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Full body non shingles rash 3-4 weeks after taking the shingrix vax
I took the shingles vax at the end of November 2025. Around or just pas Christmas I developed a severe red rash all over my body. It was itchy and my body was flushed all over. Face was not affected. I tried Prednisone and reactine which is a anti histamine. I also was told to use steroid ointment all over my body. The rash seemed to improve but not clear. Now near the end of feb 2026 the rash has not abated and is getting worse. The skin is very sensitive to my finger nails and flushed red. The itch occurs in various areas but seems to be controlled by the extra strength lotions I am using. The dermatologist seems to think its a shingrex vaccine reaction. It is the only change I have had in my day to day. Has anyone had this reaction and if so what did you do? I am 76 and over the last month have been puing on weight Thank you in advance
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Hi Zaznagarb,
I am sorry you are having such an awful experience after the shingrix shot. I took shingrix and had a severe reaction with extreme pain and shoulder bone loss necessitating a left reserve shoulder replacement. My rheumatologist have no clue in diagnosing my condition. I am the poster child for RA. PMR, and sero-Negative. They say yes, then no. My local rheumatologist and my Mayo rheumatologist insist I aged into continuing bone destruction. I go ballistic when they say or infer that! I was 74 and felt like a 19 yr old the day before taking Shingrix. I informed Glaxo-Smith-Klein and was given a case number. My specialists are supposed to call their GSK hotline but have not. I did seek advice from my dermatologist regarding Sweet’s syndrome. You might check into that.
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3 Reactions@susanlf
Thank you for your kind reply and I hope things are looking up for you as well. I checked Sweets syndrome and my rash is not like it. My rash is smooth and just under the skin. No bumps and so far no bleeding though I am getting red blotches. I had a biopsy and the results are expected in a few days. I hope the results shed some light. How did you advise GSK. Is there a number or email you can share as I feel this rash should also be reported. The shingrex vax side effects are very rare and I suspect we belong to this select group..... regretfully!!! I do hope you get better.
GSK. I called 888-825-5249. I gave a nurse my particular including the NDC and Lot number of the shingrix batch. I received the information from my CVS pharmacy where I got the first (of two series) shot. Tell you story and you will be given a case reference number.
There is a GSK Medical Information Department (“MID”) at 877-475-6448 but they will not talk to you— only to your doctor. At first I thought they would call my doctors but it’s the other way around. So I have asked my rheumatologists to call MID. They have not, so I will push harder. 😠
The website is GSKUSmedicalaffairs.com. There is a link to reporting adverse events. Please let me know how you do!
In a different thread I posted that after receiving the second Shingrix shot I developed night sweats that have persisted for over two years. Evidently this can happen in people who are immunosuppressed. In my case I reported the matter to the US government, to the CDC website if I remember correctly.
I received the results of the biopsy which was done to ensure the rash was not cancer related. The results acc to the dermatologist confirm the rash was a vaccine related reaction and not cancer related. At present ( mid march) the itch has substantially reduced. However the skin is still red and very sensitive to the touch. There are also some red "blood" spots appearing on my torso and hands. If you press them the blood does not flow away and they remain red. The dermatologist is going to have a look at this in the next few weeks. I am taking a picture of them every few days. As for the rash itself she says it will go in time. I am using copious amounts of vaseline to keep the skin moist. I was using steroid cream but have stopped. I am pretty sure I will not take the second dose. I asked the dermatologist about reporting this reaction to the CDC etc but she said it was a well documented side effect. Lastly, i found that vaseline cuts the itch quite effectively and I hope this helps anyone else who has a similar itch. Perhaps it was just me but who can tell.