Grover's Disease tied to Shinglix Vaccine

There are different triggers for different people. Sometimes it comes and goes all by itself. That's the "transient" part. I've had the rash since 1992 (confirmed by biopsy) but it didn't itch until 2007 and it went on for 18 months until a derm prescribed Gabapentin (300 mg every night) and it went away immediately and stayed away for 13 years although I still had some rash. It came back in 2021 and I still have the itch. I had about 12 weeks of NB UVB (blue) last summer and I think it helped a little. I use Eucerin Itch Relief after every shower and take Hydroxyzine every night to get some sleep. I recommend also signing up for the Facebook forum for Grover's.

There are different triggers for different people. Sometimes it comes and goes all by itself. That's the "transient" part. I've had the rash since 1992 (confirmed by biopsy) but it didn't itch until 2007 and it went on for 18 months until a derm prescribed Gabapentin (300 mg every night) and it went away immediately and stayed away for 13 years although I still had some rash. It came back in 2021 and I still have the itch. I had about 12 weeks of NB UVB (blue) last summer and I think it helped a little. I use Eucerin Itch Relief after every shower and take Hydroxyzine every night to get some sleep. I recommend also signing up for the Facebook forum for Grover's.

Did you consider that it's return may have been connected with your Covid vaccines? Do you remember date you had the shots? I got my first Covid vaccines in 3/2021. After reading these posts on triggers for GD, I am reluctant to have ANY vaccine or injection. I was supposed to have a scan that required iodine contrast , with a common side effect of rash and itching, so I cancelled it. I am now in limbo wondering what to do.

I contracted GD in 2008 after having received a flu shot with a flu vaccine which contained a mercury compound (Thimerosal) as a preservative. The GD lasted two years and has not recurred since. I have since studiously avoided all vaccines containing Thimerosal. The old shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is OK but apparently the new one (Shinglix) contains Thimerosal or some other agent which triggers GD.

I got my first Covid vaccine in Feb 21. Didn't get my itchy return until around Sept 21. It's always possible there is a connection but I tend to doubt it. I don't know what's in flu shots but I've been getting them for over 40 years and while I've had Grover's rash since 1992 , I didn't itch until 2007/2008 the first time.

The “connection “ is that many things, including vaccinations, generate inflammation, which, in turn, can provoke a GD outbreak. Please don’t encourage people to forgo the shingles vaccine. Shingles can be an extraordinarily painful, debilitating disease. If it manifests on the face, it can involve the eye and can permanently damage vision, even cause blindness. It often is followed by post-herpetic neuralgia, resulting in years more of pain.

I'm glad a topical treatment is helping with the symptom's of GD. I'm still GD free for several years now because of the cilantro smoothie heavy metal detox. I only make a smoothie now about once every few months; had one this morning.