billyjack2009 said:

---

I turn 50 in December. After reading this I'm going to get the vaccine right away!

---

Yes! Do it! My first two rounds with shingles, maybe 16 and 32 year old me was tougher, but 40 year old me is beaten up pretty badly.

I got my first shot within weeks of my 50th birthday earlier this year. Just had a sore arm and feeling a little flu-ish /headachy for a day - an easy decision compared to getting shingles.

I got the vaccine in my 40s, they'll move up the age requirements when you have T1 diabetes.

I felt bad for a day, but it wasn't terrible. I just laid on the couch and watched TV.

Remember, that you have to get 2 shots a few months apart for the full effect.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

---

Pro Sandy said:

---

Another round of Valtrex, lidocaine topical, and tramadol for pain

---

Not sure why no one is giving you gabapentin. The virus lives in nerves, and gabapentin is a pain medication that focuses on nerve pain. Tramadol is a gross drug. You're better off just getting morphine.

---

I had a very rough bout of shingles in 2018 and I want to echo the gabapentin recommendation. That was an absolute godsend for me. My outbreak was on a nerve line on my face running from my upper lip to my left eye. I looked like a zombie with the scabs on my face, don't even want to share the pictures (though I have a pretty cool permanent scar on my cheekbone that I can make up stories about to my kids and their friends).

I went several days undiagnosed because I was only 33 and shingles never even crossed my mind, thought I had a staph infection or something. Finally hit the right person at an urgent care on got prescribed gabapentin and got relief within an hour or two. Before that it was several days living with the sensation of thousands of needles being poked into your face at once.

Asked two different doctors about gabapentin, both just gave me antihistamines instead. Don't know

Got it in my eye in 2020. Gabapentin was a lifesaver. Make sure to wean off slowly tho

EMY92 said:

---

I got the vaccine in my 40s, they'll move up the age requirements when you have T1 diabetes.

---

If one is immunocompromised or will be going on an immunosuppressant medication, then the age limit is lowered.

My wife had it a little over a year ago. For her it was on her face. She looked like half elephant man for about 2 weeks. Pain was unbearable for about 4 days. Unfortunately it turned into long term nerve damage. The itching didn't stop. There is absolutely nothing that will stop the itching because it's the nerves. It has subsided over the past year but she still has periods of itching on her nose over a year later.

How ya doin?

Got my vaccine on the 29th. Shingrix. Being 40, that's the only one I'll get right now.

Wasn't bad. Sore arm, slight low grade fever the next two days and felt worn out, mainly in my chest, for about 24 hours.

Hopefully no more shingles.

doesn't the vaccine protect you for 10 years then you have to get it again ?

And I have shingles again...

Same place as last time, but much more milder. Had it about a week, but since it was mild, didn't come to doctor until today. Said it was too late for valtrex and to just wait it out.

Dang. Sorry. Hope you're better soon.

WHAT THE HELL?!? That's just awful!

BullSprig07 said:

---

bigtruckguy3500 said:

---

Pro Sandy said:

---

Another round of Valtrex, lidocaine topical, and tramadol for pain

---

Not sure why no one is giving you gabapentin. The virus lives in nerves, and gabapentin is a pain medication that focuses on nerve pain. Tramadol is a gross drug. You're better off just getting morphine.

---

I had a very rough bout of shingles in 2018 and I want to echo the gabapentin recommendation. That was an absolute godsend for me. My outbreak was on a nerve line on my face running from my upper lip to my left eye. I looked like a zombie with the scabs on my face, don't even want to share the pictures (though I have a pretty cool permanent scar on my cheekbone that I can make up stories about to my kids and their friends).

I went several days undiagnosed because I was only 33 and shingles never even crossed my mind, thought I had a staph infection or something. Finally hit the right person at an urgent care on got prescribed gabapentin and got relief within an hour or two. Before that it was several days living with the sensation of thousands of needles being poked into your face at once.

---

That was me, about 20 years ago. I thought it was pain from a root canal I had a couple days before. It triggered in my trigeminal nerve. I had stabbing on my face, in my ear, half my tongue, roof of my mouth, plus Bell's Palsy, for 13 weeks. I couldn't sleep or work. I could barely eat or drink. I had done a course of antivirals, but they had no effect. The doctor wouldn't prescribe me pain medicine, so I was taking Advil and Nyquil. One night around 3am I was reading about it on the internet and a line caught my eye that said something to the effect of "after 12 weeks, symptoms are usually permanent and these cases generally result in suicide attempts." I cried myself to sleep that night, thinking that I couldn't do that to my wife and children, but I didn't know how I could go for decades more of my life like that. I woke up the next afternoon with all symptoms gone.

Now when people ask me about the vaccine, I tell them I would take it daily if required to avoid that experience again.

Turned 50 in mid-May. Had my first dose before May ended and 2nd in August. Shingles stories are horror stories, and I am not messing around with it. First dose my arm hurt for a few days but no other sode effects. Second dose had me feeling a bit achy and feverish the next day, but it cleared that night. Similar arm pain for a few days as the first. Get the shot. Wish they would let folks do it at 40

How're you doing?

I'm good! This case was more milder than the last one. I'm guessing it is a flareup from the case i had last year as it appeared in the same places, left leg then right leg. I'm an odd case with it disseminated across multiple dermatomes on both sides of the body.

The first doctor I saw this time didn't want to give me anything since it had been several days since onset. Went to another doctor two days later as it had spread and she put me on valtrex. Here's where I have to stress it isnt for that herp! When I told my free spirited boss, she said that she was on a daily dose of valtrex. I feel it needs a different name for those of us who take it for shingles and not for being promiscuous.

I did ask the doctor if I needed to be concerned about some immunocompromise since I keep getting it. Ran lab tests and everything was good.

May just have bad genes. My maternal grandma had it 5 times (or 3 times, one case flared up two more times in the same year) starting when she was young. One case got in her eye and she ended up later getting a cornea transplant. My dad had it in his 30s. My brother got it last year.

Good to hear you're done with it. Those stories are scary.

Regarding Gabapentin - make sure you and the ones closest to you know about the severe depression/urge to hurt yourself side effects.