I’ve heard the shot can kick you the ass for a day or two. Waiting until the middle of July when I can get afford to let that happen. I did get shingles about 10 years ago. I was getting facet block injections for my back and it caused a localized outbreak we first thought was a spider bite until my doctor told me I had shingles. We used my infection to get my then young son his chicken pox experience. At the time, all I got was localized itchiness and mild pain/irritation, but pretty mild really and it went away with meds. I got the prescription for the shot so I’ll be getting the vaccination shortly.
I got my shingles shots last year at age 55. Neither shot was worse than any other shot that I’ve ever received. Maybe, just a tad sore the next day.
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Doctors all recommended the shingles vaccine to me, but each and every one failed to adequately explain the potential severity of the virus and the potential for permanent nerve damage.
While all doctors were providing prudent medical advice, a doctor won’t likely spend much time detailing why unless their patient asks Qs and shows interest. Doctors are too busy to be trying to convince people of things they have no interest in doing.
How many people put off a colonoscopy? Really, the worst part is prepping the night before. The procedure is nothing. Squirt of sleep juice… wake up a bit later. Done. But… people rather wait for when they’re symptomatic stage 4, then grumble that they didn’t realize… yada yada yada. So, when the doc suggests a colonoscopy at 50, ask why and what can happen if those pesky polyps aren’t snipped early.
I’ve had the same Primary Care Physician for 25+ years and I trust him with my life. I get most of my shots at Costco (because it’s cheaper and based on his recommendations). He recommended I get the Shingrix shots (even though I’d already gotten the older vaccine because it was better. No charge, my health insurance covers my shots and prescriptions).
The Pharmacist told me most people were under the weather for three days after each of the shots and in this case he was right (but after the three days I was good to go). The Moderna Covid-19 shots gave me no side effects.
Nothing is without risk in this world and I’ve lived longer than I thought I would so I’m willing to risk the shots. (My wife is just the opposite so we’ll ultimately see who was right.)
Got my first shot after work yesterday. Glad I waited for a weekend. A few hours after, my arm felt battered. This morning, I have a fever and full body ache. Hopefully gone within 48 hours or so. Still better than getting shingles.
So just an update. Yesterday I got my first Shingles shot and man did it kick my ass.
Arm was in pain but no bigee, I have a high pain threshold. But today my entire ass was kicked. It was actually worse than the day after my covid shot. Didn’t think that was possible. I get my final shot in a couple months and then should be good for life. Thank god this isn’t annual like a flu shot.
Having done both, the shot is like 1% of the pain and discomfort of actually having shingles, so if you haven’t done it learn from my experience and you don’t want to go through that BS.
So I hope nobody glossed over your post because it was very important. Shingles seems to pick a nerve at random. I was in F’ing pain because the dame thing went from the center of my chest, around the side and ended between my shoulder blades.
But that is NOTHING compared to shit like having the nerve behind your eye and face light up. If you are unfortunate it can also select a nerve that runs through your anus and I swear to god I wish I was making that up. Basically every time you go to the bathroom you wish you were dead. I cannot imagine 6-8 weeks of any of that.
It really is luck of the draw and it’s a losing game to play and one that is completely preventable.
Got my 2nd shot a couple of weeks ago. High fever the next day. Slept a lot for 2 days. Bleh for day 3. No issues after that.
I was lucky I had a mild case about 12 years ago. I was getting facet block injections regularly for bulged discs and broken facets in my lower back. One of the injections triggered a mild case at the sight of the injection. Frustrating and painful, but I responded well to medication. Between my limited experience and seeing what a real case of shingles can do, I chose to get the vaccine.
On the plus side, me getting shingles got my son chickenpox so there is that…
Absolutely. A dude at my office got shingles at 50 and it messed him up. And he is a tough dude who works out a ton and does MMA stuff. He looked pitiful. Sold me.
The big thing is that just because insurance won’t pay for it to your head early age doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get it.
“They” recommend age 55 and I would have happily paid a hundred bucks to avoid permanent issues (missing part of the tip of my nose) and long-term medication to deal with the nerve twitches.
I waited till 60 because my doctor told me insurance wouldn’t pay for it and I never asked how much it would be out of insurance.
With the rabid anti-vax noise out there right now my bet is some people are going to learn this the hard way.
I had shingles once, 2002ish. As far as shingles go it was pretty minor.
I did get the vax and had a horrible reaction.
Wusssies. The first shot was very minor and I hardly noticed. Time to live a little… 
For the second shot, I thought since I was there… I’d get the flu shot at the same time. DONE. One in each arm.
I stayed in bed most of the next day feeling like I did that one time when I wrecked out on a flat-track race going about 70 MPH. I won’t do that again. I’m glad I got the shot though. DO IT! I have a friend that had shingles pop up on his gonads. F-that.
Yeah, it’s nothing to F with. Honestly if I understood it better, I’d have done it at 40. I’d have been in much better shape anyway and the vaccine probably wouldn’t have banged me up nearly as bad.
You could have googled up pictures of the Shingles to correct that misinformation, especially when it’s on the face and in the eyes and such. Anyone who has had a bad case of that, as you found out, will tell you that it’s a very unpleasant experience up there with some of the worst. When my doc mentioned they now had a vaccine and did I want that, I was all too happy to get that done. Aggressive treatment with some anti virals and other meds can help a lot too, but are often not used. See also:
https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/infections/herpes-and-shingles
There’s a chicken pox vax and getting chicken pox as an adult is far worse than as a kid, and can be deadly. My ex wife had it in her early 30s thinking she was immune, and it was a very bad experience for her. You do not want chicken pox as an adult.
That’s what i did for my second shot. Not sure which of the two knocked me on my butt, but I was hurting for a bit.
It’s recommended after age 50
This is because of the piss-poor guidelines that presuppose only “old” people get shingles. Funny thing is that most people I know who’ve had it are under 40.
Insurance covers it when you turn 50. Ask how much the vaccination costs without your insurance covering it.
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My old machine shop professor got shingles and said it felt like his skin was on fire whenever he breathed or if a puff of air hit his skin. I’m 38, probably will be asking my Dr about it next time I have an annual checkup.
While true, and not making excuses, by the time I started looking up everything I had already fallen in with the “bad information” crowd and assumed I was good to go. Hopefully this will be a wake up call for some who can then do their own independent research.
But once I had it I didn’t mess with it at all. Did aggressive Gabapentin right from the start. I didn’t want anything to become permanent. The insidious part of Shingles is once it starts doing real damage it’s already done real damage so if you don’t get on it quick you might just have to live with some things forever. My doctor initially recommended pain killers and the starting on Gabapentin, best decision I made was to begin Gabapentin the same day. Of course that decision was based upon research into best treatment plan.