shingles prevention

[12ghi12]

My hematologist wants me on acyclovir as a preventative for shingles, is this necessary or can I get the shingles vaccine.

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

Are you starting treatment? Antivirals are quite common, acyclovir, valtex etc.

Antivirals don't prevent reactivation, they nip it in the bud and shut it down.

Shingrix, the new shingles vaccine takes a few months to build immunity to reactivation, so timing would be important. The immunocompromised data, is not out yet, so how well it will work, is a bit of an unknown at the moment.

Zostavax, the live attenuated vaccine is a NO in CLL.

~chris

[12ghi12 in reply to Cllcanada]

I have been on ibrutinib for four months now , so I was surprised when the doctor just now wanted me on an anti-viral.

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to 12ghi12]

They are seeing HEP B reactivations a bit on ibrutinib and some shingles...good to be cautious...

[Indolent]

I just spoke with my PCP about the Shingrix vaccine and there appears to be two additional problems.

1. It is still in short supply.

2. The insurance companies have not figured out if and when they will cover it.

Both of these problems will eventually be fixed, but till then........??

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Indolent]

Are you starting treatment?

[Indolent in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

No treatment yet. Still W&W. But platelet trend shows the disease is still advancing.

[hazelview10]

I was prescribed aciclovir 400mg twice daily (a quarter of the treatment dose) following FCR. I have still had shingles twice since then but only mildly, the dose of aciclovir being rapidly increased to therapeutic doses. John

[wmay13241]

When she had shingles last year, my 70-year old wife's (aggressive follicular lymphoma in CR for 2 years following CAR-T) NIH oncologist put her on 1,000 mg Valtrex once a day. About 3 months ago he reduced it to 500 mg/day - she will keep taking Valtrex for the indefinite future.

Her NIH oncologist wants to delay the Shingrix vaccine until the immunocompromised data is processed later this year.

[htayloraz]

I got the shingles vaccine BEFORE I found out I had CLL and broke out (small area) with shingles! The shingle vaccine is a live vaccine. You are immuno compromised with CLL, so you may expect them same. I would definitely talk this over with your doctor.