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anybody take the shingles vaccine-any side effects-and is it a good idea and does it prevent shingles
I am 62 and I think I had the chicken pox when I was a kid. my wife is only 57 and she is now getting over a mold case of the shingles.
Can shingles really be that bad. Anybody get the vaccine and still get the shingles
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 11-23-2013 at 09:34 AM..
I had shingles - I'm 44 , had the ck pox as a child and shingles at 35 (I was very stressed at the time). It was pretty bad but not as bad as it could have been as I went to the dr almost very soon after the rash appeared. I did have random nerve pain for about two years after..
My husband and I are both in our late 50's and we turned down the shot. I know a couple where they both got the shot and he ended up getting shingles, a very bad case and it took a long while to recover. This couple were under a lot of stress and in their 70's, relocating to a different city. I know that stress is a big factor. We don't take any vaccines including the flu shot. We concentrate on healthy alternatives. I had the chicken pox not sure about my husband. Will we ever take the shingles shot? No, at least I will not. It is a good idea to ask here so you can get some feedback to help with your decision. I would also "google" it.
I had chickenpox as an infant, and again as a 10-yr old -- not sure if that makes me more susceptible to shingles or not, but I'm not taking any chances. Shingles can be extremely painful and last for many months. They used to only give the shot if you were 60+. As soon as they lowered it to 50+, I ran out and got the shot. No side effects for me.
I have had a mild case of shingles three times. Still, neither of my doctors is a believer in the vaccine. You can still get them, even after the shot.
The first time I got them, my doctor recognized the symptoms immediately, treated me with an antiviral, and the symptoms cleared up after a week. In none of the cases did I get the rash. The earliest symptoms you must look for are a prickly feeling on your skin...like you can't stand your clothes touching the area, and a backache. The virus rests in your spine and when you have a flare up, the tingliness follows the path of a nerve from there. Interestingly, I've always gotten it on the same side.
Now, fast forward to the second time I got them. I had a different doctor who looked for the rash, and did not seem to know that the rash was not the first symptom (or maybe sometimes it is, but not for me). She trusted me to know, and so prescribed the antiviral. Same with episode 3.
My point is if you are aware of the symptoms, and you have a good relationship with your doctor, you can quickly get the jump on a bout with shingles, without the vaccine.
I had a mild case of shingles around 1997-1999, can't remember. I got the shot in 2011, no side effects at all.
I had a friend get shingles in her 50s, it was horrible but the post-herpetic neuralgia was Hell. She suffered with that for over 2 years and suffered is a mild word! She got cancer and died which was the only end to the PHN. I would do ANYTHING to avoid PHN.
My father got it when I was 12 but got to a doctor right away. However, he said it was
awful. I also had chicken pox as a child. I figured I had two strikes against me and did
not want to risk it, so I got the vacine. No side effects for me.
Several years ago, I had the discussion with my doctor as to shot/no shot. He told me that if I was vigilant, I could take the antiviral at the first sign and keep the attack to a minimum. I asked him what I should do if I went away on vacation, or on week-end when he was off hunting in the big woods. He laughed and wrote me a prescription, left it undated, and told me to call him first but if he wasn't available, he trusted my judgement. I never used it. (Which reminds me, maybe I better get a new scrip)
Since I'm not sure if I had Chicken Pox as a child (parents both deceased so I can't check) and since getting the vaccine is no guarantee that Shingles won't happen, I'll pass. Others should do what feels right for them.
My wife and I both had the chicken pox at a very young age many many years ago. In 2010 she got the shingles shot, in 2012 she got the shingles on her upper body, front and back. I never got a shingles shot and I've not gotten the shingles either. Doc said not everyone gets them, and the shot is not effective on some people.
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