Side Effects of Shingles Vaccine

Posted by ssbionicknee @ssbionicknee, Sep 20, 2018

I got the flu shot and the new shingles vaccination 3 days ago. Today I started feeling sick to my stomach. I've never had a reaction to the flu shot and was wondering if anyone else felt sick after getting the shingles vaccine?

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@margic

That's horrible that 4 days in and you still don't feel ok. I do hear from people that have Shingles say= 'if you think the side effects from the vaccine are bad, try getting Shingles- plus it can last years"
Damned if we do, Damned if we don't .

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Yes I have been told that. My father had shingles on his face and almost lost his eye site. To this day if he misses a dose of his medicine he is in severe pain.

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@loribmt

@margic There is very little new with the delivery system for routine vaccinations we receive such as influenza because they have worked successfully for years. Many people don’t outwardly react to common vaccinations because most all have had some exposure to the disease before. Updated versions and boosters for some vaccinations are given as needed and when a disease morphs every year such as influence and now Covid.

The Covid vaccine was the first to use the MRNA delivery system but that isn’t what created the noticeable reactions to the vaccination. It was the rareness of the virus itself. It is a Nuevo virus like nothing any of our bodies had ever faced before so our immune system were blindsided.
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https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/different-types-of-covid-19-vaccines/art-20506465

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The goal of any vaccination is to give our immune system a heads up to recognize a potential invader should we be exposed. By giving a vaccine with either a live-attenuated serum or an inactivated (dead) virus, a very tiny amount of the virus is injected into our body. Our immune systems start creating antibodies for the disease. If we are exposed in the future, then our immune system can launch an attack faster because some antibodies have already been made.
It doesn’t prevent us from getting ill but the virulence of the disease and duration should be much less because it won’t take as long for our body to ramp up the production of the killer cells.

The humorous way it was explained to me by my allergist…With certain vaccines, such as Shingrix and many others, it is given in 2 or 3 small doses. Basically the first dose excites the immune system, creating a special special Ops unit…armed with antibodies. He likened them to the Imperial Storm troopers in Star Wars. They stand around waiting for something exciting to happen.
The second shot, 6 months later, sounds the alarm to the immune system “special unit”, that a ‘bug’ has breached the defense barrier. The rapid response team launches an all out attack! The reaction: Fever, chills and fatigue as killer cells create a perfectly normal response to an illness. The reaction is often short-lived (one to several days) because so many white blood cells are now prepped and ready to take on the virus. Once things calm down they all go back to guarding…but the cells have memory and they will know if there is an exposure.

It’s especially important for people who have compromised immune systems to take advantage of vaccinations to stay healthy and give their body a head start with reacting.

After your vaccination, have some over the counter analgesic such as Tylenol or Advil handy if you can take them, to ease any discomfort. From what I hear, having the shingles is far worse than a few days of feeling loagy.

Have you had a pneumonia vaccination?

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Thanks. Good info. It's just that with the covid vaccine and shingles vaccine, the side effects were so intense and in some cases alarming (tinnititus with the covid vaccine and neuropothy with shingles #1). I've never had side effects from the Flu vax and i get that annually. The good news is that I'm one of the lucky ones who hasn't had Covid (yet!) and I know the vaccine is probably the reason. No, I haven't had the pneumonia vax yet.

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I had the shingles vaccine because the transplant specialist made a point of telling me how important it was in order to avoid potentially "a lifetime of pain." I had the vaccine, and I had no side effects it.

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Shingrix can be nasty!
It laid me flat and caused a low grade fever to such an extent that I had to cancel my plans for two days after both doses, and I’ve talked with friends who had the same reactions.

Now here’s a gift for you: Different Chinese Acupuncturists informed me that they can help resolve shingles with acupuncture! IF you ever get shingles—the vaccine is no guarantee—get thee to an acupuncturist! Best wishes!

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@dablues

I got mine in 2019 and have been suffering ever since. It gave me neuropathy and I did NOT have it before getting the Shingrix vaccine and it was 2nd dose that did me in. I no longer will be taking any vaccine ever again.

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A possible clue... There is a connection between this vaccine (Shingrix) and aggravation of a possibly existing Epstein-Barr infection. EBV is the cause of MONONUCLEOSIS. My monocyte levels were though the roof, yet the ER doc, my primary care doc, and a Rheumatologist at a well respected hospital failed to address this, as well as other extreme reactions. As a matter of fact , I have yet to get a referral to any docs with immunological smarts.

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@raye

Shingrix can be nasty!
It laid me flat and caused a low grade fever to such an extent that I had to cancel my plans for two days after both doses, and I’ve talked with friends who had the same reactions.

Now here’s a gift for you: Different Chinese Acupuncturists informed me that they can help resolve shingles with acupuncture! IF you ever get shingles—the vaccine is no guarantee—get thee to an acupuncturist! Best wishes!

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Also remember there is an antiviral for Shingles. Acyclovir.
I started having weird pains wrapping around my torso . I went to urgent care and the doc knew immediately what was happening. Got me on Acyclovir and the rash never even broke through. I had watched my mom with a severe case and knew my symptoms might indicate shingles. Don’t fool around though, you need to get started right away for it to be most effective.
I’m a real believer in antivirals and wish Paxlovid had been made available more quickly. It it had been, I might not be dealing with Long Covid right now!

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I had the Shingrix vaccine in February of 2022. When she put the needle in my arm I yelled at her asking what she did to me then she injected and my arm was on fire. I swore at her and she said I was being a whimp. My arm started to swell and Within 3 hours I couldn’t breathe in or out of my nose and I had the loudest ringing in my ears. I called the on call number for my Dr. because it was after hours. My Dr. eas the one on call. I asked her if she thought I was having an allergic reaction, and if she thought I needed to go in or take a Benadryl. She said my reaction had nothing to do with the vaccine and that I probably was getting a cold. I took a Benadryl anyway. I could not breathe through my nose for three days, and the ringing in my ears never stopped. Throughout the next few weeks, I noticed my right arm is becoming weak and not able to hold itself up. I am a hairdresser. And that is a problem. I called my doctor again to let her know what was going on. She had me come in and asked if I had ever heard of Guillain-Barré syndrome and wanted me to go to neurology and said that she thinks that the nurse hit a nerve for giving me the vaccine. My biceps would kill me, and my arm would just fall by the end of the day. I also started having problems with my legs and knees. I felt like I was walking through mud and my legs weighed 50 pounds apiece. My knees ache all the time. I finally get into neurology and had a few tests done . The test showed nothing significant. I have lost feeling in my one knee on the bottom of my one foot and I have lost the reflexes in my knees and ankles. I was prescribed gabapentin as well as a few other medication‘s and I’ve had an adverse reaction to everyone of them. This is something I have never had before the shingles vaccine. My neurologist and my doctor decided that this was all in my head, and that it will go away in a few months. I started having severe muscle cramps and spasms in my legs and hands, crazy itching on my face and eyebrows, constant fasciculations, trouble, swallowing, extreme fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, burning throughout my body, twitching throughout my body, problems with my eyes, elevated heart rate, crazy high blood pressure ( on meds for that already) and the insane ringing in my ears that never stops. Found another neurologist and I’ve had a ton of tests done. Nothing comes back to crazy. I’ve tried Physical Therapy, I’ve been to rheumatology, cardiology,and today I went to allergy immunology and he said it wasn’t an allergic reaction and he couldn’t help. I have tried every medication recommended, and I have had an adverse reaction to each one. I have just started with my third neurologist and feel like we’re finally getting somewhere maybe! This one checked my antibodies for vcv and ebv both of which were 10 times the amount they should be. He believes I have parsonage turner syndrome in my arm and CIDP both caused by the vaccine. I am currently taking high doses of biotin and low-dose naltrexone. It is the first thing I’ve been able to take that takes the edge off of all of the symptoms. They are still there every day and we are still trying to figure this out. If there’s anyone else that has any of these symptoms or any diagnosis please respond. I am desperate at this point to feel better. I am constantly looking up information, looking on blogs, basically looking anywhere I can find any information that can help. I would be grateful if anyone had any information they could share with me!

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I received my first shingles shot 4 days ago. I have been sick ever since. I feel weak, feverish, and nighttime is not fun. I have been sweating so bad, I had to turn my air conditioner on. Still didn't help. This all started with the injection so I truly feel it's from that. Anyone else had these problems? Can I skip #2?

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My internist told me to expect a couple of days of flu symptoms after the shingles vaccine and don’t plan any activities.

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@magyar

My internist told me to expect a couple of days of flu symptoms after the shingles vaccine and don’t plan any activities.

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And did you have any side effects? I’m 73, and fully intend to get the vax, but I keep forgetting about it 🫤!

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