Hi @alanbruce, I have not gotten the new Shingrix Shingles Vaccination yet but I have been thinking about it. Here's some information I found that does a good job at selling it for me.

What Everyone Should Know about Shingles Vaccine (Shingrix)
— https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html

I have PMR and and on 5mg prednisone. I asked my rheumatologist at Mayo if I could take the Shingles vaccine. He approved it. I took both shots and except for a mild reaction of fatigue, I was fine. Every case is different but wanted to give you an example. Good luck to you.

I had shingles a couple of months ago when I also was developing PMR. I see my doctor to-morrow and plan to discuss the shots. Will post if he says anything I deem relevant.

Thank you everyone. I appreciate your feedback. I have an appointment next week with my rheumatologist and I will see what she has to say. I will also post that information. John's CDC link was very good.

I have PMR and GCA and had a shingles outbreak since coming down with these conditions so my doctor recommended I have the Shingrix shot. I recently had the first of the two shot series. I am still on 12mg prednisone

Hi @bt56..did your doctor say if the PMR caused the shingles? Just wondering because I’ve had shingles and have PMR now.

No, my doctor didn’t say that PMR caused the shingles. He said it was from my immune system being so low and my stress level being so high

I hate to sound stupid.. but what is PMR?

Hi @grammlyn, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. There are no stupid questions! PMR is polymyalgia rheumatica. My rheumatologist described it as arthritis all over the body. Mayo Clinic has some information that describes the condition here:
— https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polymyalgia-rheumatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20376539

Are you looking for any specific type of health information or do you have any questions you are trying to get answered?

I am trying desperately to find medical help for Oral Lichen Planus

Hi @grammlyn, There is an active discussion on Oral Lichen Planus that you might want to join and post any questions you might have. Here is the link to the discussion:

Groups > Autoimmune Diseases > Erosive oral lichen planus
— https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/erosive-oral-lichen-planus/

For anyone who had chicken pox, also known as varicella zoster, they will also be susceptible to shingles, or herpes zoster. The virus lives at the base of the spine until later in life when it resurfaces as shingles, or herpes zoster. If the immune system is low or a person has comorbitities, this makes you more susceptible to getting shingles earlier. Some never get it if the immune system is good. But more than likely you will. That is one reason the chicken pox vaccine was developed for children. If they’ve not had chicken pox, they probably won’t get shingles. Once you get the shingles vaccine it only lasts about 5 years so you don’t want to get it to early.

At age 84 I have not had the shingles vaccine as I did have shingles a few years ago. What was the initial dosage that you were started on? Has your PA continued to monitor your blood Sed Rate and CRP? Tapering down on Prednisone should be slow — and the lower the dosage the slower the decrease should be. Good Luck during follow-up care. It's tough feeling miserable.

I received the two shots in August/September of 2018. The painful symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica appeared shortly thereafter – morning pain/stiffness, in chest, shoulders, neck, back and hips. Bllod analysis failed to identify the cause with any certainty. Finally a PA used Prednisone treatment to at least temporarily relieve my discomfort. It worked almost immediately, thus revealing the PMR…and I’ve been “on” the damned stuff ever since. Tapering hasn’t worked, the discomfort is intense, constant, very depressing. Have other members of this group had a similar reaction to the shingles vaccination. (Btw I am not an anti-vaxxer, not even close). Thanks for your kind attention. Am a 77 year old male in otherwise reasonably good health living in Northern VErmont.

Hello, @karlskl, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like you've dealt with a lot of pain and discomfort in the last couple of years with the polymyalgia rheumatica. I've been on prednisone for short stretches for my asthma when I've had a flare, and it's a challenging drug to be on, though it definitely works.

I actually was offered the shingles vaccine at a recent appointment. I think it's now offered for those like me who are not elderly but who have asthma or some sort of compromised immune system. I believe the doctor forgot to have the nurse return at the end of the appointment to administer the vaccine, even though I consented early in the visit. So, now I have more time to consider. However, having had shingles a number of years back, I definitely would not want that to recur and would be inclined to be vaccinated.

Does the physician's assistant think that the shingles vaccine is a likely culprit for your polymyalgia rheumatica? Is it possible they were correlated in time only?