I had chicken pox when I was little and about 20 years ago I had a small case of shingles. I remember going to the doctor and I think I got some salve to put on it and it went away. I don't remember having much pain with it though. I know a lot of people do though.

Missmaggie... I got my shot in September. Just had a copay of 10 dollars. I had a bad outbreak of shingles two years ago. I agree, it was the very worst pain I have ever had.

I've had the prescription twice but never got the shot. My sisters have both had shingles and now the shots. I should get it. I think I'm afraid of side effects from it. Tell me I'm wrong.

Jkayd_il5, I can tell you that I tend to avoid things like vaccines and prescription drugs, but after much thought and research (including writing an article on the subject for our local newspaper), I decided to get the shot last year. No regrets!

If you do a search here, you might (if the GW search engine is working better than it usually does) find threads about shingles, including accounts of people losing their eyesight to it. Shingles is really worth avoiding if you can.

I can also tell you that you don't need a prescription to get the shot. So if you've lost your prescription (as I did), don't bother asking for another one.

I got mine last year with no side effects. Co-pay of $130, I think it was.

We did not have a prescription. Just walked in and got the shot. They gave in the back part of our upper arm. I had just a tiny bit of a sore arm. I do not regret getting it. I know they can treat shingles and have success, but I think I want to avoid shingles if I can.

Does it do any good to get the shot if you've already had shingles?

My DH had the shot about a month ago, no side effects whatsoever, not even soreness at the injection site.

My sis had it in Nov before changing from private insurance to Medicare (reached that magic birthday) - wanted the shot on her old insurance because it paid better. About 10 days later she came down with 4 days fever, chills, tiny bright red head to toe rash. We don't know if it had anything to do with the shot, it didn't look like chicken pox (which we've both had, measles too, everything but mumps), just that the timing might make one wonder.

I'm still deciding, I keep meaning to ask my doctor what she thinks but haven't yet, see her in June.

It's my understanding that you can get shingles more than once. Try googling it and/or wait for alisande to return... she's researched shingles.

I got my shot several years ago. It ended up not costing me anything at that time.

Shirley

sjerin.... I had a bad outbreak a couple years ago. My family doc insisted i get the vaccine afterwards, but I had to wait a whole year after the outbreak. And, at that time the min. age for the shot was 60, so I also had to wait until I turned 60. I think the age thing is lower now.

jk....,I did not have any side effects to the injection

Shirley's right--you can get it more than once. I had shingles in 2009 and am in the "never again!" camp.

Those with compromised immune systems cannot have the shingles vaccine, the vaccine uses live virus.

This was probably the case with your neighbor, MissMR. His immune system was under enough stress with his health issues.

There are antiviral medications one can take to prevent an outbreak.

I had the shot a few months ago - absolutely no side effects, not even a sore arm.

Shots here are $170 per person...
My Mom had it years ago and doesn't remember, I do,
she hurt a lot..
My SIL got it and was miserable, tried to ignore it, was
in severe pain and went to the ER, pain lasted for months.
I talked to the DR assistant, she said if you get the rash
come in right away and they can shorten any problems. She
also said you can still get shingles with the shot but it won't be so bad.
So far we haven't gotten them..

I have an autoimmune disease and I got the shingles shot. Gotta trust your doctor. I was very lucky in that my insurance paid for it.

I got the shot. My arm was sore a couple of days, but that's nothing compared to what I hear about shingles.

I stalled and stalled, probably a year before getting it? But why? I don't know, but I'm glad I'm covered now.

I think I have had the mildest shingles on record. Went to my MD thinking I had a spider bite (and after the 4th of July weekend)and it was shingles. It felt like a bite and had a small red streak at the outer edge of my eyebrow. Not much pain etc....but even today once in a while I will touch that area and it hurts. Strange. Compromised immune system, so I guess that is why my MD has not recommended the vaccine. DH too as he has RA.

Mom had cancer, chemo, then radiation and then got shingles. Her oncologist told her that it is quite common for people to have shingles after going through all that. Again, as mjny said, because of a compromised immune system. She had it on the left side of her head, included her left eye and her scalp. Even now, 4 years later, there are days that the pain just drives her crazy. Some days it's not so bad. But her eyesight was definitely affected. And now she has to have the doctor pluck out ingrown eyelashes in that eye several times a year. She got the shot because she NEVER wants to go through that again.

I got the vaccination and it was free. My insurance covered it. Wish I still had that insurance.

My friend's husband has shingles right now. It's on the back of his neck. They both got the vaccine, but he got shingles anyway. However, his case is very mild. Doctor said that it would have been much worse without the shot.

His was brought on by stress. They have two daughters in their thirties with breast cancer. Unbelievable. Things are not looking good for one of them, btu they are still hopeful.

Get the shingles vaccine if you can and also keep up with your mammograms.

Thank you, jenna. I'll ask my doctor about it the next time I see him.

I asked my doctor and she said it was okay for me to have the vaccination. I had shingles years ago on one side of my back and it was not fun.

Yesterday afternoon I got the shot and it didn't hurt a bit. The nurse told me it is about 50% effective, but that's okay with me.

My DH got shingles the end of Oct. 2011. He was gone when he noticed the blisters(on a Tues)and thought he got burned from the shower. He got home on Sat. and I looked at them and told him he better get to the Dr. first thing Mon. AM. Then on second thought I said he better get to the emergency room yet that day. He didn't argue.

Making a long story short, the ER Dr. put him on 4000mg.(no, that is not a mistake)a day of anti-viral meds and told him to go see his regular Dr. on Tues. The regular Dr. told him, he could be a billboard for shingles, that it was the worse case(other than someone having them in their eye)that he had ever seen in all his years of praticing. Today, he still is having problems with his shirts rubbing on his skin.

He was out of work for 7 weeks and even to this day, I think he is working in spite of the fact he is still in pain.

Shot or no shot, get to the Dr. if you notice blisters anywhere on your body, with no explanation as to why.

As I understand it, if you have ever had chicken pox, you've got shingles. It is a life long infection from the pox virus - your body never completely rids itself of it. The virus lies dormant most of the time and for many folks, their bodies keeps it in check their entire life. But if it erupts again, it arrives in the form of shingles.

That's the way I understand it too, jemdandy. My thought is, all these kids nowadays are getting vaccinated to prevent getting chicken pox. I wonder if there will be consequences for that 50-60 years down the road.

DH got a bad case of shingles 3 years ago, and he still has flareups once in a while ; I went for the shingles vaccine shortly after, I was told it removes 60% of the risk of ever getting it.