Anyone gotten shingles while undergoing chemo?

@ahurlbert30, ouch. I've had mild shingles, but can't imagine having shingles AND going through chemotherapy. @hopeful33250 is also dealing with shingles pain at the moment. You can read her posts in this discussion:
- Anyone else dealing with shingles? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/shingles-6/

This article suggests that an oatmeal bath might help soothe the pain, although I would check with your cancer team first.
- Can You Get Shingles on Your Buttocks? https://www.healthline.com/health/shingles-on-buttocks

@ahurlbert30, how often are you getting chemo treatments at the moment? Did you report this symptom? Did they say that this might delay your next treatment?

Every other week. I am due for me second infusion on Monday. It sounds like they are going to check my numbers and then determine whether it’s ok to go forward. They say it’s very important to try and stay on the 2 week schedule as it’s has a significantly better outcome with triple negative bc that a 3 week rotation. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I am amazed by how painful they are!

@ahurlbert30
You poor thing... you certainly didn't need shingles at a time like this! My aunt acquired shingles on her buttocks during chemo... I got shingles on one side of my face shortly after I retired (but long before chemo). Besides taking the prescription for it (Zovirax or Famvir), I used Abreva on the sores (which seemed to dry them up fairly quickly), avoided foods high in arginine until I healed (tomatoes, sugars, cashews, grapes, blackberries, blueberries, peanuts, chocolate), ate foods high in lysine (meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, avocados, pineapple, green beans, apples), and took lysine supplements. For nerve pain (after the sores healed), I used Topricin Fibro Cream (which I use even now for my chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy; available on Amazon). It's homeopathic, mostly arnica, has no adverse effects nor drug interactions.

I do hope that you feel better soon! Take good care of your sweet self.

My heart goes out to you . Chemo and shingles are just not fair! I got shingles after rad ( after the chemo ) and I guess you could call me lucky in that it occurred exactly left chest area where I had the masectomy and subsequent radiation . I do think it was from being weakened in that area by the cancer treatment . Now I get nudge notices from Kaiser Perm , to get a mammogram ( while currently MBC Stage 4 , AND being treated by them ! ) and nudge notices for Shingrix , how stupid . Good luck ,hang in there , hopefully it won't last too long .

I got shingles before my last chemo treatment and it sucked! They prescribed Gabapentin which helped.

I also got Shingles after radiation that was given after chemotherapy. I used lidocaine patches that helped for some of the worst pain. So sorry that you are suffering with that!