Received Shingles shot before CLL diagnosis....

[meemsdream]

I was diagnosed with CLL in April of 2014.About 3 years prior to that I received the shingles shot. I am wondering if that will be any help to me or if it will cause problems down the road. I can't seem to find anyone with the same experience. Are shingles much more prevalent in CLL patients? I hope I will have some added protection from the shot. Thank you for any info. Meem

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Meem, I'd say that you are in the ideal situation - having the vaccination when it had a much better chance of boosting your immunity than now. If you were going to get ill from the live vaccine, I would expect that it would have happened shortly after you received the shot.

If you've had chicken pox in the past, you'll have the virus latent in your body, just waiting for when your immunity is very low before reappearing as shingles. Even if you don't remember having had chicken pox, there's a good chance that you were exposed and still have the virus biding its time, so your booster should have improved your immunity.

Neil

[kitcat49]

You are not alone. I had a shingles shot in 2009 and am still on W & W...funny all these little 'initial' terms known to we 'CLLers' eh? ....Sorry..Canadian..Ha ha !

[meemsdream]

Aussie & Kitkat, Thanks for your input. I did have the pox when I was a kid so that is why I have been concerned. I pray none of us gets the shingles!!!! My mom had them after a heart attack and it was horrible. I am thinking good thoughts for all of us. You both made me feel better about it....Meem

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to meemsdream]

If you had Chicken Pox the virus lives in us for life... all herpes viruses and many others live in us... held in check by our immune systems...

When the immune system is suppressed, usually CD4+ T cells, the Zoster virus wakes up and comes down the nerves and starts to multiply. This is a shingles reactivation, and it can happen more than once...

~chris

[bkoffman CLL CURE Hero]

It can only help at this point, though how much help it will be is unclear.

[Cervus_dama]

After Mat Campath treatment I got my first relapse( shingles), none of my doctors warned me that I can easily repeat chicken pox....year after, doctors admitted that they have bad reviews of the preparation Mat Campath, costing me consecutive chemotherapy.

I remember a difficult year of my CLL venture

Stay positive and healthy.

Best regards!

[meemsdream]

Chris, what percent of cll patients get the shingles??? It sounds like the longer we have cll the better our chances are of getting shingles. Not very good news. Maria

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to meemsdream]

The risk of reactivation goes up with age in healthy people.

It is more common during or after therapy, but there are no numbers.

Certainly antivirals during treatment will limit any reactivation.

[StupidPlanet]

This post reminded me about the script I had in my glove compartment. I received the vaccine today. 6 months in ALC 13. I understand It may not be effective.