Shingles...

[anniemae]

Yes, I think once you've had them, it's too late for you to get the shot.
For those of us who CAN have the shot, I don't think a downside exists. Except that you might have to pay out of pocket.

I think you can get the vaccine after having shingles. You can get shingles more than once. I believe she is saying she could not get the shot because she did not qualify for it, meaning under 50.

 

[cobright]

My best friend's poor husband just found out that he's got shingles. He's only in his 30s and they have a baby at home? Does anyone have advice I can pass on to them?

• Satin sheets made with 100% silk. I've always bought decent to good quality cotton and it felt like sleeping on course steel wool. The silk sheets cost a couple hundred bucks but I would call them a bargain at twice the price.
• Whatever your normal tolerance for pain is, throw that out the window. I've had kidney stones I would rather go through again rather than repeat the shingles. Do not play tough for the doctor, just the opposite, play baby and get the rx painkillers. If you get through this without needing much of a pharmaceutical intervention, great, flush them or whatever. this thing sets in and stays with you for weeks.
• Strong liquor.

 

[TomServo27]

I had shingle in my right eye. I was probably 35 at the time. My advice pain meds.

 

[Skywalker3]

I had shingles when I was 37, and pregnant with my last child. It was THE most excruciating pain I've ever had. I saw my dr on a Thursday, and I was sure I didn't want to take the meds he was prescribing, because I was worried being pregnant. He assured me over and over they were safe. Friday morning I called back begging for those meds. After a few days to a week, they improved. Really the pain subsided in a few days. I got the first vaccine in my mid-40s several years ago. My insurance covered it. I was able to get it at that age since I'd previously had shingles. I havent' gotten the second vaccine, but I will if I can. I"m over 50 now. I absolutely do not want that again.

 

[tcufrog]

I asked my friend and she said he's on antivirals and the shingles are on his torso.

 

[Shelley Chiarats]

I had a teacher friend who had it on her face by her eye. It wasn’t a very big area and didn’t give her a lot of trouble but her doctor told her to keep it covered so she didn’t share it with her husband. So, if it isn’t a really big area, maybe keep it covered with gauze.

That was what happened to me. I had a spot between my eye and the bridge of my nose and a spot on my forehead (both on the right side of my face).

Mine started one weekend that we were heading out of town to visit family. I thought one of the dogs who like to roll their necks on my face for lovies had somehow given my poison ivy. So I was treating it with calamine lotion over and over. It did not get better but it did not get worse either. But I kept telling my husband that I knew poison ivy itched buy I did not know it hurt. Kept saying my face hurts. Reminded me of the old joke does your face hurt because it is killing me.

But anyway, after about a week, I get home and make an appt with my primary care doctor who takes one look at me and says I don't have poison ivy I have the shingles. I was flabbergasted because my mother had to pay for the vaccine out of pocket because she was too young. I figured if she was too young then I must have been also. But nope.

She sent me to the eye doctor to make sure it had not gotten into my eye (it hadn't). But there was not much else she could do because it was so many days past the start of it.

It got better and now I only have a few white scars.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I wanted my husband to get it too, but he pointed out that -- never having had the chickenpox -- he cannot get Shingles. In my opinion, I think THAT'S why we give kids the chickenpox vaccine these days.

When I was young, my youngest sister and I had chicken pox. The middle sister had shingles. You can get shingles without having chickenpox. And you can get it multiple times.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I asked my friend and she said he's on antivirals and the shingles are on his torso.

Shingles sucks, but that is probably the best case scenario. Probably painful to wear clothes, though.

 

[robinb]

I had shingles about 3 years ago. I figured it out pretty quick and took and antiviral I had for cold sores right away. I saw my doctor and she prescribed more. Luckily, my case was pretty mild. It was just down my arms, with spots from my shoulders to my fingers. I had just minor pain and itching. I’m glad I had the antiviral as I think that helped knock it back.

 

[underdesea]

Youch! Of all the places I don't want Shingles, my eyes are #1.
I DID pay cash for the vaccine. I know too many people who've had it -- even two of my 20-something co-workers. And once you've had Shingles, you're likely to have them again. Seems rather unfair.

I'm in my 50s, and -- no -- insurance wouldn't pay for it. If memory serves, it wasn't cheap; I want to say about $200 for the two-shot series.

For anyone thinking of having this vaccine: This isn't the easiest vaccine to get. At a check-up, I told my doctor I wanted the vaccine -- no argument from him, but he had to "order it" to the pharmacy for me. He told me not to go to the pharmacy for 4-5 days (so it would have time to arrive); apparently few people want this, and they don't keep it on hand. The pharmacist gave me the first dose, then stored the second dose in their pharmacy refrigerator labeled with my name. I had to return -- was it 2-4 months later? -- for the second shot.

I'm not complaining about the procedure; I'm very glad to be able to cross one potential problem off my list. But if you're planning to get the vaccine, just know that it takes a little planning.

I wanted my husband to get it too, but he pointed out that -- never having had the chickenpox -- he cannot get Shingles. In my opinion, I think THAT'S why we give kids the chickenpox vaccine these days.

Back to your actual question: how to handle the Shingles once you have them? I don't think any good answers exist. Once you have them, you're sunk.

Where I live, this vaccine has been hard to get because so many people want it. My doctor recommended I get the two-part series a full year before his office could get it in stock, due to high demand and limited production. Btw, I read a lot of comments online saying how difficult the side effects of the shots could be, and my doctor cautioned that a lot of people have unpleasant reactions, but I had no problems after either dose. My mother had a bad case of shingles in her 80s, and I'm so glad I was eventually able to get both shots.

 

[FigmentSpark]

With regards to the side effects of the vaccine, I had a fever for one night and my arm was warm and mildly itchy in the spot it the hot. Also, that spot on my arm was tender, like a flu vaccine, for a couple days. These were much better than shingles.

 

[jerseygal]

I asked my friend and she said he's on antivirals and the shingles are on his torso.

I am glad to hear that he was prescribed antivirals. I think that if you go on antivirals not more than 48 hours, preferably 24 hours before onset of symptoms, your case will hopefully be milder. My elderly Mom had them, had what she thought was just a pulled muscle on her side and was in pain for a week, refused to go to the doctor. Her shingles then erupted, she went to physician and it was too late to go on antivirals. She suffered SO MUCH. The shingles were on her side, by her breasts. My Dad had to put on pain patches, they were so bad. She unfortunately could not go on antivirals, had such a bad case that she wound up with permanent pain, postherpetic neuralgia, which is permanent nerve pain. My poor Mom suffered for about 12 years after the shingles until she passed away. She regretted not getting a pain management injection AFTER the shingles had resolved. She went to see a pain management physician, but because the shingles were in a place on her side by her breasts, the pain management physician said there was a risk of lung damage due to where the injection would have to be administered. She regrets that she didn't assume the risk and take a chance because of the permanent pan she had to endure. Best of luck to your friend in his healing!

 

[jacki123]

I got shingles on my scalp It was so painful. When the new vaccine came out I got it and so did my husband. We are in our 50's, so no problem there. But I got every side effect after each shot, husband did not. But it was still worth knowing, fingers crossed, that I won't get it so bad again.

 

[kirstenb1]

It took me months to track down the vaccine. There was a waitlist at CVS, Walgreens, Walmarts, etc. So if anyone is hesitating getting the vaccine, you may need to get on a waitlist. I did have mild flu type symptoms after both injections, but totally worth it, if I never get shingles ever again. And I do have the post shingles neuralgia. It is painful, but nothing like an active case.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I had Shingles a year and a half ago. I was seen by my Dr. within the first 48 hours of the rash (upper torso) appearing. Was put on the anti viral med acyclovir which was a 5 day once a day course. My shingles never got any worse then the day they were diagnosed. When I spoke to my Dr about the vaccination for shingles I was told that now that I’d had them, I would need to wait for a year to be vaccinated to have the full benefit of the vaccine. She also said that her best advice would be to think about holding off until after age 60 to do it, that most cases of complicated shingles happen in older adults - the vaccine is effective for 5 years.

 

[Kitty 34]

Sorry if this offends anyone but I had them when I was 51 on my right side..........Opioids! (or back then we just said Vicodin)

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I had shingles in my 30s on my scalp, forehead and eyelid on the left side, and thankfully not in my cornea as someone posted earlier. I had a terrific headache also. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I recall my doctor prescribed steroids, but I don't recall a pain medication. The steroids really helped and I was back to work in a week. I used calamine lotion (or caladryl) on the itchy spots on my forehead.

At my physical last year, when I was 52, my doctor said I could not get the shingles vaccine. I believe he said I had to be 60. I'm going to ask again this year to see if that's still the case as I know we were also discussing the pneumonia vaccine and I may not be remembering our conversation correctly.

I hope your friend's husband recovers quickly and his case is not too severe.

 

[lanejudy]

they have a baby at home

How old is the baby? Shingles can be passed to the baby, in the form of chicken pox. I'd have them check with the pediatrician if a varicella vaccination may be appropriate even if not a year old. That very situation happened with a coworker several years ago.

And you can get it multiple times.

I had chicken pox twice.

 

[clutter]

For anyone thinking of having this vaccine: This isn't the easiest vaccine to get. At a check-up, I told my doctor I wanted the vaccine -- no argument from him, but he had to "order it" to the pharmacy for me. He told me not to go to the pharmacy for 4-5 days (so it would have time to arrive); apparently few people want this, and they don't keep it on hand. The pharmacist gave me the first dose, then stored the second dose in their pharmacy refrigerator labeled with my name. I had to return -- was it 2-4 months later? -- for the second shot.

I'm not complaining about the procedure; I'm very glad to be able to cross one potential problem off my list. But if you're planning to get the vaccine, just know that it takes a little planning.

When I did the first shot in September last year (or was it 2018?), it was tough to find. I had to find a pharmacy that had a shipment coming in. But when I had the second on in December, it was readily available everywhere.

When I asked my insurance company about coverage, the customer service person had the Shingrex vaccine before she turned 50. Also, I simply went to a pharmacy (it's covered under my prescription plan, not my insurance) and asked for it. Nothing needed from a doctor.

 

[easyas123]

If it helps anyone.... I'm not 50 yet. My health care (United Health Care) WILL cover 100% of the cost of Shingrix for anyone 50 and older. They will also cover 100% of the cost for Zostavax for anyone over 60. Anyone - no matter what their age is - can be covered for either vaccine if their Dr. submits a predetermination form to the insurance company indicating the need.

All this talk of shingles got me thinking, and I remember my mother having a light case of them on her torso that was very painful a few years ago, so I thought I'd call and check with my insurance.

Chance I might have misspelled one of those vaccines, but I think I'm close!No doubt someone will chime in with a correction if I did!