shingles question

[gold55]

Hi Everyone,
I never had a full blown case of chicken pox when I was a kid....my Mom shielded me from this virus and it probably wasn't wise because at age 8 I then had a small bout of shingles on my back and then in my 40's I had another small attack on my lower back.  With the new drugs I was able to stop the second attack very fast .... it was gone in a couple three days.  Being that I've had shingles does this mean I'm not going to be able to take any of the immunosuppressant drugs for arthritis and other AI's???  This really worries me.  thanks

[Sooki]

This is a good question for your doctor.  If you haven't taken any immunosuppressant drugs yet, you could also ask about the shingles vaccine.  I've read that it can lessen the severity of shingles episodes (as well as preventing it in most people) .  Your doctor may know if the vaccine would be safe for you now.

I got the vaccine last spring and  2 months later started on CellCept.  I was grateful for the timing so I could be protected (all other members of my family have had shingles at one time or another).

If you had shingles, it seems like you must have had chicken pox in some way to get the Herpes zoster into your system.

[gold55]

Thanks Sooki....I think I was majorly exposed when my brother had them but my Mom kept me away so I wouldn't get the full blown pox.....I can't remember but perhaps I had 2 little pox and that was it because she was so grateful I didn't have them all over my body.  What I've heard is that people who have a full blown case of pox have less chance of getting shingles later on.  So yes, I probably had a very minor case when my brother had his.  Age 8 is extremely young to get shingles I've heard!

[Diane54]

I had the shingles in my late 20's hopefully I am immuned. Does anyone know if you can get them more than once?

[Sooki]

I'm pretty sure you can get them many times.  The people I know have been going through times of big stress when they showed up. (Kick you when your down kind of thing.)

[Madison Granny]

My doctor said you can get them more than once.  She recommend that I get the vaccine even thought I'm now yet 60.  I also had a very light case of the chicken pox with I was young and still got shingles.  I think once you've had chicken pox no matter how light you can have the shingles later in life.

[jasonsmith]

Is there any risk to the Shingles vaccine? i.e. triggering autoimmune problems?

I've read people say for example the H1N1 vaccine had stuff in it that could trigger an autoimmune reaction. I guess stuff that was in the vaccine is found naturally in the body. But when injected, it could trigger the immune system to attack it which would also attack the same substance normally found in the body.

[gold55]

Jason, when I first heard I had an autoimmune disease I kicked myself because last year was the first year I had the flu shot with the H1N1 and I wanted to blame it on the shot!!!  The nurse at work said they are both dead virus' so they can't cause illness but I agree with you....anything foreign entering the body can cause a reaction by ones immune system and if you have the gene...it can be triggered.  Now that I've tested positive for SJS, I can see where I may have had mild signs of it for several years.  Either way, I can't take it back and be without an AI!!!!  DARN!!!

[Sooki]

The shingles vaccine is a live vaccine, so if your immune system is compromised, you don't want the vaccine.  For most people, their immune system is able to overcome this weakened virus similar to herpes zoster so that they build up an immunity.  That's why I got the vaccine before I went on CellCept (or methotrexate or any of those).  I'm one of the AI types with an overactive immune system, so I didn't feel the shingles vaccine at all.

[anita]

Jason, & Gold,

Sooki is right, the shingles vaccine is a LIVE virus.  Your doctor should run immune labs to make sure you're not compromised...like from recent Prednisone, etc. 

I doubt the vaccine causes a trigger.  The CDC's website on the vaccine doesn't advise against people with AI diseases getting it...and it would if there was a problem, even just a small chance.  BUT they DO say to make sure you are not taking anything that will suppress your immune system before getting the vaccine.  That is the biggest factor.

I have been instructed to get it before starting a new immune suppressor medicine that I was talking about in another thread.  I haven't decided whether to do it yet or not (both the vaccine or the new med).

[jasonsmith]

Jason, when I first heard I had an autoimmune disease I kicked myself because last year was the first year I had the flu shot with the H1N1 and I wanted to blame it on the shot!!!  The nurse at work said they are both dead virus' so they can't cause illness but I agree with you....anything foreign entering the body can cause a reaction by ones immune system and if you have the gene...it can be triggered.  Now that I've tested positive for SJS, I can see where I may have had mild signs of it for several years.  Either way, I can't take it back and be without an AI!!!!  DARN!!!

From what I read. The problem doesn't seem to be the virus. It seems to be other stuff that was supposidly in the H1N1 vaccine. I couldn't find the article I read. But looks like it could be either way. As some say the H1N1 has stuff in it that is dangerous. And others say the H1N1 vaccine is safe. Some don't like any vaccines at all.

I'm probably just going to avoid vaccines as luckily I don't really get sick sick like with colds, fever, etc.

[anita]

The fact is, that just about anything can trigger an AI disease to flare...especially something that calls for an immune response, like an infection, vaccine, cold, flu, or even trauma.  The AI disease can lay dormant for years, then something kicks it into gear.  That is why some actually test positive for blood markers yet have no symptoms...it hasn't initiated yet.

Millions of people got the H1N1 vaccine without a problem so I really doubt anything is wrong with it or it has dangerous stuff in it.  There will ALWAYS be a small % of people who react (poorly) to a vaccine.  There will always those that find something negative about everything.  You go with what works best for you.

The fact that the shingles vaccine is a LIVE virus makes all the difference in the world for people like us.  You must not get the vaccine if you have a suppressed immune system.  That means those getting prednisone, cellcept, methotrexate, rituxan, etc should not get it.  Because my doctor wants me to get it, he ordered specific labs to check my immune system BEFORE sending me for it.  I have not received the results yet, but still question whether I'll get it.

[jasonsmith]

The fact is, that just about anything can trigger an AI disease to flare...especially something that calls for an immune response, like an infection, vaccine, cold, flu, or even trauma.  The AI disease can lay dormant for years, then something kicks it into gear.  That is why some actually test positive for blood markers yet have no symptoms...it hasn't initiated yet.

Millions of people got the H1N1 vaccine without a problem so I really doubt anything is wrong with it or it has dangerous stuff in it.  There will ALWAYS be a small % of people who react (poorly) to a vaccine.  There will always those that find something negative about everything.  You go with what works best for you.

The fact that the shingles vaccine is a LIVE virus makes all the difference in the world for people like us.  You must not get the vaccine if you have a suppressed immune system.  That means those getting prednisone, cellcept, methotrexate, rituxan, etc should not get it.  Because my doctor wants me to get it, he ordered specific labs to check my immune system BEFORE sending me for it.  I have not received the results yet, but still question whether I'll get it.

I'll probably avoid the vaccine and take my chances. Let us know what labs the doctor ran.

[anita]

The labs he ran were IgG levels, (IgG, IgM, IgA total and subclasses), CBC with differential and platelets, comp metabolic panel.

I had high dose IV steroids the first week in Sept, which will wipe out the immune system, so he needs to see if my levels are back within normal limits before I consider the vaccine.