side effect: significant pain (grade 3) at rest; prevents normal everyday activities, 4-10%, depending on age

Well, you answered one question I had -- whether the second dose would likely be the same or a lesser reaction. I will plan for the same and get it when I can binge watch something for a day. LOL I would do it if I had to get another dose every year or two, especially after reading how many of the replies here include a personal experience with shingles.

Mdln, thanks! Now I know there is a reaction I didn't have -- no GI issues. LOL My body is kind of reactive to a lot of medications -- I cut some in half or quarters. I may just be one of the lucky ones. I was trying to blame it on being spring allergy season.

mdln, thanks for posting that. I find it interesting that the side effects decrease with age; I'm in the 60-69 range so I like that.

But as others have said above, and for me specifically, it's hard to imagine the pain of the injections even approaching the pain I experienced with shingles.

Thanks for posting this. I had shingles this past summer and I think I was very lucky with the level of severity I experienced. That said? It was freaking miserable. I had it just off the center of my forehead and I have a big scar and a lovely divot. It still hurts sometimes and itches. It is hard to explain, but it itches internally. I was exhausted for a solid 6 weeks and didn't feel great for like 3 months.

I will for sure be getting this shot.

I have shingles now. And believe me you should do anything you can to prevent having it! I was not able to get the vaccine because I was taking medication that was immune suppressing. So no immune system basically.

I got the Valtrex medicine with in hours of the first blisters. The blisters covered my entire left hip from the center of my back and down my thigh in to the inner thigh. It was massive. The blisters are now all gone but the skin is still purple. The pain is deep in the nerve root. It is not going away. Unfortunately I fear I will be one of the unlucky people that have the post shingles neuralgia. It is the most painful thing I have ever experienced!

If anyone knows of anything that can be used or taken to help lessen the pain please contact me!

My experience so far. A cold red laser on the area definitely helps reduce the pain! I have used lidocaine patches after the blisters were gone which helped a little. When I had the blisters the best relief was from Bactine spray which contains lidocaine.

My doctor gave me tramadol for pain which I chose to only take at night to try to sleep. I was also taking amitriptyline at night which is to help with nerve pain and also help me sleep.

Get THE VACCINE!

Did you get prednisone? My shingles were misdiagnosed at first so I was on the wrong meds. Three days later I got the proper med and also prednisone which really helped but it for sure has its downside. Im sorry to hear you are in the middle of it. It takes a long time to heal and get your energy back - which is something I had no clue about!

Raven, I am so sorry. My husband's pain lasted well past the blisters, so don't give up hope on that pain fading. He did take Lyrica for at least a couple of months (similar to the amitriptyline, but not available as a generic -- might ask about trying to see if it works better for you if you can get it). He also took a course of the anti-viral and another med -- which with lobby68's prompting, I believe was prednisone. You might asks your doctor about taking Lyrica and/or prednisone for a bit to see if they will help with the pain.

Yes I am on daily prednisone for other conditions so that was covered already. The amitriptyline is a similar med for the nerve pain. I have had problems with Lyrica in the past.

I am diabetic also so some meds had to have that consideration.

I am definitely having periods of fatigue and just don't feel good.

Mdln - Thank you for sharing the chart. Will schedule the vaccine for when I have nothing major for a few days.

I turn 50 this summer and am running to get the vaccine after reading this thread. Thank you all the heads-up.

Raven, sounds like you have all the bases covered and reasons why you are taking the meds you are. I can't think of anything else I remember. I just looked at something that said you might use capsacin or lidocaine cream to help with pain. Those are available OTC, but the ones they are talking about for this kind of issue may be a prescription strength. I have used an anit-inflammatory cream called Penetrex that I got on Amazon. I don't now if it would help with nerve pain, but it's great for muscle level pain. It might be worth trying -- but still, don't give up. my husband had a mild case and had pain at least that long after the earlier vaccine. It just takes time, so stay positive.

Oh darn I was just about to order that penetrex, luckily I checked ingredients and it contains tea tree oil. I hate that so many products contain tea tree oil. It causes serious reactions in many people. I accidentally used shampoo that had tea tree oil and it blistered my scalp in seconds.

Oh, shoot! That's too bad. It's pretty good stuff, but it does have a number of botanicals in that itty bitty fine print. Glad you caught that before trying it. If you had ordered and then discovered it, at least you know someone who would buy it from you.

I am curious, are there any Canadians here that have had the vaccine. I am in my seventies and no doctor has ever brought it up to me I do not have any friends who have gotten it.

why is this such a bigger problem in the USA. I would like to get the vaccine if necessary.

That is so strange Lyban. Canada was the first country to approve Shingrix!

It seems that contracting shingles is on the uprise these days, but experts don't know why that is happening.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/why-are-more-and-more-canadian-adults-getting-shingles-1.3897103

I didn't realize the new guidelines were age 50. I will check into getting the vaccine this week. Thanks!

I had never really considered the Shingles vaccine. I'm not used to thinking of myself as "old enough" to get such things, which is silly because one of my under-30 co-workers had Shingles a year ago.

I'm not going to make a special trip to the doc for this purpose, but I'm making a note to have it done next time I'm going in anyway.

He didn't think the risk outweighed the benefit or justified the cost,
and he said if you got it too soon, it might lose it's effectiveness.

Hmmm ... can't you have it again later in life?

As for cost, I'll pay for vaccinations -- don't really care what they cost.

Case in point: I had pneumonia two years in a row -- awful, needed multiple rounds of antibiotics to kick it. My insurance wouldn't pay for the pneumonia shot because I wasn't yet 50, so I paid out of pocket. That was three years ago, and I haven't had it again -- money well spent.

It isn't until you know someone who has it and see the kind of pain or research it that you see what even a "mild" case is like.

Yep. I've known a couple people who've had it, and they were miserable. My aforementioned under-30 co-worker said her skin hurt so badly that she was wearing her husband's super-soft, oversized tee-shirt, and it still hurt so badly that she cried.

Oh, that's so hard to read and think about. I mentioned my sons' choir director who had shingles in her 20s -- and anyone who gets it that young will almost by definition not have had a vaccine of any kind to lessen the severity. They are less likely to have long term, but it still has to be awful. I wonder if they get the vaccine after having had shingles? Seems like it would make sense with this new one at least -- 97% prevention according to my pharmacist (I saw her today and ribbed her about making me miserable, but I still liked her).

raven-my doc prescribed gabapentin (brand name neurontin) for my post herpatic neuralgia which lasted for over a year. The only side effect I had from that was that it made me a little drowsy so after the first few months I only took it at night. It really helped me, but I don't know if you could take it with your other pre-existing issues or not. Might be something to run by your doc . . . I am so sorry you are going through this.

lascatz, the vaccine should be given post-shingles to prevent future occurrences, but only after the initial rash has subsided.

Correct. My question was about whether they would recommend it or cover it for a 20 or 30-something year old who has already had shingles well before the 50 or 60 year mark since they have shown a higher risk factor.

I misunderstood your question.

Per the Immunization Action Coalition:

A 33-year-old patient in my practice has already suffered from three episodes of shingles. He would like to receive the zoster vaccine. Is this a good idea?ACIP does not have a recommendation to administer either zoster vaccine to people younger than 50 years with recurrent zoster episodes. However, clinicians may choose to administer a vaccine off-label, if in their clinical judgment, they think the vaccine is indicated. The patient should be informed that the use is off-label, and that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been tested in people younger than 50.

We have an 18-year-old male who had a history of chickenpox disease. He now has shingles. We are unsure what we are to advise for future treatment. Should we administer zoster vaccine?The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice does not recommend zoster vaccination for people younger than age 50 years regardless of their history of shingles.

We have definitely noticed the alarming number of people with shingles recently. The urgent care center I went to had several that day! My personal doctor said she had a rise in the number she has been seeing. In my personal circle of friends and family there were 3 others during the time I got hit.

There has to be a reason for the increase.

I believe that the immense stress I have been under with the Harvey flood and losing everything is very likely to be a contributing factor in my case.

In your case, Raven, I think that had to play a part. And that wasn't even round one for you. My DH was not under a lot of stress at the time, though it did follow a time where we had been trying to help his sister and BIL relocate and BIL lost his job. So maybe, if a bit delayed? The old vaccine also seems to lose effectiveness, to the extent it had it, after a number of years. They think this newer one is going to last longer as well as start out much more effective. I'll get a booster if needed to avoid shingles.

I hate that you are dealing with shingles on top of everything else. I hope you will make a full recovery. Not giving up on that.

Thanks! I was surprised when entering Costco last week there was a lady inside holding a sign for the new vaccine. Apparently it was available.

Lyban - re: Canada, I'm not old enough for the shingles vaccine, but I do get cold sores which are caused by a virus related to shingles. I got a Valtrex prescription from my pharmacist a few months ago due to a cold sore outbreak and we were chatting about the new shingles vaccine. She was very excited & optimistic about it and was so pleased that she was finally seeing it ordered for her customers - so I know that in my part of Canada, at least, doctors are now prescribing it.

Since my post up above I have contacted my doctor and yes I can get the vaccine and she recommends that I do. I do not know why she never brought it up during my twice a year visits.

thanks everyone for all these comments. I get more info on this forum than anywhere else.

I just googled BCBS, and several state BCBS say that they now cover Shingrix (e.g. Tennessee, Arizona, Illinois). Just called ours, and they had no clue.

That's good to know as I'm in TN and have BCBS. I know a few college students who have had shingles. Stress IS said to be a factor. My MIL had internal shingles. The drs had a very hard time diagnosing it. She was hospitalized for about a week, lost 13 pounds and was totally miserable.

I’m in TX, have BCBS and found out today it’s 100% covered since I’m over 50. Yay!

https://www.bcbst.com/mpmanual/Zoster_Vaccine_Recombinant%2c_Adjuvanted.htm

For Tennessee.

A similar discussion on FaceBook with my friends prompted me to go ahead and get this new vaccine (I had the first one four years ago).

There's a CVS pharmacy inside my grocery store. They gave me the first shot, payed 100 per cent by my BCBSNC plan without getting a doctor's prescription. They said they'll call me in three months to remind me to get the second shot. They also gave me a coupon for $5 off my groceries.

My arm is sore to the touch (got the shot Friday and today is Sunday), but otherwise unnoticeable. I am avoiding sleeping on that side. I was told it would be sore longer than a flu shot. Yes, but don't let that stop you, if you qualify to get the shots.

Thanks!

I got the second in the series of two Shingrix shots last Thursday. Like dyh, my arm was red and sore for 2-3 days. Having had Shingles for the second time last September (the first time I was 18 and it hit again decades later), I was delighted that this new vaccine was coming out. Last fall, my doctor in Ontario Canada mentioned it would be available in the new year, and I posted that news while waiting for the manufacturer to announce details. It was available here as of January 2018. As for cost, I was only charged $30 for each shot. Even at full cost, I would definitely have paid to avoid months of awful pain!

For those of you who have received the new shot, how long did it take for the soreness to kick in? I had the first part of the series this afternoon (around 3), and 4.5 hours later I don't have any soreness at all in the injection area. I plan to take some ibuprophen at bedtime just in case.

I had the old shingles vaccination last year, but my doctor advised getting the new vaccination now because it is much more effective. I'm 55, and never had shingles, nor do I want to!!!

My arm started to get sore that evening, then really sore the next day. The actual shot hurt, too.

Re the second in the series, I was in CVS last week getting a prescription and complained to the pharmacist how much the first shot hurt, etc. and that I guess I should be thinking of coming back next month for the second shot. She said, "We can't even get the second vaccine. We have been waiting and waiting, no one has it yet, and we have no idea when it will be available.

Well, that's crazy. I thought you had to have the second shot within two months. I told her maybe I'd better talk to my doctor. She answered that he probably doesn't have any of the vaccine either. Send some down from Canada!

Oh, and she also mentioned that they are saying to get the shot in the
arm you use the most. That way you will be moving the arm and it will be less
likely to remain sore longer. I got my shot in the left arm. :(

I was at a Costco pharmacy last week (So Cal) and there was a large banner stating that the vaccine was available.

I got the shot in my left arm (non-dominant) too. :( Today at the pharmacy, they had both the first and second doses available. Some of the first vaccinees from March are eligible for the second dose now.

@ schoolhouse, second dose is recommended 2-6 months after first dose.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html#wait-period

I had mine in the left arm, both times. (First one in February, second in April). The soreness kicked in fairly quickly, within a few hours. It is one of the sorer vaccines, but only bothersome if you sleep on it;). I haven’t heard of any problems getting the vaccine here (Ontario, Canada).

Well, I was overly optimistic. Several times last night when I rolled on to my left side my vaccinated arm was sore enough to wake me. The pain isn't terrible, but definitely noticeable when I raise my arm. Still better than shingles though!!!

It was only a week or so ago I was in CVS (NE Ohio) and was told they didn't have it available. hmmmm. I'll call them.

When did I get my first shot, you know now I can't remember for sure. I have the paper to check. Thanks for the info mdln.

Sugar Plum, you will probably be like that for another night or two, but you are so right - way better than having shingles. I hope others can find supplies of the vaccine soon.

Maybe that explains why I haven't gotten a reminder about getting the second shot yet. I'm planning on waiting a bit anyway based on the reaction I got to the first one. I don't know anyone who got anything like that or what explains it. I want to talk to my doctor about it before having the second one. I hope they get the supply up for those who want the first shot and the ones who need the second one. I don't want to start over and get a third one -- assuming that's what they would do.

Was just at Kaiser this morning for a check up and they don't have any of the vaccine available and don't expect any before the end of the month. I was advised to "keep checking back."

Interestingly enough, I did get a call from CVS Monday -- they had the second dose and were calling me to come in. She only had 5 doses remaining in this batch, but I have until October to get it and this month is not good for me.

I checked and I had my first shot May 4th. So I guess I need to wait until July or even August.

FWIW, I was just in Publix and asked the pharmacist if I was covered now, since it was $270 a dose the last time I checked.

I didn't intend to get the shot today, but they had plenty and now for my BCBSFL plan the copay is down to $0, so I did. She said Publix would call me about when to come in for the next one.