@MaineLonghorn, reading that link, I agree with you. Thank you for posting your thoughts, fevered findings and I’m hoping your reasoning is right re age/parents @my2sunz. Plus you made me feel young today! After reading some of those posts … wow … just wow. Definitely did not have it as bad as some/scary. Very disconcerting.
Interesting that some “odd” symptoms I disregarded (extreme thirst) others experienced too. Looking for the positive: knowing the Cape Cod Kettle Chips I ate on the way to appt.can remain in my future:)
I had only a sore arm for both of my Shingrex shots — I was close to 60. My H who is >75 had flu-like symptoms both shots. My folks in their late 80s/early 90s didn’t report any reaction.
May have been an oversight at doc office, but did you receive paperwork re Shingrex? I got vaccine information statement for flu shot, but not the shingrex.
That is particularly good to know about your parents, @HImom (sorry about yours and @MaineLonghorn’s DHs though). My DH didn’t have any reaction, but has type 1 diabetes, other stuff – moving forward I’m a bit concerned.
For anyone else reading this thread later on, I too had some dizziness/near faint like symptoms that again I just attributed to being tired. Also have slight bruising/redness at injection site, but underneath a baseball size area of warm, redder discoloration.
Nurse called back – said doc recommended vaccine 2 (which is fine) and shared that a number of patients have been having reactions. That none have gone past 24 hours. Can I gripe? NO ONE TOLD ME THAT! They’re also going to let me know what dosage/which pain med to take prior to second vaccine.
While I felt like crap, my husband I think felt worse – I finally had to tell him to leave the room because his stressing was stressing me (but he kept peeking in:)
lucked out, and found a pharmacy yesterday afternoon with shingrix in stock. Slightly sore deltoid but that’s about it. (Also, a little muscle stiffness, particularly in the legs, but a attribute that to a long run yesterday. 1 Alleve to the rescue)
Pro tip: took the shot in the dominant arm, and purposely used it to drive home, eat dinner, wash dishes, etc. In my way of thinking, dominant arm vaccines diffuses the vaccine faster and therefore reduces the lingering arm pain.
I had shot in nondominant arm, as did H and my folks. I tend not to react too much to vaccines tho I react badly to a lot of oral medicines. H does tend to react to vaccines.
I’ve never had a reaction to a vaccine, except one faulty injection (too high shoulder). I had Shingrex non-dominant arm, iced --reaction. Same visit, flu shot dominant arm, no ice – no reaction.
For me, the arm pain was secondary to feeling like full blown flu; that said, after reading some others’ responses, I’m fine with 24 hours of fever, chills and aches.
@busdriver11 – did you get your second shot? @HLmom – just confirming your husband still had adverse reaction with second dose?
After reading this thread more carefully, it seems a few posters are posting first and subsequent second reactions. Oh well – I’ll feel better prepared. Real problem: my husband is going to require tremendous “encouragement” to get his second dose after this.
@pilot2012 Remind your husband that even with a bad reaction to the shot, it’s still better than shingles with possible lifelong aftereffects. Plus, he’s halfway there.
I had bad but different reactions to both shots. I definitely had to psych myself up for the 2nd one. First go round, I had generalized flu-like malaise including nausea. No 24 hours for me, it seemed to last for weeks.
Second shot, my arm got red & swollen & itched like the dickens. I tried ice packs, baking soda paste, and possibly allergy drugs (I was concerned about drugs possibly dampening the desired immune effect, can’t remember now if I did or didn’t take them). The itchiness was intense for about a week and was gone by about 2 weeks. You could still see a 2 inch dark red circle on my arm at 2 weeks and it finally went away after that.
Postherpetic neuralgia, a not too rare aftereffect of shingles, can cause pain lasting for YEARS, so discomfort from the shots is worth it.
I need to get this…I think i had the single shot for shingles.
When I was 12, I had the mildest case of chicken pox on record…three little chicken pox all on my stomach, and not really noticed until they scabbed over. When I was pregnant for the first time, I believe they checked my immunity…and I have it for chicken pox. In addition, I worked in primary schools all my working career, and my son had a gazzilion chicken pox. If i was going to get chicken pox again…I think I would have!
DD was exposed to the pox many…many times and everyone else around her got chicken pox…she didn’t. So…she had the shot.
So…my question…how soon should get this new shingles shot? I know…as soon as I can get it…right?
Yes, to the above question, my flu like reaction to the second shot was as bad or maybe worse than the first one! I called the pharmacy after the first one, just to report it, they said that 1% of people have the bad reaction,
It reminds me of when I nearly scheduled a colonoscopy the week of DD’s graduation. They said I’d be totally fine to travel that week, but I felt horrible for days afterwards (one of the meds) and am so glad I decided not to make that week of graduation travel so busy! I wish for the first shingles shot they had mentioned the side effect possibilities when I scheduled.
I’m sure we grown ups will be covered…but the recommendation for age for this shot series is 20 years older than our kids. I’m guessing theirs won’t be covered…
@thumper1 – I’ll just chime in with the rest – prioritize this. And just to reiterate my humble, try to separate the flu and shingle injections. Also, avert your eyes rest of my post:)
@alooknac – emphatically agree with you re getting second shot! So sorry that you had negative reactions and that they were long-term. When I read the responses that @my2sunz posted earlier, one poster reported itchiness like you but all over and that “I visited my doctor last week and was told that the vaccine boosts the immune system so strongly that it can cause eczema type irritations that can last up to 3 months.” :-S I still have a huge red blotch. Funny though, when cheerleader DS saw it he said, “Mom, you’re really building up great immunity.” HA!
thumper: you might have to call around. I called several places before I found a CVS inside Target that had the shingrix. Interestingly, I called a couple of other local CVS’s and they did not have.
