If you have lung disease copd and you had chicken pox when younger.
would you do well having the "herpes zoster vaccine" to stop your condition being compounded AS this not much known about physiology interactions effects on those with compromised immunity & lung disease copd
I understand one time when you was 60 it was standard BUT given diabetics and eye inflammation I can understand why it's not so readily available
I don't know...only I know that I have COPD. I am now 68 years old. I had a very, very slight case of shingles about 4 years ago after I started Pulmonary Rehab. I thought the pain across my back was from the rehab exercises and I had to get used to it, but it was a case of shingles! And, I called the US DISEASE CONTROL CENTER to see if I could get the vaccine while I had a case and they said yes. They said it would make it not get as bad possibly, prevent me from further cases, etc.
And, all I can say is: I had a very slight case of it and only a few small blisters and the pain was horrendously horrible. There was nothing to take the pain away. No matter how you lay, sit or stand, the bad pain was constantly there. I am grateful I had the brains enough to get the vaccine on my own as my doctor never mentioned getting it. Then they spent a month checking to see if my Medicare covered it, etc. So, I finally called the Board of Health and in one minute they said yes your insurance covers it come in today for the vaccine!
If I had to put up with a sudden exacerbation while I had shingles, I would probably ask God to just take me..........
I try to warn everybody about getting the vaccine and just how really unimaginably painful it is, but nobody listens to little ole me! Oh, well, I told them so......
My partner (who has severe copd/emphysema) developed shingles a week before Christmas. Prior to knowing what it was I had paramedics out twice because of the severe pain back and front on lefthand side of his chest. This was before there was any rash or blisters. Then 2 days after shingles was diagnosed he was rushed to hospital with pneumonia and sepsis. Ironically a week or so before all this happened he asked for the shingles vaccine but the Doc wouldn't give it to him as he was on steroids for copd at the time. He came home from hospital 3 days ago after 5 weeks in hospital! Although the prime reason for the long stay was his lung condition, the shingles caused him the most problems. I have never seen anyone suffer so much pain and the heavy painkillers he's had to have had so many horrible side effects. Now, although the rash & blisters have gone he is still suffering horrendous nerve pain around his chest and back, which all the painkillers have little effect on. They make him very sleepy which makes it so much more effort to be mobile. He's now on oxygen 16 hrs a day, and struggles to take just a few steps. We've had to pay nearly £5000 for a stairlift, otherwise he'd spend the rest of his life trapped upstairs. The NHS will give him no financial help at all. I've now got to battle to get the shingles vaccine for myself ( you must either be 71 or 79 of age in the UK to have the vaccine on the NHS, I'm 75). As his carer who would look after him if I get shingles? It costs nearly £200 to have it done privately. Most people have no idea how badly you can be effected by shingles. For some people, the pain never stops. So I urge everyone to get vaccinated if they can. Meanwhile we are doing our best to cope at home - his last infection has lessened his mobility enormously and he can't even dress himself now as he is so breathless. But the shingles pain on top of it all makes things so much worse.
Because of the stupid way this vaccine is given I miss out every year until I am 80
I really don't think I will be here then
Take care
Dorothy
First of all, I'm in the States..., as I've mentioned before, in Georgia. It's presidential election party races time here and will be until Nov. We're constantly regaled with exhortations of how wonderful various European national health plans are ( Britain included ) compared to our own "horse-drawn, over burdened, incredibly expensive" system is; yet during my visits to HealthUnlocked, I read neverending tales of woe and financial distress.
I'm wondering if there's any real difference at all or are we all just suffering at the hands of politicians who tell us what they think we want to hear and then proceed to screw over us once they're in office.
I agree, if offered the vaccine take it. I never, never again, want to go through the pain I had with shingles. I did have a bad case, it went on for months. I had strong pain killers plus pain patches but these did not touch the pain.
Hi Ohtwo. You guys sure convinced me to get the shingles shot. My mom is almost 90 yrs. old. She lives by herself and uses a walker. Her Dr. said she doesn't need a shingles shot! It's pretty bad, huh? Rubyxx 😊
My heart goes out to any and all of you who get and have shingles.
I am in the states but I did not know it could be hard to get the vaccine anywhere as long as you had the money or insurance to get it!
So why the restrictions on the vaccine for such a dreadful, painful and handicapping disease such as shingles? I don't understand.....
I was told I could not have the shingles vaccine because it is a live vaccine and my immune system is too compromised because of medications. This is in Canada and there seems to be different opinions on the subject, so best to check with your doctor. I had already had the pharmacy order in the vaccine since I would have to pay for it on my own. When I showed up for the injection the staff said they had contacted my specialist and been advised against going ahead with it.
I am in the States and my Pulmonologist told me that I should get the Shingles vaccination, so I did.
At the time I was on about 12 oral meds, 1 nebulizer med and 2 inhalers. Medicare does cover it if you have COPD, regardless of your age.
COPD Chronic Lung Disease and Sepsis Risk 
Does anyone else have bullous disease?
Emphysema 
Lung Disease
