Shingrix and peripheral neuropathy

Hi, @patebner, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

What type of neuropathy symptoms are you experiencing? Has your doctor weighed in on whether the neuropathy is connected to the vaccine you received or any other factors?

Moderate numbness in my feet and slight numbness in my hands. Occasional sharp pain in my feet, especially after walking a mile or more. The symptoms have slowly gotten worse over time.

I got two doses of Shingrix at Walmart. I need to confirm the date with them. Then I had tests done at the department of neurology on 8-18-2023 that confirmed the neuropathy.

Hmmm—-I don’t know if Shingrix has any of the shingles components —some vaccines used to use that type of method in order for your body to produce antibodies to the disease. If that is the case, I’d ask your dr if it is possible you have/had a mild “attack” on the nerves where the varicella virus sits (if you had chicken pox as a kid, it left the virus in a dormant state waiting to reappear as Shingles. Kind of like getting a “mild case” so your immune system could recognize the virus & attack it before the virus became full blown Shingles. I hope that your symptoms go away.

I got peripheral neuropathy in feet after I had Shingles and PN in my hands after Shingrix. I had to wear gloves to put/ take things out of the frig and freezer, could not type for mos. Acute phase of PN in hands lasted about 4 -5 mos. Occasionally still get an intense pain in my left thumb early in the morning that only lasts 5 minutes. My hands are still sensitive to cold. Neurologist confirmed polyneuropathy.

5-27-23
Shingrix
Heplisav-B
Adacel

8-2-23
Shingrix
Heplisav-B
Fluzone Quad