Shingles

My mother had shingles in the late 70s immediately after having radiotherapy for breast cancer - she had had a mastectomy. She had a really bad dose and the district nurse went every day to dress the area - top of her chest and shoulder. She never totally recovered from them for the remaining 20 years she lived. Could not wear many tops because the facing touched on particular nerves.
When my son got a dose aged about 20 he was given a cream to put on it and they cleared up quickly. DH had them too - in France one summer - and was given cream and a lotion - all cleared within a fortnight.
I thought that with the viral creams etc they had now shingles cleared quickly - I am amazed to read these stories still.

You can’t “catch” shingles from chickenpox, but you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have never had chickenpox or the vaccine. I had the shingles vaccine with no side effects. Like most vaccines I think, if you are able to have it, the side effects are not generally as severe as the disease you are aiming to prevent.

I’ve not long ago had the shingles vaccine.
over 70s are being offered it as a matter of course better than getting the shingles so I’m led to believe.
So get it.

I missed the vaccine for shingles at the first roll out , I fell between the age groups every time it was offered , I’m now too old ( ! ) for it ?‍?

Franbern

In UK everyone is offered the Shingles Vaccine when they are 70 years old. Do not understand why anyone would refuse this. I had to wait until I was 78 to have mine (original roll-out was a little confusing). No effect from it at all, slightly sore arm for 24 hours.

My strong, healthy Dad never really recovered from shingles, and suffered pain from it for the rest of his life.

Vaccine can be given by NHS to youngerp people if they have medical reasons, or can be purchased privately.

I don't think that's quite true, when it was first offered they did this weird thing where they offered it from the young end of the age group, birthdays in one certain year and also to the old end of the age group, birthdays in one certain year. My sister and people born when she was will age out (pass 80th birthday) before they get offered it.

Just seen on another thread that chickenpox is going around in some places. Worth knowing, and being on the lookout so you can avoid it if possible.

Franbern

In UK everyone is offered the Shingles Vaccine when they are 70 years old. Do not understand why anyone would refuse this. I had to wait until I was 78 to have mine (original roll-out was a little confusing). No effect from it at all, slightly sore arm for 24 hours.

My strong, healthy Dad never really recovered from shingles, and suffered pain from it for the rest of his life.

Vaccine can be given by NHS to youngerp people if they have medical reasons, or can be purchased privately.

Thank you!
I shall be on the blower tomorrow to the Surgery to request mine!
Thanks to all for the information?

In UK everyone is offered the Shingles Vaccine when they are 70 years old. Do not understand why anyone would refuse this. I had to wait until I was 78 to have mine (original roll-out was a little confusing). No effect from it at all, slightly sore arm for 24 hours.

My strong, healthy Dad never really recovered from shingles, and suffered pain from it for the rest of his life.

Vaccine can be given by NHS to youngerp people if they have medical reasons, or can be purchased privately.

I had the vaccination when I was 79 when I found that 80 was the deadline. No reaction, an almost painless jab which I promptly forgot. My sister had shingles badly, before the vaccine became available and suffered recurrences of the pain for years afterwards, so I was determined to avoid it if I could.

ixion

Hope this post isn't seen as 'highjacking' the original, but I've been wanting to ask - have any Gransnetters accepted an offer of being vaccinated?
Is shingles so unpleasant (I'm guessing yes) and what side effects did you suffer from the jab?
Many thanks!

After a rash (boom boom!) of dgc getting chickenpox, I paid a flipping fortune to have the shingles jab privately because I was going to have to wait 2 years to be offered it. The very next time I had the flu jab it was offered as they had changed the criteria!! Still I haven't had shingles so that's a bonus. No side effects either.

I was told by the practice nurse that I had caught it very early and was given antivirals and nerve suppressants to reduce the pain. It was still awful.

I’m having the jab next year at 70. Rather side effects of the vaccine than shingles and I only had a mild dose and recovered in about 4 weeks.

I couldn’t go back to work until I went scabby as others have previously said.

BlueBelle

Ixion I had the jab when I was offered it at 70 I had shingles jab in one arm and pneumonia in the other I had no reaction at all and have thankfully never had shingles or pneumonia so

Thank you, that is very reassuring.
Sounds like the jab is a small price to pay in the face of the possibly debilitating effects of the disease itself.

Didn’t mean to say so on the end ??

Ixion I had the jab when I was offered it at 70 I had shingles jab in one arm and pneumonia in the other I had no reaction at all and have thankfully never had shingles or pneumonia so

I had shingles about 8 years ago, the pain was terrible. I was prescribed strong painkillers but tried many healthy alternatives nothing worked. Still to this day if I get overly stressed or anxious the pain comes back, fortunately not the terrible rash and blisters.

I’ve had the vaccine, ixion - it’s offered once you’re 70 plus here. I had no reaction to it.

I did have shingles a few years ago, not too badly, thank goodness, but it still wasn’t at all pleasant. I was given anti-virals fairly early on which I’m sure must have helped.

However I’m convinced I got it because I was very tired and run down after a week of emergency childcare of a 20 month old, while a young-baby sibling was in ICU with bronchiolitis. In the immediate aftermath of that I got a really nasty cold, and it was then that shingles hit.

It started with throbbing aches in the kidney area - I thought I’d got some horrible kidney disease until I saw the GP, when the rash had finally come out. It was almost a relief to hear that it was ‘only’ shingles.

Thank you thus far for the information!
I'm beginning to think that it's unreasonable to hope for a 'mild dose' without having the vaccine.

Dinahmo, sympathies for your DH. The pain is truly awful. I hope he gets some help.

ixion my dad had shingles a few years back on his face and it was awful.
If you are immune suppressed you cannot have the vaccine, as it is a live one

Dinahmo

vampirequeen Not to worry you but my OH got shingles 2 1/2 years ago and is still suffering from post herpetic neuralgia. He has tried a wide variety of treatment ranging from strong medication to magnetiseurs (popular here in France). He even had a cream made up containing amitryptyline but like so many other treatments, it worked for a few days and then stopped. Some days it's not too bad others it's awful. He now has an appointment in August to see a specialist to see if he can have a spinal implant.

The first covid vaccine caused a bad reaction which meant a delay in receiving the second one. Fortunately he didn't get a similar reaction to that one.

I hope that your DH doesn't suffer for so long.

Sympathies for your DH. The pain is truly awful.

I've had shingles several times, it is truly awful in my experience, the pain goes on and on. The first time I had it I was a teenager, when I was getting better my boyfriend took me to the cinema to cheer me up. On the way home it rained and I cried like a baby as every raindrop was like an electric shock.

I assume some people get it milder than that but that was my experience.

I will be first in the queue when I'm offered the jab.

vampirequeen Not to worry you but my OH got shingles 2 1/2 years ago and is still suffering from post herpetic neuralgia. He has tried a wide variety of treatment ranging from strong medication to magnetiseurs (popular here in France). He even had a cream made up containing amitryptyline but like so many other treatments, it worked for a few days and then stopped. Some days it's not too bad others it's awful. He now has an appointment in August to see a specialist to see if he can have a spinal implant.

The first covid vaccine caused a bad reaction which meant a delay in receiving the second one. Fortunately he didn't get a similar reaction to that one.

I hope that your DH doesn't suffer for so long.

Hope this post isn't seen as 'highjacking' the original, but I've been wanting to ask - have any Gransnetters accepted an offer of being vaccinated?
Is shingles so unpleasant (I'm guessing yes) and what side effects did you suffer from the jab?
Many thanks!

DH has just had shingles (well sort of still has). He was told not to worry about most people as he wouldn't affect them but to be careful around pregnant women and people with suppressed immune systems until the blisters went crusty.

Do you or someone you know have shingles? If so you/they need to see a GP asap and ask for an anti viral plus if it's on the face near to the eyes you/they need to see an eye specialist. DH had antivirals and eye cream for a week. Now he has heavy duty eyedrops and amitriptyline for the neuralgia.