Shingles - good advice but also a warning!

Because of a medical problem at the time, I missed out on the shingles vaccine when I was 78/9. Now, at 81, I've been told I can't have it due to it's lessening effectiveness as we age.
Reading the above, I am rather thankful that I didn't have it!
However, a friend of mind did have shingles very badly and it lasted for ages, the pain continuing for 5 years, so it is still a worry that I haven't been vaccinated.
It's swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

My mother and an aunt both had shingles in their 60s, DD had it over her eyes in her 20s. I was in the first tranche of people offered the shingles jab and I could not get there fast enough.

No innoculation/medication/therapy will be fine for everybody, and for some, other medical problems, may make it dangerous but we need to place the chance of side effects from treatment alongside the chance of serious prolonged illness and side effects if we do not have it.

Having seen the prolonged period of pain and discomfort my aunt and mother went through after having shingles, I did not think twice about having the inoculation.

Raided my savings and paid to have the vaccine privately, I did not want to wait years until I turned 70. I had a colleague who was screaming in pain when she got shingles in her eye, and there was concern she might lose the sight of it. Huge relief that at least I should be spared that.

I didn't know you could get it in your eye

I had shingles in my head about 12 years ago and was told I was lucky it had not reached my eye as it can cause permanent damage. I was fortunate that my Dr spotted it immediately and started me on the anti viral Acyclovir.
(I have also had the jab as I hit 70 this year, but suffered no ill effects)

In theory, one should only acquire shingles once but in practice that does not happen, many acquire it more than once.

Yes, Nina one can get it in the eye and it has to be treated quickly to stand a chance of no lasting damage.

Optical shingles is most common in the elderly See this link www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/adult_health/oph_herpes_zoster_shingles_eye_infections/ .

It took them 4 days to diagnose DD's as she was in her early 20s. Diagnosis was instant once the rash appeared

I had shingles when I was 21, along my sciatic nerve across my back. The pain was so awful that I slept with a low coffee table across my body in bed, as I couldn’t bare the weight of bedclothes to touch my rash.
I shall refuse the shingles jab after reading that it can make the shingles virus dormant in my body, re-occur.

I have had shingles twice both times on my face in my cheek area below the same eye. GP gave me anti viral drugs but I had to go back to be check as it it had got worse he said Id have to go to the eye clinic in case of complications. It made me feel really ill but luckily I did not get any post viral pain either time

Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus dormant in your body reoccurring. How can you tell whether getting shingles after the jab causes a reoccurance and it wasn't just the normal process for getting it?

I would be interested in reading the evidence you have found that the shingles jab itself does that. Can you give me a reference?

M0nica the paragraph I quoted in my OP came from this morning’s Health column in the DT

Maw I was referring to *joannapiano's post. The consultant quoted in the DT article is referring to people suffering from psoriasis and in my first post I refer to problems those with pre-existing conditions may have with any other medication.

I did a bit of searching and the only references I found referred to rare cases where the the jab causes a mild chicken pox rash for a few days. No mention at all of people developing full on shingles after the jab asjoanna suggests.

My DS developed measles a few months after receiving the measles jab, but it was a very mild compared with the full-on measles I remembered from my childhood.

OK sorry - misunderstood!

My DH and I have both had the jab and no I’ll effects.

I had the jab 4 years ago in ignorance sometimes you read so many different fors and against that you don’t know what to do for the best so I just said yes and bingo like dragonfly no problems for me either

It is a question of balancing probabilities . The probability of having shingles if you do not have the jab against a much lower probability of a mild reaction if you do.

Having seen three cases of shingles in my family and chicken pox being the one childhood illness which I had badly, I had no doubts about having the jab.

I’ve never had shingles and had the jab last November. No ill effects, except that the stiffness in my arm is still there, diminishing very slowly! I did have a flu jab in the same arm two weeks prior to the shingles, so perhaps the overload was too much.

I have had shingles twice and no desire to repeat the horrendous experience, I had the injection as soon as it was offered with no side effects.

A good friend of mine had the jab but still got shingles a couple of years later.

It was over and in her eye and she now has to use drops everyday for her eye as it left her with a very painful ulcer at the back of the eye.

Months later she still has terrible head pain too.

I had the shingles jab two years ago and remember it was a rather painful jab but apart from a sore arm, no problems. I know a few people who had shingles and all said it was awful.

I've had a mild shingles attack over the last couple of weeks. Well, I think it is shingles from reading up the symptoms but as I couldn't get to the doctors over Xmas and to be honest felt just a bit under the weather I haven't had it diagnosed. Think I got away very lightly. Small blistery rash that has crusted over and now starting to go. Slight tingling and itching but all very manageable.
Wondering wether to investigate the jab in the future.

Hello everyone im new to this site im looking for advice and a little reassurance ive had the most dreadful cough for over two weeks now just finished a course of Amoxicillin and i really dont feel very much better to be honest ive no energy and i ache in places i didnt think you could ache its odd as i have had the flu jab . I had a nasty headcold over christmas that went onto my chest hence the Antibiotic i was hoping i would be feeling more like myself by now is it possible ive had flu even after vaccine any advice appreciated i cant get into see my Gp for another week im so tired of feeling so dreadful thanks for listening

I had shingles last year in February, just on my birthday,i had no idea until then that i could have had a vaccination, didnt even know there was one, never offered it
My shingles was very painful, and i had numbness around that are for a good 3 months
My sister had shingles before the vaccination, and also since,so is it worth it,

Octogon26 there are lots of posters with this virus posting on the Health Forum on the thread Has anyone else got this lurgy?.
Yes! I have had it or a variation of it just after Boxing Day and just about feeling myself again.
You'll find lots of fellow sufferers to compare symptoms with and somehow it makes it better that your not on your own.