Get your Shingles shot!

[Duckiller]

A long time ago I had Chicken pox. In 2010 my wife convinced me to get a shingles shot. Went to the Dr. with pain last Thursday with no noticeable rash. Got Antibiotics and spent a most miserable weekend. Rash developed/ discovered on Saturday. Back to the Dr. on Monday. Took one look at rash (it is mostly on my back) and said shingles. Gave me Antiviral medicine and steroids. Full doses of medicine on Monday and Tuesday and by Wednesday only minor discomfort. I have gotten varing information from medicial profesionals about how effective the shingles shot is in preventing shingle but all agree that it greatly reduces the pain and suffering. The pain I had over the weekend was extreme. I would recommend that any of our older members that have had Chicken pox see their Dr. and get a shingles shot. We do not need to suffer in our declining years.

[Wayne Smith]

I just got mine. I was told that it does not prevent shingles completely, but it does prevent nerve damage from shingles. Well worth it for one shot for the rest of my life.

[Wally]

A long time ago I had Chicken pox. In 2010 my wife convinced me to get a shingles shot. Went to the Dr. with pain last Thursday with no noticeable rash. Got Antibiotics and spent a most miserable weekend. Rash developed/ discovered on Saturday. Back to the Dr. on Monday. Took one look at rash (it is mostly on my back) and said shingles. Gave me Antiviral medicine and steroids. Full doses of medicine on Monday and Tuesday and by Wednesday only minor discomfort. I have gotten varing information from medicial profesionals about how effective the shingles shot is in preventing shingle but all agree that it greatly reduces the pain and suffering. The pain I had over the weekend was extreme. I would recommend that any of our older members that have had Chicken pox see their Dr. and get a shingles shot. We do not need to suffer in our declining years.

I got mine a few years ago...glad that you are doing well. I had thought the vaccine was to prevent what you had. I guess it varies by individual, but that you feel it was better to have had it then not.

[kenyerian]

Yep, Got mine . My brother had them a couple of years ago after seeing how miserable he was I got a shot asap.

[Lead Fred]

Those the get tainted vaccines, get a surprise 10% of the time.

Do you feel lucky? Well do Ya?

[btroj]

I haven't gotten one, still a bit young. I have given a bunch however.

[462]

FYI:
For veterans enrolled in the V. A. system, shingles shots are available. The cost was a pittance compared to my health insurance co-pay.

Also, flu shots are free, and it's getting to be that time of year.

[leeggen]

Sorry but the shot didn't help me. Had it few yr ago and have had shingles twice sense.that makes 3 times, 21 yr old,56 yr old and 59 yr old. All times were major out brakes. If caught in first 7 days med works quickly, otherwise ohhh so painful. Don't want them again EVER!
CD

[MtGun44]

Had shingles once, not too bad, but got the shot last year.

Bill

[blueeyephil]

I had shingles in my late 40's. It started out just below my hairline on my forehead. I had no clue what was going on and didn't go to the Dr. for several days. By then, it was on my eyeball. OMG the pain! I have some scaring on my forehead but my eye was fine. I haven't gotten the shot yet but plan to.

I have been able to diagnose a couple of co-workers and got them to the dr, ASAP. They got on meds and had mild cases.

[opos]

My son had shingles at age 50 and it was a real mess...still got eye scars and facial scars..it's not a nice thing...we are older and my Wife and I both had our shingles shots a couple of years ago..

Going to digress just a bit...my Wife is a 7 year breast cancer survivor...she would have probably died except she was adamant about her annual mamograms and tests...they caught it early and saved her life. It's not so much that they see a cancer..it's that if a woman has mamograms every year they can compare and find even the tiniest of changes...it's simple, quick, not too costly and the only thing I can think of that will help save a woman's life for so little effort on her part...Sorry to deviate but didn't want to start a new thread...I'm glad she survived and just urging the gals to do it or to have the men please ask their wives to do that every year.

[Lloyd Smale]

Im 57 and my doctor said to wait till 60

[Boz330]

Had it when I was 46, not fun. It went around the left side of my chest. At the worst part I looked like I had hamburger smeared around my chest. I believe the meds are a lot better now than then. The only thing they gave me was some very expensive salve to smear on it. Unfortunately I ran out while out of town and couldn't get more till I got back home. They told me then that stress can trigger it and I was under quite a bit at the time.

Bob

[jcwit]

Those the get tainted vaccines, get a surprise 10% of the time.

Do you feel lucky? Well do Ya?

Well yes I do, with modern medicine of course. Cancer survivor now 13 years in remission. 10% is a pretty low number in the grand scheme of life.

BTW, Yes I got the shot.

[jcwit]

FYI:
For veterans enrolled in the V. A. system, shingles shots are available. The cost was a pittance compared to my health insurance co-pay.

Also, flu shots are free, and it's getting to be that time of year.

YES This. Depending the shingles shot may even be free.

[Charley]

Shingles/chickenpox is caused by a virus, antibiotics don't affect them. Might prevent secondary infection in the rash, but won't stop the condition.

[mtnman31]

My shingles experience was similar to yours Duckiller. I had my breakout in 2007 when I was 33. It started out as a sore back and bit of a rash. The doc gave me an antibiotic that didn't do squat. I went back a couple days later and he realized he had misdiagnosed me the first time. He told me that it was far enough along that meds wouldn't help and to just let it run its course. My rash was across the small of my back and very painfull. To add to that misery, this shingles bout happened while I was deployed to Iraq. My wife is convinced it was stress related...

[rmaster14145]

Got them when I was 10. Don't think you have to be 60 to get them.

[Lead Fred]

Well yes I do, with modern medicine of course.


Lets see, 349 folks were kilt by rifles last year

178,000 where kilt by malpractice.

Ill take my chances in a gun free zone.

Modern medicine isnt modern, nor medicine

[Swamp Man]

Never think your to young to get shingles. I was the youngest person my Dr had ever seen with shingles at the ripe old age of 18. It was not fun with them wrapped almost all the way around my back and chest one of the most painful things I'v ever had to deal with.

[Hogtamer]

I don't know if I had chicken pox or not...do remember the mumps though; is there a test to detect presence of virus?

[TCLouis]

Lead Fred

As a Persian friend of mine says, ' The Persians started the practice of medicine thousands of years ago . . . and it is till called "Practicing Medicine".

[btroj]

I don't know if I had chicken pox or not...do remember the mumps though; is there a test to detect presence of virus?

How old are you?

The standard is that anyone old enough currently to get a shingles shot, over 50, has either had or been exposed to the chicken pox virus at some point in time.

No need for testing, get the shot

[MarkP]

My wife had shingles at 38 when she was pregnant with my son; very scary to infect a newborn. Thankfully they were gone when he was born and neither have had any issues since. I was very concerned with taking Valtrex with a developing baby.

[tryNto]

Im 57 and my doctor said to wait till 60
I am 58 and I went to my Doctor today for a Perforated Eardrum (happened while I was sleeping a couple nights ago).
Asked him about this, He said that 60-65 is when it was recommended and that now 50 is the preferred age.
So mine is on order.

[waksupi]

What do they charge for the shot? I see the local pharmacy is offering them.

[dragonrider]

Funny thing, my wife got shingles some years ago, she suffered terribly. Not long after they when away out came the shingles shot.
And not lot after that we go the shot. I have yet to be afflicted with this rather painfully insidious ailment and hope to finish out my days being happy about that. Knowing the pain my wife went through I don't wish shingles on anyone, except maybe muslims. I could wish that muslims get crotch shingles, combine it with their already established population of crotch crickets and it should be mighty painful.

[rondog]

I'm 57 and have no clue if I had chickenpox when I was little. I do remember measles though, that ruined my eyesight. But I sure don't want no shingles! Nice to hear there's a shot for it.

[bandit7.5]

I never had the chicken.pox and I don't do goobermint shots required or not. They want to stick me they better bring backup and pack a lunch........................maybe diner too.

[gmsharps]

I believe that if you have not had chicken pox you are not subject to getting shingles.

gmsharps

[buckwheatpaul]

They dont want to give the shot until you are at least 60 yrs. old. Got mine for a birthday present to me .... saw a number of people suffer from shingles....do yourself a favor and get it......

[6bg6ga]

Well, I'm 60 and don't plan on spending the $200 the shot costs here. If I can go thru a full blown case of the gout I can tolerate shingles. After all what is vacation for anyway?

[jcwit]

Gout is a picnic compared to shingles.

Nothing like preventive medicine. Wish they had something like this for cancer.

[btroj]

What do they charge for the shot? I see the local pharmacy is offering them.
Most places, about 220 bucks.

Medicare doesn't cover it, most Part D plans will pay a portion but forays seem to run 80 to 90 bucks commonly.
Some private insurance covers it, some doesn't. Blue Cross of Nebraska tends to cover the entire cost.

Ric, go to the load pharmacy and have them try running it they whatever insurance you have. Once you know the final cost you can make a decision. If it is more than you want to pay then you don't get it. We do that all the time.

[searcher4851]

From the CDC:

"In a clinical trial involving more than 38,000 adults 60 years of age or older, the vaccine reduced the overall incidence of shingles by 51% and the incidence of PHN by 67%. The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing shingles was higher in the younger age group (60-69 years; vaccine efficacy was 64%) than in the older age group (older than 70 years; vaccine efficacy was 38%).

Studies are ongoing to assess the duration of protection from one dose of zoster vaccine and the need, if any, for booster doses.

There are no comprehensive data on the effectiveness of zoster vaccine in treating shingles once it occurs, and the vaccine is not licensed for this indication."

For any that are interested, shingles is easily treated.


"The treatment -- intravenous ascorbic acid (IAA) -- floods your cells with a massive dose of vitamin C. In one trial, seven of eight patients treated with IAA reported complete relief within two hours!

And researchers were stunned when more than 300 shingles patients found "complete resolution of shingles outbreaks" within three days of beginning daily IAA treatments."

Research continues.

[jcwit]

From the CDC:

"In a clinical trial involving more than 38,000 adults 60 years of age or older, the vaccine reduced the overall incidence of shingles by 51% and the incidence of PHN by 67%. The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing shingles was higher in the younger age group (60-69 years; vaccine efficacy was 64%) than in the older age group (older than 70 years; vaccine efficacy was 38%).

Studies are ongoing to assess the duration of protection from one dose of zoster vaccine and the need, if any, for booster doses.

There are no comprehensive data on the effectiveness of zoster vaccine in treating shingles once it occurs, and the vaccine is not licensed for this indication."

For any that are interested, shingles is easily treated.


"The treatment -- intravenous ascorbic acid (IAA) -- floods your cells with a massive dose of vitamin C. In one trial, seven of eight patients treated with IAA reported complete relief within two hours!

And researchers were stunned when more than 300 shingles patients found "complete resolution of shingles outbreaks" within three days of beginning daily IAA treatments."

Research continues.

So what's the cost of the treatment (intravenous ascorbic acid) after having shingles, and in what stage does one start the treatment?

[searcher4851]

I don't know the cost, but it sure worked wonders for my mother when she got them. The problem is it's not a well known treatment, since it's not a real money maker for the drug companies, and therefore isn't pushed to the doctors BY the drug companies. Come to think of it, the drug companies would probably like it to be less known.

[DxieLandMan]

My wife got shingles about a month ago. Rash went from sternum to her spine but only on one side of her body. She said that it was miserable pain.

[zxcvbob]

I almost got a shingles vaccine last year -- until I found out they use cell lines from aborted babies to culture it.

[jcwit]

I almost got a shingles vaccine last year -- until I found out they use cell lines from aborted babies to culture it.

In a sense you are correct. This happened in 1966, that's 47 years ago to a couple in Stockholm, Swiss. all cells have been from this one abortion.

Do a little research, this took me all of 5 minutes.

http://www.rtl.org/prolife_issues/LifeNotes/VaccinesAbortion_FetalTissue.html
http://www.drwile.com/lnkpages/render.asp?vac_abortion
http://www.immunizationinfo.org/issues/vaccine-components/human-fetal-links-some-vaccines

These are only a few links, many more are available. There are other diseases that are also treated this way but none that are grown with additional fetuses.