I'm sorry to ask this yet again, as I know it has been asked many times before, but I am wondering if there have been any recent updates in advice about shingles vaccines.
I am aged 75, had a mild attack of shingles 7 years ago, which was quickly followed by PMR which was undiagnosed and led to GCA, and am now permanently on 2.5mg of pred. I don't want to risk a flare if possible, as I have had trouble with ocular hypertension caused, presumably, by the prednisolone.
6 months ago, my GP referred me for the Shingrix shingles vaccination. Then yesterday I received an invitation to attend for a Zostavax vaccination, which I turned down, but they replied offering me the Shingrix one instead. Now I don't know whether to accept this or not. I thought that the advice was to go for the Shingrix, but I have heard recently that the Shingrix vaccine can also cause problems, though I have had very little reaction to other vaccines. I certainly don't want to get shingles again, but neither do I want a flare of PMR/GCA requiring an increase in pred and possible worse problems with my eyes. I have recently been discharged by my rheumatology consultant so I cannot ask his advice, though he had said that I was less likely to get shingles again if I had had it once.
Have any of the experts given any fresh advice on this recently?
Thanks.
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Myosotis
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If you are offered it - take it. You will always find articles somewhere picking holes in everything. There are no 100% guarantees for anything but the Shingrix jab is safer than the Zostavax one - indeed, the Zostavax one is no longer available at all in the USA. There are a couple of people on the forum who can tell some very hair-raising stories about shingles and post herpetic neuralgia which Shingrix reduces the risk of greatly.
Glad to hear that decision. I had the two dose regimen last year. Where I live the recommended interval between the doses is four months, I actually had mine later because I had a covid shot and needed to delay second Shingrix for a month. I did find I was hit with extreme fatigue a few hours after getting the shot, but I was expecting that because I remembered how my husband was when he had it several years ago. I also didn't eat a big supper. It was odd but it seemed like for a couple of hours my meal seemed to stop being digested and just sat there, very hard to describe. In any event I got ready for bed early and fell asleep in a chair, where I ended up staying all night! it was one of the best, least disturbed sleeps I've had for years. About 24 hours later I felt the fatigue lifting nearly as quickly as it had come on, over an hour or two, and then I was fine. The second shot didn't have quite as extreme an effect, although I remember my husband had reacted even more strongly to his second one. It didn't effect PMR at all - if anything it helped me as for some months I'd been struggling with a flare and for some reason my taper became a bit easier.
nice one PRMPro great advice for people like me who are suffering Herpetic neuralgia it’s an absolute nightmare!!! I’ve tried every painkiller going but nothing helps although liquid morphine takes a bit of the edge off. Although I’m 68 gonna badger my doc for vaccine!!
If at all positive try to reduce your dosage of prednisone.If you her a pill cutter you could reduce by quarter of mg every 2 months say.Prednisolone is an evil drug I was on it for 3 hrs top dose 15mg I got off it only by going with the pain It has left me with severe anxiety 14 months after coming off it plus cataracts borderline diabetics.Good luck with whatever you decide.
Pred is NOT an evil drug - it is a life saver and in many cases here a sight saver. I'm not saying it doesn't have side effects - but most can be minimised when managed properly. Everyone is different - I've been on pred for 13 1/2 years - no diabetes (Hba1c is 37) and only minimal cataracts and no loss of bone density. But I have had 13 years of far less pain than the 5 years before of PMR without pred. Not everyone can "go with the pain" and some would be blind without it.
pred may have not affected you as it has me.I took it correctly with all the appropriate medication as prescribed.So it was managed properly Obviously it affects people differently but in my case it has changed my personality completely. I have suffered from SAD for many years but for the time I was on pred I had no symptoms.My Gp admits it causes euphoria and my pharmacist there are some cases of depression caused by it
Oh yes, I understand where you're coming from. I am also suffering the side effect of anxiety and depression from the Prednisone, which is totally horrible. I have very little choice in that the pain from the PMR is equally unbearable, and Prednisone is the only really effective drug for PMR that they have come up with. Many are fortunate and experience very few ( if any ) of the psychiatric side effects from it, and if it wasn't for that I wouldn't give a fig what dose, and how long I needed to be on it. I have just went down to 10 mgs from 10.5 and hope I can maintain that. I have to constantly remind myself that the anxiety and depression will get better as I wean down to below 10 mgs. Many do say that the side effects tend to get better at the lower doses, and it seems that I have more " better days " then I use to at the higher doses. I am thankful when any like you write in about getting this side effect as it reminds me that I am not the only one.
The difference is that mine came on after I finished prednisolone but with perseverance it is possible to get off it albeit still with pain after stopping which does eventually go .good luck.
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tapering advice, yet again!
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