Have You Seen The Ads For The Shot For Shingles?
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
Canada
November 15, 2015 3:51pm CST
I had shingles a few years ago. I woke up with such a headache I thought my head was exploding, I phoned my doctor before he opened and asked if he could see me ASAP. His office said get here as quick as you can and he will see you.
I walked in and he saw me on the spot. While he was asking about the headache he was looking over my body and in a minute he touched my upper chest and asked what is that? He handed me a mirror so I could see what he was asking about. I had a blister, a small one on my chest. It wasn't there minutes ago when I got dressed at home.
He said I know what you've got – you've got shingles. He left the room and came back with a couple of pills and a glass of water. He said I was lucky I came in because we caught it before the illness took over and I should have a short and easy illness in front of me. He sent me to the pharmacy with a prescription and told me to go home and take it easy and not to scratch any blisters that showed up.
The headache went away and my illness was short and relatively painless. I had a few blisters on my neck and a bit of pain on my neck and into my hair line and then it was gone.
It was suggested I get the shot when I was well to prevent it from showing up again later. I took my $200 (the cost of the shot ) and tried to get it for several weeks and they were always out of the shot. Then I forgot about it..
In the ads for the shot they talk about the phantom pain that shows up every once in a while where the blisters were. They showed up this week on my neck and it is painful. I think its stress related because Ive been a bit stressed about my eyes.
I am thinking of getting the shot, I think I will phone the pharmacy and see if they have any available. Then I need to ask my doctor if I should get the shot when the phantom pain is there...
I'm sorry now I didn't push the pharmacy to call me when they had it available.
Have you kicked yourself for not perusing something you know you should have?
That's were I am right now. You would think at my age I'd know better.
24 people like this
25 responses
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
17 Nov 15
I have had the shingles twice. The first time it was on my scalp, forehead and over my eye. It felt like little slivers of glass was in my scalp. It was very painful but I was also able to start medication pretty soon and it did keep it from getting really bad. At one point I was worried about my eye. It never went in my eye but my eye swelled up so bad that I couldn't open it. And when it started to heal, the itching was unbearable. The second time was extremely mild and it was on my scalp also. Like you, I have suffered with phantom pains also. My whole scalp will feel like it is on fire at times. I couldn't afford the shot so I will have to wait until I am old enough for my insurance to pay for it.
4 people like this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
19 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate I think it would be wise also. If I had the money, it would do it.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
My doctor warned me it might go towards my eyes and to be very careful and not touch the blister, it did go up towards my ears but stayed away from my eyes. That eye swelling sounds awful! I don't want to throw away $200 on a shot. But at my age it might be wise.
2 people like this
@shellyjaneo (1081)
• United Kingdom
16 Nov 15
Gosh that sounds horrible, I am so glad I've never had anything like that. $200 for a shot I am so glad we have the NHS in the UK x
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
Ontario has Socialized meds and most everything if paid for by the government but that shot is not a necessary thing, its an option so I would have to pay for it. If I wait long enough, it might be free because more and more old people are getting the illness.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
18 Nov 15
@shellyjaneo I just got an message in the mail about the pneumonia vaccine and its covered by the Government so I might get that this year.
1 person likes this
@shellyjaneo (1081)
• United Kingdom
17 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate Oh I see similar to the Pneumonia vaccine here if you are not high risk you can still get it if you pay £100 for it x
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
16 Nov 15
oh my gosh you were so l ucky . Ihad the shingles 9 years ago in the
summer. from the middle of my tummy to the middle of my back not just one pustule but dozens. I was given acyl air that helped hugely but it lasted most of the summer the blisters and thats when I had discovered the old mylot;mylotting helped me to forget the pain for hours and the blisters faded and I finally was over it. I had had a
chance to get the shot for shingles a few weeks before but thought why bother i will not get the shingles. Oh yeah well I was wrong lo l lol
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
@Hatley Your sounds worse than mine although the pain was there all the time. Its nice that myLot helped you get through it.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
@BethieAnnie I did not experience that, the pain must have been awful. I think I was lucky... in a way.
1 person likes this
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
16 Nov 15
My shingles are from my tummy to my back as well. The blisters were so gross, and so painful. I'm actually hallucinated when I had shingles. Did you experience that?
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
16 Nov 15
I'm needing an eye exam cause I'm down to my last pair of contacts. I Have not scheduled it yet... I've been putting it off. If I lose or rip one of my contacts I will certainly be upset about putting it off.
3 people like this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
17 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate Yes that is the best to do and I pray you will be well.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
16 Nov 15
it was long enough ago that things might have changed. i will ask my doctor before I do it. Thanks!
2 people like this
@yukimori (10144)
• United States
15 Nov 15
Yeah, I put off starting the injection therapy my pain doctor wanted me to try because I didn't want to deal with it.
Finally had the first round about a month ago. It felt like liquid fire going into my SI joint, but it accomplished something that years of chiropractic treatments and physical therapy couldn't. A few days after that, I moved and heard a huge THUNK from my pelvis. The left side is finally back in proper alignment after a fender bender four years ago knocked it out of place.
I'm kicking myself for not doing it two years ago when it was first suggested. I didn't even think about the possibility that it would do something for the cause of the pain instead of just numbing the joint. It's still a little achy with bad weather, but nothing like it used to be.
I hope you're able to get the shot soon, and that it might do something to help your current symptoms. I have no idea how it works. If the shot can't do anything for the current symptoms, I hope the phantom pain passes quickly and doesn't return again. I've heard that shingles pain can be awful. 
Hope you feel better soon! 
Hope you feel better soon! 3 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
16 Nov 15
for me the pain was more l ike little electrical shocks a sting then quit but others came after it. I took ibuprofen for the pain and acyclovir for the shingles as that did a lot towards healing and relieving those little shocks.It lasted most of thesummer for me so I wa smylotting from seven am til 2am a lot as it helped me to forget the shocks for long periods of time.
2 people like this
@yukimori (10144)
• United States
17 Nov 15
@Hatley I think I might remember you posting about it. That definitely wasn't a fun thing to deal with.
@PainsOnSlate Oh, that's good. My stuff isn't as bad as it used to be. The injections have helped a lot, and I'm doing way better with managing my fibromyalgia symptoms. 
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
@yukimori it seems to be going away, If it was summer I'd have less clothes on and it wouldn't be rubbing on my neck. Hope you get help with your pain too, its sounds worse than mine. 
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
I know what you mean, I do it all the time. I usually take the self-satisfied independence as an excuse.
@rebelann (111194)
• El Paso, Texas
19 Nov 15
How awful @PainsOnSlate did the vaccine help?
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
19 Nov 15
Yes only people who had chicken pox as a child get shingles. It is always in your body and can pop out at any time. It was painful and not itchy for me.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48478)
• Canada
15 Nov 15
I've had the shingles twice, in 2 different places. Last year I suffered for almost 3 months with them. I asked my doctor about the shot, and he told me that stats indicate that the average age for the "worst" case of shingles is 72, and the shot has no boosters and only lasts for a 5 year period of time. Since I am 20 years younger then the age of the worst case, he suggested that I take it closer to that age and not now. Try to research as much as you can before taking the shot.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
15 Nov 15
Very interesting. I might have another conversation with him before I get it. I am 70 so maybe it would be a good idea BUT a good friend of mine just had it in time for her 97th Birthday! ( first time she ever had it)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325834)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate My mum had a hip replacement at 99 and lived another five years so it's never too late!
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
21 Nov 15
@JudyEv You were lucky to have her that long. I hope I can live that long just to drive my kids crazy..... Just kidding,
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
I do get the flu jab, its free... I will talk to my doctor about the shot before I get it and Thanks, I'm thinking my eyes will be oki and have an appointment for the next scan.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Nov 15
I honestly dont know much about shingles but it sounds aweful
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
It is awful and I'd never heard of it before i got it. It was a shock!
1 person likes this
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
17 Nov 15
I didn't know that you could get phantom pain from the shingles. Hopefully if you are able to get the shot it will help prevent that pain from coming back. I've kicked myself for not doing things I know I should have, but at the time it always seems not that important.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
I drag my feet too so now I need to do something about it.
1 person likes this
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
16 Nov 15
I was 19 when I had shingles for the first time. I have lupus, so it got me young. My doctor was quite shocked, but treated me well. he said that the chicken pox virus doesn't die. That some of it hibernates on nerve complexes. It waits until your immune system is weakened to strike. I really need to get the shot, but I'm worried about side effects. Of course I'm more worried about getting shingles again.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
It would be hard to have lupus all alone but add on shingles it must be very scary. I hope you stay well and away from shingles for ever. Take care.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
19 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate thank you, being ill with lupus is awful. I spend half my time trying to feel well. Mentaly I am good, but my physical condition often makes me moody.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
16 Nov 15
I will speak to my doctor before I get it but I think it will be the best thing to do. So good to see you here!
1 person likes this
@slund2041 (3315)
• United States
25 Nov 15
My husband took the $200. shot. So far no shingles for him. My mother had shingles so bad, and it settled in her ear. She lost a lot of hearing from Shingles in one of her ears. She was so sick with shingles, and her face was so swollen.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
17 Nov 15
never had shingles though from descriptions by many who have including yourself here, it sounds horrible
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
17 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate good luck with it - hope you never get it again
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
17 Nov 15
Its not fun, that's for sure. I'm thinking because of my age I need to get the shot so it won't happen again.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
24 Nov 15
Wow, pains! At 20 something years old, you think you should know everything, or what?
I'd say that is pushing yourself a little hard, don't you think?
Yes, I am prone to shingles, too. They always show up on my right side and itch and burn like fire... I can't have the shot, though. I don't know why, but my doctor told me not to get it, so I haven't... I do need to ask her why not. (I am sure she told me last time I had them, but if so, I've totally forgotten what she said.)
I'd say that is pushing yourself a little hard, don't you think?
Yes, I am prone to shingles, too. They always show up on my right side and itch and burn like fire... I can't have the shot, though. I don't know why, but my doctor told me not to get it, so I haven't... I do need to ask her why not. (I am sure she told me last time I had them, but if so, I've totally forgotten what she said.)1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
24 Nov 15
I will cross my fingers and knock on wood that the first time will be my last time with that nasty illness.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40529)
• United States
20 Nov 15
I got the shingles shot a few years ago, but later got a slight case of it. It was a raised, itchy welt above my eye. Thankfully my doctor got me on some medicine right away or it may have been worse. The shot doesn't prevent all cases, but it usually lessens the severity.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
21 Nov 15
Good to know, I am going to get it ASAP.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79769)
• United States
20 Nov 15
If you've had it before then I think it might be wise to consider getting the shot. My aunt had shingles and she said it was the worst pain she ever experienced. Luckily I've never had shingles
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
21 Nov 15
Talking to so many has sealed the deal, I am seeing my doctor soon and will get the shot.
@JudyEv (325834)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Nov 15
My mother had shingles and my friend had it very badly. We were only talking about immunisation today. It is $220 roughly for us. I think we should get the shots as it is a nasty disease. And as you said it can continue on with recurrent pain, etc.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
21 Nov 15
@JudyEv I got my flu shot today and will see the doctor soon to get the shingles shot.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
19 Nov 15
When I see my doctor next I will ask about the shot again and see if he opinion of it has changed. I don't want to get it again and would rather pay for the shot.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325834)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate Vince is off to the doctor shortly and is going to ask about the shots. I am going on Monday and will ask too. I think it would be worth the money if it prevented the condition. We hear of it quite often really - often enough to make me think immunisation would be a good idea.
1 person likes this
