical twins and have just recently reached retirement age. My aunt got the shingles vaccine and remains free of the disease. My mom didn’t, and now she has shingles. Now she wishes she had gotten the shot.
Odd. My UK doctor is giving the vaccine to his patients over 50.
I don’t how rare it might be. Three family members have had it and it ruined the last five years of my grandmother’s life. My kids’ babysitter had it twice. No thank you.
If you don’t get the vaccine and end up getting shingles, even if you just think it might be shingles, get to a doctor. Antiviral meds taken very early can dramatically reduce the duration and intensity of the symptoms. But it has to be early- so get a doctor’s evaluation even if you just suspect it is shingles.
Has anyone here had shingles twice or more?
The reason I ask is because I had it when I was in my mid thirties and it was a whole lot of nothing, aside from the visible rash on my back. I have contact dermatitis and thought it was just another allergic reaction to something I had touched. It was not painful at all and only mildly itchy.
Coincidentally, this happened right at the time of a medical checkup. My doctor was doing the thing with the stethoscope when he noticed the rash on my back and said “huh, you’ve got shingles!”
He didn’t give me anything because he said it was very mature (or something like that) and it would resolve itself in spite of whatever medication he might give me. But he did describe it as a textbook case.
So what I’m wondering is: since it was so mild that I hardly noticed it, does that mean it’ll be just as wimpy the next time it surfaces?
It’s also common for people on immunosuppresive medication for arthritis or psoriasis (methotrexate, Enbrel, Humira, Simponi, etc) to be at higher risk for shingles. There are a lot of folks taking these medications, and my rheumatologist states he sees shingles cases regularly and educates his patients on what to watch for.
Is there any research or info on whether getting a late-in-life booster of chickenpox vaccine would help with the shingles issue?
I am only in my 30s, but I’ve had three relatives get shingles in their late 40s and early 50s - I really don’t think I can wait until I’m 60 to get the shingles shot, and I don’t know if I can ask for it as young as I am.
I had chicken pox when I was 13 (caught it from my youngest brother), and it was HORRIBLE. It didn’t itch - it HURT like fuck for two weeks. I still have scars.
When my uncle had shingles, he had to be hospitalized and restrained because he would tear at his arms in his sleep. Serious bad shit. DO NOT WANT.
Hi… I’m under 60, but I have been under the weather with bronchitis/ sinusitis and busy startup times at work. My back hurt, but I was busy trying to breathe and didn’t pay much attention-- until I felt lots of little pustules on my back and an angry red welt from my spinal column horizontally across my back all the way to my waist.
I never would have expected to get shingles, but it happened to me.
My doc said that if it is caught early-- within the first five-six days, there is a prescription that helps lessen the severity.
I am mostly writing to say that I found out today that Costco has the shingles vaccine for 180.00.
Best wishes to all of you,
Zemerchai
I had the chicken pox when I was a little kid and then developed shingles at the ripe old age of 36. it was SHITHOUSE!
I wish I had had thee vaccination.
In Australia it’s about $50…
I’m 53. I insisted to my doctor that I wanted the vaccination, and he somewhat grudgingly agreed. My insurance would not pay for it because I was not 60. I had to sign a form agreeing to pay when my insurance did not. Oddly, my insurance paid for it.
I’m currently on hold to my doctor to ask if they’ll give me the shingles vaccination for the above reason - methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis. Oddly enough my immune system doesn’t seem to have got worse since I’ve been on it - I didn’t get colds when my partner did - but it’s not worth the risk.