If you are 60 or older a shingles shot is recommended.
Last edited Tue Mar 14, 2017, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)
Nolabear posted here in the Lounge her current experience with shingles. Many responded to her, offering their best wishes. Many also recounted their terrible experiences with shingles. Anyone in the recommended age group should do what they feel is best for their own health and in consultation with their doctor. Here is some info on Shingles.
Shingles is a painful skin rash . It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster.
Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again. But it is possible to get shingles more than once.
What causes shingles?
Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. Some medicines may trigger the virus to wake up and cause a shingles rash. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.
You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But there is a small chance that a person with a shingles rash can spread the virus to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine.
What are the symptoms?
Shingles symptoms happen in stages. At first you may have a headache or be sensitive to light. You may also feel like you have the flu but not have a fever.
Later, you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area. That's where a band, strip, or small area of rash may occur a few days later. The rash turns into clusters of blisters. The blisters fill with fluid and then crust over. It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the blisters to heal, and they may leave scars. Some people only get a mild rash. And some do not get a rash at all.
It's possible that you could also feel dizzy or weak. Or you could have pain or a rash on your face, changes in your vision, changes in how well you can think, or a rash that spreads. A rash or blisters on your face, especially near an eye or on the tip of your nose, can be a warning of eye problems.
Call your doctor if you think you may have shingles. It's best to get early treatment. Medicine can help your symptoms get better sooner. And if you have shingles near your eye or nose, see your doctor right away. Shingles that gets into the eye can cause permanent eye damage.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-topic-overview#1
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The vaccine isn't perfect, but for people aged 60 and older it reduces the risk of getting shingles by about 51 percent and the nasty nerve pain by close to 70 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The problem is that unlike the flu and pneumonia vaccines, which are fully covered as a preventive services under Medicare Part B, the shingles shot and other recommended vaccinations are covered as prescription drugs under Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Some of those plans provide better coverage than others, but nearly all of them divide their formularies, or list of covered drugs, into tiers according to cost. You'll pay less out of pocket for drugs in tier 1 and 2, which are mainly lower-priced generics and “preferred brand-name” drugs. And you'll pay more for expensive, “nonpreferred brands” in tier 3 or 4. The most expensive drugs are usually grouped into tier 5.
And, you guessed it, we found that many Part D plans categorize the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, as an expensive tier 3 or 4 drug. Only one company, Merck, makes the shingles shot and there’s currently no generic version.
That means if you haven’t met your annual deductible, you’ll likely wind up paying full price for the shot—around $190. But even after the deductible, depending on your plan, we found that consumers may have to pay a significant part of the shingles vaccine cost, up to $100.
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/why-the-shingles-vaccine-cost-so-much/
= new reply since forum marked as read
I've been dealing w/the shingles on/off for 3 years now.
The vaccine is supposedly 70% effective. If you are over 60 and on Medicare, they will pay for it.
If not, it can cost upwards of $500.00.
It is not recommended for people with certain health conditions, like multiple sclerosis.
Make sure you GRILL YOUR DOCTOR (or whatever you've got as a care professional) before you get this vaccine as they are injecting you with a LIVE virus!
Buyer beware IMO.
It can save you a lot of pain and agony yes, but for some people it is a death sentence, esp. if you have a compromised immune system!!
Heard different things from different people.
Might try googling "side effects shingles vaccine" and see what comes up!
Best of luck!
I appreciate your input 
Luckily, I did not get the vaccine. It is not recommended for people that have multiple sclerosis, esp. if you have the active virus going on in your system any time recent which is my case. It could have some very serious side-effects, including death for god's sake.
I'm not enjoying this ride in life admittedly but I really don't care to die with a massive outbreak of shingles raging.
Cost is not an issue for me as I have supplemental coverage in addition to Medicare that pays for it in full.
My husband can't have it because he's allergic to msg. And he's already had shingles twice.
I'm sorry you're having a rough time, CountAllVotes. 
I hope you have a smoother and uneventful time soon. 
Can't beat that flaked fish with shrimp! Yummy yummy stuff!! Costs a bit yes, but we get it by the case which costs less (only .57 cents for a 3 oz. tin of it!). Wowza!!!! 
And woah did he ever get hit with a SEVERE case of the shingles! It has left him blind in one eye, hearing is about half gone and he never got the vaccine.
He was never exposed to the chicken pox or the measles as he grew up in a very rural area and did not attend school after the 4th grade, hence no known exposure at that time (c. 1940).
He comes from a family of 10 children and they are all in the same boat. None of them have caught the shingles other than him.
In hindsight, I am thinking maybe the vaccine could have helped him. However, he has yet to find a doctor that believes that he never had the chicken pox despite the FACT that none of the other kids in his family had them either to their best recollection(s).
It is a giant 
to us in this issue as we can never get beyond step #1 -- not having ever had chicken pox. I have heard they can test you to find out if you have been exposed to the chicken pox but I am not certain (?).
So, now we have our chicken pox deniers out there!
Ask your doctor and see what sort of an answer you get!
Best of luck!
He was drafted into one of our many wars. I'm sure the Army took good care of him (ha!).
He was discharged in the early 1960s so too long ago to have been vaccinated it seems.
They said I had to wait and allow it to "cool down" for awhile.
When I told them I have MS they told me to "forget it, it is not an option for you".
So it is "not an option" for me is what they say. If it was an option, I'm sure they would have given it to me as they'd like all of the money they get for it.
Best advice is to grill YOUR doctor/care provider. Every one is different.
I tend to not get vaccines, I will admit it. Never had a flu shot in my entire life btw. The shingles vaccine is not a guarantee that you will not get shingles. I was told this by the provider I go to and said provider said that he'd seen people get the shingles that had the vaccine so -- 
IMO.
Last edited Sun Mar 19, 2017, 05:16 PM - Edit history (1)
Believe me, I appreciate it.
It is not easy living in a world that hates the disabled! I went to the retired workers Union Xmas party and was questioned as to why I was retired at such a "young age" (I am 61) and was told that MS "can be a problem for some people" ... yeah right idiot is what I wanted to say but I put on my ignore glasses.
But, I look so damn good you'd never know that I have MS if you ignore the cane, the staggering and the darkened glasses required as I am losing my eyesight slowly due to repetitive attacks of optic neuritis! There are so many people that prejudge the disabled and are so very ignorant. They think MS is the Jerry Lewis disease that they have a telethon for which is muscular dystrophy not multiple sclerosis. It is a difficult life to live believe me and not one I'd wish on anyone.
Thank you again!
and if you've had it once....
I'd have given a lot not to have it the first time, I will say that! I have a high pain threshold but it got my attention bigly.
Walgreens was the company that told me they would NOT give me this vaccine and that I should NEVER consider getting it being I have it active in my system and have a compromised immune system, it is a definite NO.
and was again clearly told NO.
