Since the new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, is not a live virus, have you gotten the vaccine? If so, did you have any side effects from it? My transplant center and Oncologist highly recommend getting it, but I haven't done so yet. Thanks for your input.
Shingrix Vaccine: Since the new shingles... - Kidney Disease
Shingrix Vaccine
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miraclelady
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I had it a few years ago, I had a sore arm where the needle went in, truthfully, it hurt a lot and for several days. I had the shingles though, a mild case but even so that was worse than the pain from the shot. Believe me you do NOT want to get the shingles. And, yes it's a virus and will go away. That's what my doctor said to me but there's a good chance you will also get post-hepatic neuropathy from it and that doesn't go away.
Thank you for your reply!!
For clarification, do you mean you got shingles due to the vaccine or are you talking about different timescales?
Sorry, different time frame. I had the shingles first. I hadn't gotten the vaccine as I didn't know I had had the chicken pox as a child.
Thanks!
BassetmommerNKF Ambassador
I got shingles, started next to my eye and travelled the nerve right up my face and went into my eye. It left a clot, which eventually went down, but still floats by once in a while. It was awful. There was a lot of pain and I ended up with scarring on my face. YOU DO NOT WANT SHINGLES. I got the double dose shot, and I am stage 4. It was fine.
I'm sorry you went through that. I think I'll sign up for the vaccines immediately!! Blessings!!
I have blood cancer and had the vaccine last year and apart from a sore arm no other side effects. Would strongly recommend - even a few side effects is better than getting shingles.
Thank you! Planning on getting it!
I had the shot a couple of weeks ago. No side effects other than my arm was very sore for about 4 days. I have to go back to get the other shot in a couple of months. I got it done at Walgreens. It was super easy to schedule and was free with my insurance.
I was going to get the second shingles shot at CVS and found out they charge Medicare patients $200 for the 2nd shot! That is horrible! May have to pay this so I don’t get shingles. A shame they charge so much. BB
Wow. Someone else told me it was expensive!! I'm checking into it!!
I got mine at Walgreens, no charge for either. I don't think Medicare charges for the 2nd one. Sounds to me like some kind of scam
Thanks for the info.
I’ve had the shot and had no side effects, besides the aforementioned soreness at the injection site.
Thank you!
I had shingles several years ago, mild case on my lower back that was not fun for several weeks. I got the 1st shot end of July and will get the second on 1st of Oct. My arm was red and sore for about 4 days but much better than getting the shingles was..
Thank you for your reply!!
Thank you for your question and your wonderful information with your guidance from your Specialists! I have been needing and wanting to get this vaccine since Sept 2021 but I won't come out during this pandemic. My PCP doesn't do telehealth. I am a Kidney Transplant patient entering into my 8th year of an 8 - 12 yr kidney life expectancy. Ugh I got opthamalic shingles (facial on the trigemeinal nerve) which omg if you can ever avoid this beyond excrutiating pain illness please do!!!!!!! I had migraines for 20 years, I had dialysis and transplant but this? I heard about this but experiencing it is a whole new ball game. I thought it was going to be an PHN..... I'd like to thank you again as I looked up Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN) again just now. I was going to say I thought I was going to end up with PHN and now learn I already did end up with it!! See I had this unbearable, excrutiating pain, which caused blurriness, couldn't tolerate even the light of the computer, and the worst pain ever that jus omg NEVERRRRR take percocet with that pain!! oh no no no no. oh no. Its Shingles is on a nerve its neuropathic pain and you need that type of medication so its very important if you get Shingles you go to the ER like I did or to your PCP who should recommend you see a Specialist in that particular area of the body. The ER recommended me to a neurologist to get to immediately as this was on the corner of my eye and could enter the eye which can effect your sight permanently. I made the error waiting 8 days before calling 911 and going to the ER. Symptoms actually began 3 days before it suddenly appeared on my face but I didn't know it. So its important the minute the scars show you go to a doctor. I had no idea what it was and LUCKILY for me I like to stay up all night and watch tv so I fell asleep sitting up coincidentally. Then I woke up and in the bathroom notice these 3 spots on my nose in an exact line up vertically. I had no idea what it was. Of course I look up all i can online is this some weird spider bite or something. Because then it instantly got worse the next day as it scabbed and omg talk about shock. I was luckily sleeping on my couch reclined or sit up because has I laid down it would have gotten into my eye I believe. Then it would have been much much worse or permanent blindness from the scabs or me rubbing it and my eye in my sleep something like that as one of the scabs was directly on the corner of my eye. Now this happened on a Wednesday I am by myself and I even posted it to my friends on FB. I called everywhere and couldn't get an appointment and I even called Urgent Care. I waited it out lost. Perhaps I went into denial until my Facebook Game friend from South Africa for the 1st time Skyped me and told me her father ended up with PHN and it was the worst because it was permanent for the rest of his life. My pain ended up lasting 3 months!!! It also cost me my relationship with my cousin too. The scabs showed on a Wednesday but I believe it began with the surreal stress I was under 4 days prior on Saturday. The scabs went from 3 dots to the entire side of my face in 1 day and I not being able to get a Dermatologist appointment, because I still did not know what this was so I thought of a skin doctor. Finally on Saturday I called 911. My car broke down the Saturday before and I didn't have anyone to take me to the doctor. So as these scabs showed up on the following Wednesday I didn't call 911 until the following Sunday. The ER knew immediately I had Shingles and put me in a room isolated from all others. They told me never to wait, normally you are supposed to get there within 3 days, but I waited 8 days. It wasn't until after Shingles in researching online that I realize it was the stress on the previous Saturday that contributed as a trigger to Shingles. I could not figure out how else I could have gotten this. Stress does bring it on. Being immunocomprised with my Transplant and my age which is 57, having had chicken pox as a kid are all reasons the ER said. I do wonder it its contagious because long after Shingles, which took 3 months for the pain to stop, ended, I went to the mall for the 1st time to get my hair cut and my hairdresser said I was the 3rd person that week who said they had Shingles which was a surreal coincidence. The ER sent me home with a prescription for the antiviral. Here I am lost because how I am I going to get this prescription filled. I called my cousin from the ER and she suggested I fax the script to my pharmacy. Well, I later learned big pharmacies are not allowed to have them faxed. A local privately owned pharmacy can. Luckily I called a local pharmacy and what they did was pick up my prescription from their delivery driver filled the antiviral and returned it. I also was given a script for Percocet - wrong drug! OMG. oops never ever ever ever. I already have Neurontin as part of my transplant meds for neuropathy pain. I also had Tramadol. Tramadol is actually a neuropathic agent and is exactly what you can take for this type pain but.... oh ho. I didn't take the antiviral until Noon on Monday when I was able to get it delivered and because this amazing local pharmacy saved me I switched all my meds over to them since. They also, unlike the other pharmacy, deliver daily and its a wonderful change. But the ER RNs told me to get to the Opthamalogist immediately as Shingles can cause blindness. Monday at 8am I got an emergency appointment 5 minutes away at 4pm. I spent 8am to 3pm on the phone with Logisticare, trying to get transportation, on hold 20 minutes then finally get someone, then get disconnected, had to call back again on hold 20 minutes etc. This went on from 11am to 1pm when they finally said they found an abulance that can accept me as many will not as I am contageious. They told me to wait for their call back. At 12 noon I took the antiviral. At 3pm I got the most unusual call back from Logisticare a 1st time computer phone call telling me they were coming to pick me up. I then took the 1st percocet for the ride as I was just in unbearable pain throughout since the prior Wednesday. So I wait an hour and no one comes. I call again at 4pm and get this jerk on the phone. I ask for his supervisor. I find out a year later that person only handed the phone to the person next to him. This young punk girl played around with me the entire 50 minute call and by that time the antiviral and Percocet kicked in. Omg the PAIN-N-N was like a vice crushing my skull. I had already scheduled the 4pm emergency appt with an Opthamologist by luck I was able to get. This was one unlike all others I talked to for 8 hours, is now telling me off saying I am to call 2 days ahead of time then switching her words around if I said one thing she would answer I say another she would change her original answer, etc and jerks me around for 50 minutes. She sounded young in her 20s, being nasty, playing games. Then she finally puts me on hold said she called my doctors office and sneered now its past 5pm so you won't be getting an appt for 3 days. She stressed me out so bad as pain worsened I had that feeling of like wanting to punch this punk (thought I never did or would hit anyone in my life but just that pun of a feeling) yet throughout I stayed composed and professional, because I was trying to figure out her thought process as I just want the ride to get here. The pain though, what it did to me as it set in, all the while as I stare down at my van from my window whose timing belt went the prior Saturday. The Van that could have gotten me only one light down the highway 8 hours earlier or to the ER the prior Wednesday. That pain and stress. Well, I called the doc's office and there was nothing they can do until Thursday. I then called after my cousin, because I was in so much pain, beat up by that jerk for 50 minutes at Logisticare, and beyond gone with by now, Percocet set in and that Percocet only made the pain my God worse than anything else I endured. All that stress. By this time I don't realize I am confused and I call my cousin. All she did was say Hello and I am choked up in tears because I felt relief like I collapsed in her arms on my end of the phone, but I can't speak I just see the van and say "one light down - one light down." She can't decifer what I am trying to say. She doesn't know all the stress I endured the prior Saturday I tried to keep so much from her because I knew her insane busy schedule and what she could and could not do. Then all the things I didn't want her to know that I thought of at the ER, as she only said one thing so innocently and then it just all spilled out completely out of my control. I would never do that in a million year. She also raised me as a baby so I had that respect, and my head from all that stress of that LogistiCare punk has me so consfused I thought I was still on the phone with her in a siloutte type sense and I just let everything out in frustrated anger yelling instantly at my cousin and I don't know what happened I had no control. Omg what a disaster. There went my only support. Anyway, this was 8 hours of bs and 5 days since Wednesday, when the first signs showed up on my face. So I then get off the phone and go to lie down. Oh no no no. I can't take the Pain and no no no no dont' ever do this - I take another Percocet at 8pm. OMG . By 3am I am like never before in my life, 20 yrs of migraines where at time I would pound my head against the wall they were that bad, and well you think at that moment Transplant and Dialysis combined can't compare to it in that moment though not true, this was like never before pain. I thought I was out of my mind 12 hours earlier. I was in hell from 3am to 8 am. I then decide to make it worse and change to 2 tramadol that only set me into some kind of weird anxiety. I only ever take 1 tramadol in a day occasionally for neuropathy pain. I usually endure my pain. I try to protect my kidney from pain killers. I could not believe any of this. I was broke but inbetween the call with Logisticare that hour and waiting for the ride the computer said was coming, my cousin on her way to work just happened to come by and dropped of money for me but was she was so upset how I was with her on the phone she was in tears and beyond with me. So me I can't speak and this chaos was all pain, confusion from the jerk on the phone from LogistiCare caused all this and this gets all mixed up because I can't speak. My cousin can't see me though behind my mask of black scabs with Shingles. Aside from that stuff, this point is THE PAIN that comes from SHINGLES. When you are stuck, I hope my experience helps in any way, shape or form. As throughout all of this I am just pisssed. I am infuriated with that girl from LogistiCare who just undid 8 hours on me literally on the phone simply trying to get 5 minutes down the road. I wasn't anxious about going blind, I simply had the luck of an opening for an emergency same day appointment I was trying to get to. So then next morning I had had it. I called around for an hour and luckily found a Specialist who can get me in at 4pm that same day. I put on a mask and gloves didn't say a word to anyone when I called for a cab to take me across town. I just was as careful as can be because I was contagious, but I will do anything I can to protect my health and new one and only kidney. I got to an Opthamalogist who gave me the medications I needed for the eye and told me where it was would not have gotten into my eye as it was just on the outside of the corner luckily. I was just so pissed to hell with LogistiCare and all those I spoke to who treated me like crap they're done. You will not stop me. Unfortunately what I did not realize, what I had to do to get through dialysis and transplant I will do, but I entered into this system of people I never had come across before in my life on a regular basis as I was always healthy. I lost my kidneys due to a misdiagnosis I could not sue for. So I got myself on Disablity instead and I use medical transporation to get to my doctors appointments and deal with the worst of the worst in office personel and there is always just that one nurse or person that make your life hell. I had been through it all already the last 20 years. No matter what though, whether I can walk or can't or am too young for a secondary insurance, which I got smart at age 36 during my 1st semester at Rutgers my CKD symptoms first began at the same time asd when President Bush cancelled my unemployment, so I filed for Soc Sec Disability. I can't sue for this medical mistake I learn then to hell with it. I planned 10 years ahead. I planned ahead all I could for Dialysis and it was NKF of Greater NY who got me through. I was told nothing can prepare you and as proactive as I was and boy was I, they are so right. You just keep going. The character Rocky's got nothing on us. (NKF always thoughtfully plays the Rocky theme, rightfully so, as their music when on hold with them.) But now with Shingles we can prepare, because it wasn't until AFTER all this with Shingles (which that pain lasted 3 months!) that I learned there is a dead shot for this. Not a live one - a dead one. One I can take. I STILL to this day do NOT have the Shingles Shot, Shingerix, because my Primary Care does not do telemedicine. See I had a great Primary Care Physisician since the year 2000. I was working for an attorney's office got laid off when they changed partnerships and on unemployment the first signs of kidney failure showed up my first semester at Rutgers. I was able to have the insurance left over from my job as they graciously they gave it to me for 2 years. So that is when I had my PCP. However, she got forced out of her practice as the hospitals are eating up all these private practices now available only Nurse Practictioners, the year before COVID19 happened. Luckily I had got a second PCP for Medicaid prior through Medicaid. Medicaid I was finally able to get as a secondary when I was on dialysis and I used that PCP as a back up, but this PCP doesn't do telehealth. No matter what, whatever system, whatever it takes, no matter what jerk you come across, you fight for what you need, don't listen to anyone's crap, don't take it. No matter what pain, you keep going for Yourself and Your pain. No matter now honest, how nice and polite, oh and modest, oh I used to be, but CKD, Dialysis and Transplant will knock that right out of you and whip you into shape way better than anything ... way better than any basic training in the Army. I mean really what we go through, but you do it. When there is a will there is a way. The way I see it, we entered into a special breed of the population and as they continue to ignore our needs, we fight harder. The fact I was able to find NKF in the very beginning in 2002, is why I am still here. I so believe that. Information is the key. Its life saving. Shingrix I knew NOTHING about. Or that there was EVER ANY shot for Shingles. I didnt learn that from the ER. I found out from posting a picture (which I never do) of my face with Shingles onto Facebook and someone replied who happened to be a Cancer patient. I found people on Facebook from Games and from others I have come across not from anyone I know. I know few on Facebook most from highschool who I never knew back then. Facebook to me is also my Lifesaver. Its my support system. Just don't tell the Transplant Center that. So if you are by yourself and its Me, Myself and I, this is what you do. You get resourceful and you let Will take over and never let anyone else keep you down. This system we enter into does just that. So if you can come across beautiful people like the volunteers here at NKF of Greater NY or whereever you are, this is who we need to be among - Humanity. There is a peace here I often think I forget or take forgranted, when actually I don't. I see their emails I keep daily that even though I skim and don't come on, NKF is always in my mind subliminally. They remain in the background as these things we must to to preserve our health take up so much of our time 24/7 ... its taken me 18 years and the Peace of COVID, to finally rest. Telehealth has been a dream and to not have to travel and to relax is the first time since dialysis and 8 yrs into this Transplant I finally made it past 6 months without being sick. I attribute it to so being home in my own germs, and no stress. Peace. Finally home delivery of groceries, finally a break from endless stuff. That's my own personal experience, but since the Pandemic March 2020 I have not been sick since Shingles ended Nov 1, 2019. It began Aug 16, 2019. SO IF THERE IS A SHOT, PLEASE GET ONE!!! Do it for me too please, because I can't get one. I won't risk coming out again until I am sure there is not one death left from Sars Cov ll. My kidney and I come first. I am fortunate because I lost every single person I spent my life with the day I was told the date dialysis was to begin. I wasn't at one funeral in fact I didn't even know. This was the love of my life, my best friend in 2 wks and 3 others that year. but it took 5 years since Transplant to get used to elbow handshaking. From my Kidney Transplant I have learned how to social distance as we are not supposed to be in crowds, no movie theaters, etc. we have to make sure we are not around any one sick, not even a cold and we can't even get the flu. We can die from the flu. From dialysis we learn about gloves and masks. I went to LPN school when I was 27 and though I only made it half way through, those lessons helped me learn universal precautions years before I got sick. So no matter what we come across at any age we always learn something at just the right time for what we need. We learn from anyone, any age, at any age. Plus, our body secretely guides us along the way I believe. Tissues have memory and when I learned that at 27, when I got sick at 36 I refer to it as my body was sending me smoke signals. Once we become a Kidney patient in my opinion, any Patient, we learn to listen to our bodies. So we are the most vulnerable, yes in this pandemic, but we are so far ahead of the rest of the world. It took the rest of the world including the healthy to have to learn all of this over night with COVID, what took us years to learn with what we go through. That has given me much more compassion for the rest of the world, which I set aside from these insane times we live in socio-politically otherwise. For me its been 8 yrs since my transplant and 2 horrific years on dialysis, then those 10 yrs prior on CKD when I was last in the healthy world. I also have the fortunate perspective to have once been perfectly healthy like many in the world, then suddenly got sick with what I otherwise never would have. I had healthy life long genes. When I got sick at 36 though, I was given 5 to 10 yrs before dialysis in 2002. I then learned of NKF of Greater NY in 2002 and immediately got in touch with them, travelled to NYC that one year so sick doing the Check- In for the Kidney Walk and graciously received all this information to take home with me on the train, which I have to this day. I was able to call them any time I want and discovered the most treasured relationship of my lifetime that lasted since. I also discovered ones I will never ever forget. Living 90 minutes away, with them as the only best source, as they can give out information doctors can't due to time constraints or insurance constraints, NKF is how and why I made it to 10 years before dialysis began and who got me through that to today. What we learned is now ingrained skill. That will get us through. NKF is how I found out about this phenomenal group page. However, though you are in my daily emails, I haven't been in here in long time. Not until this wondeful post, because all it takes is just one to a few words which is information that can make a difference. Your question and your added information letting us know it was your transplant center and oncologist who recommended this Shingles Shot?? Is such big news for me. What a great recommendation because a gracious friend from Facebook, a Cancer patient, is who informed me. This is really great information to know, with your providing such great resources who recommend this. When my friend told me I called my Primary Care in November 2019 and I was told I would have wait 10 months since Shingles, before I could get the Shingles shot, which would have been May 2020, but then the Pandemic came. So, I have the sticky on my office desk with this info since and haven't asked the Transplant Center yet, because I won't come out to my PCP office as its too big a risk. I am not coming out unless its an absolutely urgent. I already have been through that twice and that's enough for me. I will wait this out. However, those who can get Shingrex, if you can take this, I would almost beg you too. I heard of Shingles once before as in 2000 as my other cousin got it, but I knew nothing about it. Ohh... I can get it again. I don't know how I got it the first time other than sugar and stress that is my only deduction as I simply have no clue how I got it otherwise. I wasn't around anyone but there is a child in the apartment next to me but I don't know if you can get Shingles through walls ha ha. I can't believe there was a shot for this because here I am getting my Pneumonia Shots which I also never heard of before CKD began, or because I had the BEST PCP in the area who I will forever miss, who informed me about the H1 N1 shots etc. She always kept me updated on things I never heard of. It wasn't until after I got Shingles and my friend told me about the Shot not being a live shot, that I started noticing the Shingrex Commercials. If you can get it, grab it. Thank you so much for your wonderful question and information. I didn't get the shot so I don't know about the side effects. I will look up the side effects after I finish this post. If they are mild and for your health will not effect your life, .... beyond out of mind pain vs the side effects are a hell to pick from, but I would speak to your Doctor first before anyone else regarding the effects of the side effects and your particular own health condition. That is what is key. Once your Doctor who knows your own chemistry's history says its okay to take this Shot, and goes over exactly what the side effects can do to you, ask the doctor what that doc recommends is better the pain or side effects. I had no idea what was happening to me. I didn't know you are supposed to get to the doctor within 3 days of when the Symptoms Begin! So please if you have the opportunity, do not wait from anything. Its okay, in fact its necessary, to be a hypochondriac with our conditions and diangosis as Patients. 3 dots on nose, if you can't get to the doc, call 911 and go to ER. Don't wait! I am sitting here hours online wondering if its some kind of pimple, spider bite etc. I didn't know LogistiCare was non emergent medical transporation as I had CMV during my transplant and they had LogistiCare come daily to transport me here and there 3 months scheduled ahead of time and I always called faithfully 2 days ahead of time for the next 5 yrs since. How would I know? But we deal with jerks these days. In my case too many of them when I was never like that in the workforce at any age. Its very frustrating and too much for Patients, but its exactly we Patients encounter across the board. What a nice feeling to be here right now among the nicest environment, volunteers of NKF WANTING to help us, along with each other. Its a great start of my day. Good to see all! Its very nice to meet you. I would speak with your doctor and weigh out the side effects they tell you about vs the Pain. That is what I would do. I hope anything I said helps you and anyone in anyway. Meaning, what you do when stranded, and how local pharmacies can help vs larger chains when getting a prescription, to just thinking outside the box in any example and never let anyone get in the way of what you need. Don't wait. It took me a long time to learn this, being so thoughtful and polite (oh and please all modesty) goes out the window the minute dialysis begins. In my case I did this all by myself. I got the transplant without letting them know I did not have support. I refuse to die simply because my perfect healthy body was destroyed by a medication and false diagnosis. I got pissed. Sometimes that helps. Do what it takes because healthy or not we all deserve the same - to live. I don't regret one thing, because I got an experience in life I otherwise never would have is to see more than one dimensional. I entered the life of a Kidney Patient and a wonderful population I otherwise never would have known. I was never stronger than when I got sick, because healthy we never know just what its like to literally feel our bodies' underneath and what it can do, and what a gift our bodies and life are. I met wonderful people like Ellen from NKF Who Saved my Life and the wonderful groups of people like this one. Wishing all- the best feeling day possible or at least the less painful day as possible. Keep going! Going for your breath is worth it! May you be able to get the Shigrex Shot without any side effects! May all work out for you. Sending orange heart to you and all here! 😊🧡
Wow. What an experience. Thanks for sharing. I am now planning on getting the Shingrex vaccine this week!! God bless!
I am absolutely thrilled! Thank you so much! God Bless to you too!
PS miraclelady is a perfect name! Yes you are!
If only you knew my story, you would know why I'm the miracle lady! I am truly a miracle. I even wrote a small book about my transplant, cancer journey!!! Truly God's miracle!!!
Wow that's wonderful!!! Without invading privacy, know I would buy your book and know you have my support! I was going to be a professional writer at one point in 2009 and write a book had a title picked out too, but that all changed with my life and different interests and priorities emerged. I am not longer going to do that. So I am very thrilled for you! Should you ever want to provide a title of your book feel free to message me privately if you wish. I don't want to invade any privacy.
It's called Bunches and Piles and Heaps...Oh My!!! It's just a story I wanted to write about my journey to hopefully give encouragement to others possibly in the same situation. It is on Amazon. Thanks for your interest. I'm not a writer, but did want to share my story!!! Thanks so much!
😁 Added to my Amazon cart just now! You are a writer now! I only was going to become a writer because I finally got my degree at 40 years old and my professor suggested it. I finally learned what I'd be when I grew up but it turned out instead I became a Jack of all Trades as a Kidney Patient! I never got to see my transition from college but I was able to use the perseverance through all this so. My title is appropriately a live Human Being, alive. Ha ha do mind the pun in this case, this is all of us! 😁
Awww I love the cover what a beautiful pic! I can't wait to get it and read it!
Also just followed you and shared it to FB and Twitter. Hope that helps!
I keep replying because I am reviewing your page and you write beautifully well! I already so highly recommend all who see this read go to Amazon and get this book! What a miracle you are for sure!
Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words and encouragement! We are all blessed and it's good to have others with similar situations to talk things through. I won't say much else here until you read the book. Then, I'll see what you think!!! You will know of all of my miracles!! You will have to give me feedback after reading it!
WHEW!!!Nice of you to share, But just WHEW! BLESSINGS
Thanks!
Oh I was replying to the super duper 6X long post by EYatNKFSvdMYLIF. It's so full of her life. But thank-you too.
Thank you!
I. Just wanted to say if u have trouble with transportation you can file. For a state hearing. File complaints and see if u can get on a homecare waiver. God bless
Wow! Thank you so much! I will look into this! 
I appreciate your reply and generous info!
WYOAnneNKF Ambassador
Got both of the Shingrix shots with no side effects except a sore arm. I am a transplant recipient.
Thanks. I am, as well.
Yep. I'm only 59. No transplant yet. I get all my vaccines. A sore arm is better than the shingles or pneumonia or influenza or any of the other vaccine preventable diseases.
Thank you. I agree!!
I got my shingles vax about 10 years ago with no problems. I didnt get any second shot, and I didnt hear of a newer vaccine since then. Is there a "new" one now?
Yes! 😊 I found out in 2019 a vaxine that was not a live one came about 2 years earlier. That is great as we can't have live vaxines. I can't anyway as a transplant patient.
Thanks for the info!
You are most welcome!
Yes, I had to do lots of calling to find out that it is not a live virus. One doctor told me it was while another said it wasn't. I have found that it is NOT a live virus and my transplant center and Oncologist highly recommend it. I'm scheduled for my first vaccine on Wednesday!
Hi Miraclelady. I have stage 4 ckd. I did get the Shringex vaccine. It was the most painful vaccine shot I have ever gotten but I am still glad I got it. For the first dose, I could not lift my arm above chest level for days. And I experienced mild flu like symptoms and fever for a few days. I was dreading going back for the second dose but knew I had to do it. On the day of the second dose I froze my upper arm area with one of those flexible artificial ice pack things first. I even brought it with me to the pharmacy and kept freezing my arm right up until they gave me the shot. It helped tremendously. I wish I had thought to freeze my arm for the first shot as well. When I froze the area first, I barely felt the injection at all and the residual pain the arm muscle was much less. I still felt a little bit ill for a couple days after both doses. If you can, I recommend scheduling the shots for a day when you don’t have too many obligations or activities in the days after so you can rest a bit if you need to. It’s all still way better than getting shingles. Good luck!
Thanks for the helpful information. I'm stage 4 as well. I've heard that it makes some people sick and some just get the sore arm. The Covid vaccines and boosters just caused a sore arm for me. I appreciate hearing about your experience and what helped you!
I had the vaccine and thankfully I Only had a sore arm for a few days. Good luck with all your appointments.
Thank you!
My family member got shingles right after covid...right after covid vaccines. I wish cdc would present an easy way to get this info instead of queries on their database
No side effects other than a sore arm....which wasn't as bad after the second shot as the first. And I'll echo what others have said here; You do NOT want to get Shingles. NOT one of the folks I've known who contracted it said it was a walk in the park, and some were downright devastated by it.
I got the first Shingrix vaccine yesterday. So far, just a very sore arm. Yes, I agree that getting the vaccines is much better than getting any of the illnesses!!! Thank you!
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