I Got My Flu Shot Today - Page 5

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
I also had a flu shot today. I asked about the shingles vaccine and the pharmacist said to come back in 2 weeks.

FYI...I had shingles in May and got extremely ill. I contracted iritis and had a retinal bleed because they traveled from my forehead to my eye. They also went to my scalp. I was hospitalized at one point. I now have nerve damage and post herpetic neuralgia. If I could just save one person from suffering what I did, please, please get a Shingles vaccine.
That sounds horrendous, @Trinity11. I had shingles on my torso, which is the most common, I think. From what I gather, I had a relatively mild case, maybe because I started taking whatever it is that doctors recommend within 48 hours after diagnosis.

But I still went for the first shot they came out with and then the two-shot series. I didn't want to take any chances on getting it again. I don't think that that is very common, though.

Will your herpetic neuralgia gradually go away?
@suzyQ3, I was told by my dermatologist that I was undertreated when she saw me the second week. She prescribed different meds but at that point it was probably too late.

The post herpatic neuralgia is better than it was back in July but it still requires some pain relief at night. The two neurologists I saw claim it may get better or stay the same. There is no diagnostic test that can predict the outcome.

I am sorry to read that you had shingles too. I had not had the vaccine because every time I looked for it, no doctor I went to had it. I was trying CVS but they kept telling me they were out of it due to a shortage. I really wish I had followed up with it.
@Trinity11, you might ask your doctor about getting the newest shingle shots. I don't know whether your herpatic neuralgia would impact his or her decision. I am glad I did get them, despite having had shingles.

I hope that your post-shingles problem does continue to abate. I know it must be awful.

@suzyQ3thank you. I checked and in two weeks I am going to get the first dose of Shingrix. I am worried it will activate the pain but my doctor said it is imperative I get it. It is not a live virus so he says it is safe. You are right about getting it a second time. My neurologist said she has seen it numerous times in immune suppressed individuals.

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@lovesrecess wrote:
My grandmother had shingles when I was about 11...the only time I can remember seeing her cry...due to the pain. What do they do to treat shingles now?

@lovesrecess, they treat it with anti-virals. Some doctors prescribe a short course of steroids with it. In the hospital I had intravenous steroids. They also prescribe creams.

Your grandmother's experience was mine also.

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@suzyQ3 wrote:
@pitdakota wrote:
@CelticCrafter wrote:
@SXMGirl wrote:
I have never had the flu shot but have been thinking about getting one for the first time. Since I have never had the flu, I really have no idea how sick anyone can get. I just read that if you have aches and other side effects from the shot, that this is how you know that the antibodies are working.
And what if you don't get aches or side effects? Does it mean it's not working?

Not sure I believe that.
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@CelticCrafter, you can be assured it is true. However, just like there are a range of symptoms of someone with the common cold, there are a range of symptoms for people's immune systems that are revving up to respond to the influenza vaccination.

As part of my role of nursing faculty at a large university, we pared with the School of Medicine and did public health talks about influenza vaccinations in large at risk populations. The way we always explained this is that one you receive the vaccination, the body responds to it as a foreign invader. We always included that running a slight fever, feeling some general malaise is your body's response to the foreign invasion and preparing antibodies to prepare the body in case you did have to "wage battle" when the real virus attempted to enter your body.

There are many things going on with the immune response for vaccination which people might not think about. Even running a fever is caused by the body's response of sending certain types of phagocytic leukocytes which are basically a type of Pac Man white blood cells as part of the immune response.

Here is a medical article that discusses even the pathogenesis of a fever in response to an infection or "invader""

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/552177/

There are many responses taking place to prepare the body to wage a battle if indeed it needs to when exposed to the actual virus, with a wide range of symptoms people might experience while others have no symptoms.

For those posting about having generalized soreness at the injection site, we encouraged exercising your arm by doing arm circles. Soreness at the injection site is related to the tissues at the site responding to the serum that has been injected. Exercising the arm speeds up circulation which helps promote faster absorption and will help with soreness. You can also put a warm compress to the site. Again, the warmth increases circulation which helps with absorption as well as feeling somewhat soothing while the compress is in place.

@pitdakota, are you saying that if you don't get any side effects from the flu shot that it it is not working?

My husband and I both had the senior shot on Monday and have had no side effects at all.

This worries me.

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Hi @suzyQ3! No, just because you don't experience any symptoms doesn't mean you have not illicited an appropriate immune response to the vaccination. There are a wide range of signs/symptoms in all people for all diseases, illnesses, etc.

For example, some people have a heart attack and never have any symptoms at all. They still had the heart attack even though they never had any type of pain, shortness of air, etc. It isn't the most common presentation for a heart attack, but it sure does happen to quite a few people.

And since shingles has been mentioned here, the vast majority of people that have shingles really suffer. Some go on to have the post herpetic neuralgia that can be associated with shingles. And some have really mild symptoms with shingles. But all had shingles. There is just a wide variation of what people do or don't experience.

Some just experience symptoms from the immune response to the vaccination and others don't have any trouble at all. One of those things that occurs. But it doesn't mean that if you don't experience symptoms that the vaccination didn't work.

They learned this early on with influenza vaccinations when they drew antibody levels. Even people that experienced no symptoms of immune response still developed normal antibody titers. They were basically the same level as people that reported running a low grade temp and a few body aches.

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@icezeus wrote:

@Anonymous032819

I want you to know that I laughed at your joke while reading it.

I am 53 and I remember last year while I was at the doctors office asking for the Shingles shot because I absolutely do not want to come down with it. My doctor told me that I was not old enough for the shot. (sigh) However, a few days ago I saw a commercial for some type of shingle shot and they mentioned if you are in your 50's ask your doctor for it. The next time I have to go for an in person visit I am going to request it again.

Several years ago, I had a co-worker in the office who was in her 60's and she had been out for about a week or so, and I guess she came back to work too soon. She was sitting at her desk crying she was in so much pain.

No... That's a hard pass for me.

I forgot to add that I received my flu shot in early September.

I got shingles in my early 50's while on vacation with three small grandkids and my husband. My friend's son got shingles in his early 20's. You do not have to be over 60 or have a compromised immune system to get shingles.

The problem is that insurance usually covers the shingles vaccine for those over 60 and not younger folks. This shot is expensive. My sister paid over $300 for her shingles shot. The cost is high because the med needs to be refrigerated at a constant temptature. That is why it is not usually given in a doctor's office and you need to go the pharmacy to get it.

Ask your pharmacist if you can get one.

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@SXMGirl wrote:
For those of you who have had the shot, I just took a look at the Costco schedule since I will be there on Friday. They have a list of the different shots available, and there is just the flu shot, and then there is flu plus shingles, flu plus pneumonia, and flu plus whopping cough. As I read some of your responses, I thought that you had to wait before getting any of the other shots. I had the shingles vaccine (my doctor only gave me one, but some of you have had two), but I have not had the pneumonia shot. Whooping cough? If you have experience with getting the flu shot with another, can you advise? Thanks.

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@SXMGirl, yes you can receive other vaccines at the same time of the flu vaccine. Some healthcare professionals will recommend waiting for some individuals that have a certain medical history, just out of caution. For example, if someone has a certain type of autoimmune disorder they will probably recommed waiting between vaccinations. There are other situations in which they might recommend waiting. Some health care professionals might prefer for different times just in the off chance there is a vaccine adverse reaction that they clearly know which vaccine caused the problem. Just depends on personal preference of the medical professional and the individual's medical history..

So you can receive the flu vaccination and pneumonia vaccine or flu vaccination and shingles vaccine at the same time. It is commonly done in healthy adults.

Here is an article for a study conducted on older individuals receiving both flu and pneumonia vaccines at the same time:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9258527/

And here is the information on the CDC website talking about getting the flu vaccine and shingles vaccine at the same time. Scroll down to the question "Can I give Shingrix with other adult vaccines?".

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@Trinity11 wrote:
I also had a flu shot today. I asked about the shingles vaccine and the pharmacist said to come back in 2 weeks.

FYI...I had shingles in May and got extremely ill. I contracted iritis and had a retinal bleed because they traveled from my forehead to my eye. They also went to my scalp. I was hospitalized at one point. I now have nerve damage and post herpetic neuralgia. If I could just save one person from suffering what I did, please, please get a Shingles vaccine.

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Oh my goodness @Trinity11, I am so sorry to hear this! I bet with you having post herpetic neuralgia they did recommend you waiting 2 weeks in between. I hurt even just thinking about what you went through and are still experiencing due to the post herpetic neuralgia!

My aunt had shingles of the face that also affected her eye that landed her in the hospital. She is no longer with us, but boy did she ever campaign for everyone to get the shingles vaccine.

Please take care!

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@pitdakota wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
I also had a flu shot today. I asked about the shingles vaccine and the pharmacist said to come back in 2 weeks.

FYI...I had shingles in May and got extremely ill. I contracted iritis and had a retinal bleed because they traveled from my forehead to my eye. They also went to my scalp. I was hospitalized at one point. I now have nerve damage and post herpetic neuralgia. If I could just save one person from suffering what I did, please, please get a Shingles vaccine.
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Oh my goodness @Trinity11, I am so sorry to hear this! I bet with you having post herpetic neuralgia they did recommend you waiting 2 weeks in between. I hurt even just thinking about what you went through and are still experiencing due to the post herpetic neuralgia!

My aunt had shingles of the face that also affected her eye that landed her in the hospital. She is no longer with us, but boy did she ever campaign for everyone to get the shingles vaccine.

Please take care!

Thank you @pitdakota . It has been quite the year for everyone.

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

I've not had my flu shot yet (I'm 72), but will get it this month - but it will Not be the senior dosage vaccine that I had last year. I felt horrible for 1 1/2 days - tired, lethargy and achy. All I wanted to do was sleep. Never again.

I had the Shingles vaccine (the 2 shots) last year and didn't experience much of a reaction. For those of you who are putting it off, just do it, either with your PCP or your local pharmacy.

Personally, I wouldn't have more than one vaccine at a time, but that's just my opinion.

TY · ‎03-10-2010

My husband and I also got our flu vaccines today. I called around yesterday to see who had the Fluzone HD flu vaccine made for people 65 years and older as many pharmacies are sold out of it and haven't restocked it yet. But the regular flu vaccine is available most everywhere.

Due to covid, all of the pharmacies require appointments instead of doing a drop-in for social distancing reasons. My husband and I get a flu vaccine every year and this year we decided to get one a couple of weeks earlier than normal for us.

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

Yikes! you all got me to thinking about getting the shingles vaccine, but, when I called Aetna/Silver Script Drug plan (Medicare doesn't cover the shingles, but, they do flu & pneumonia already got that in Sept.) they said it's 2 shots, and cost 360.00 and I would have to pay the co-pay of 312.00.

Bully on that ! My sister gets State help on her insurance and drugs, so, she's going to see if she can get hers at no cost or cheaper what it

would cost me.

Reason it's so high is because only Merck makes it, no generic available and it must be kept in refrigerator and Dr.'s offices don't have refrigeration like pharmacies.

Easy pass for me........