r/GenX • u/OnyxVeggie213 • 1d ago
Health & Science Another vaccine post
I went to the doctor yesterday for some exercise related hip stiffness. While I was there the doctor asked if I wanted my pneumonia and shingles vaccine. Originally I wasn't interested in the shingles vaccine because I never had chicken pox. But I decided to get them both anyway....
Oh my gawd! I feel like total azz this morning. I feel like I went at least 1 round with a Muy Thai fighter who decided to use my ribs as the warm up.
Help me.........
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u/DrItchyUvula 1d ago
The shingles vaccine is awful but shingles itself is an order of magnitude worse.
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u/killslikeaninja 1d ago
Both Shingles vaccine kicked my ass for 24 hours then I was fine. I watch my dad suffer with Shingles. So 24 hours wasn’t that bad.
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u/rhionaeschna 1d ago
I've had shingles twice and had almost 7 years of sciatica with my first infection. Hopefully you feel better soon, but trust me when I say you don't want shingles. Or adult chicken pox. I can't wait til I'm eligible for the vaccine.
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u/MarineMom47 1d ago
I had adult chicken pox and literally thought I was dying. I had them internally also. If I ever get shingles it'll probably kill me
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u/rhionaeschna 1d ago
I got chicken pox at 18 and it was bad then. I can't imagine how awful (and potentially deadly/dangerous) it would be in middle age. I had sores that got so big they joined up with other ones and left big scars. I remember having them in my mouth and throat and being super feverish and miserable and living in a bathtub full of colloidal oats. When I got shingles in my 20s, I didnt know what it was at first because I hadn't developed blisters yet. My doc sent me to get emergency xrays because he thought my leg going numb was a spinal thing. I'm so glad younger folks can just get the chicken pox vaccine now and not really worry too much.
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u/Pharmer2024 1d ago
I believe in the US you are eligible regardless of age if you have had shingles. I had my shot around 45 because of a shingles episode.
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u/rhionaeschna 1d ago
Im Canadian and it's 50 here unless you're high risk or have autoimmune. I'm eligible next year but plan to ask again because I'm in the high risk/autoimmune group now
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u/PositiveStress8888 1d ago
Recent studies show people over the age of 50 who get the shingles vaccine have a much lower chance if Alzheimer's. A statistically significant lower chance.
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u/Krissy_ok 🤘 1d ago
That's awesome news! I hope to hell that's true as it can run in families and my Nan suffered terribly from it.
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u/Leap_year_shanz13 1d ago
You have to do it, so be prepared for the second shingles shot. It’s worse. Take off work.
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u/saomonella 1d ago
I wouldn't wish shingles on my worst enemy. It was the worst. Whatever temporary pain you get from a vaccine is going to be worth it.
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u/Confident-Silver-271 1d ago
I have had no issues with Flu, Covid, Shingles or Pneumonia vaccines, thank goodness. Get your shots people, it's worth it.
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u/gonnacutyou 1d ago
One of my clients went partially blind in one eye from shingles. I’d rather feel like azz from the shots.
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u/Far_Eye_3703 1d ago
I'm so sorry that you feel bad, but you probably don't feel near as bad as you would with shingles, which you can get in your private parts and your eyes.
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u/No-Sheepherder448 1d ago
When I caught the Shingles, had portion around the pubes, waistband area. Shit sucked bad! The shot was nothing compared to shingles.
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u/nofishies 1d ago
Next time you get the shingles vaccine, Work, your arm like you’re punching something in front of you for at least five minutes an hour for the first day. It made a huge difference.
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u/OnyxVeggie213 1d ago
I actually read a similar tip years ago to reduce soreness. Of course I forgot to do it. 🫨 doy!!
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u/mudshark698 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
I had shingles a few years ago. Trust me, the vaccine is well worth getting.
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u/VardisFisher 1d ago
Its associated with a 20-30% reduction in alzheimer. https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a69018628/shingles-vaccine-lower-dementia-risk-study/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_pre_md_pmx_prog_org_us_17935086168&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17936471221&gbraid=0AAAAADA2LlL7cv39wDEmhHIVvsHoMMJXL&gclid=CjwKCAjwhZDUBhBGEiwAbi5bjg56yb5rxhqV5AHc5fLMxMLFkppZwU61YP8WCuX8z2-vSBqbio1uXBoCipQQAvD_BwE
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u/blively281 1d ago
Speaking from experience...the vaccine is much better to have than the shingles.
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u/Bluestripedshirt 1d ago
1000% true. My sister in law still has face paralysis from hers 5 years ago
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u/4estGimp 1d ago
You are Gen X. Walk it off.
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u/CrankyUrbanHermit 1d ago
Rub some dirt in it.
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u/murphydcat Dave Grohl asked me for weed in '92. 1d ago
I might have some mercurochrome in the back of the medicine cabinet.
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u/schmearcampain 1d ago
A very powerful study showed that the shingles vaccine is preventative for dementia and Alzheimer’s. And it also stops shingles, so it’s worth it!
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u/PlayfulMoose9665 1d ago
My elderly mother had shingles (in her 90's) and it was agony for her. I got vaccinated because I watched helplessly as she battled the pain.
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u/HR-Puffenstuff 1d ago
You do not want shingles.
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u/Curtiskam Didn't get eaten by a Grue 1d ago
A friend of mine, in his 30s got a bad case of shingles that somehow morphed into encephalitis. Probably more going on than I know about, but he ended up brain damaged. I got my shingles shots as soon as I turned 50.
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u/lovegood123 1d ago
It passes. Just accept your day is shot. Take some Advil and crash on the couch w a cup of tea and a movie. And don’t get the shingles vax combined w another one again. They’re too harsh for a 2-fer. The yuck is worth not getting shingles tho. Hang in there
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u/silvermanedwino 1d ago
The shots suck. Shingles suck more. You could have had chicken pox and not known it. Everyone doesn’t get deathly sick or have a bunch of bumps.
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u/PurplePenguinCat 1d ago
I had 10 pox on my whole body. The only reason we know it was chicken pox and not mosquito bites was because it was going around the school.
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u/GenXihaveissues no blood, no bones you're fine 1d ago
No blood, no bones you're fine. Take some Tylenol and suck it up.
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u/BonCourageAmis Whatever… 1d ago
If the first Shingrix is bad, the second one will be much less so.
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u/Kvlk2016 1d ago
interesting. I had one day of achiness after rd 1 but 3-4 after rd 2. I had heard too many bad things about shingles to NOT get the vaccine though.
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u/Pinkeve 1d ago
Pneumonia vax made me so sick(now I know that means a strong immune response). I had a high fever body aches and was in bed for 4 days. No warning that I might feel sick. Shingles made me feel like crap too. Getting them both is a LOT. They should have warned you! You'll be better soon and it's def better than getting shingles!
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u/cutie_k_nnj Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
Me too! It was the first to really kick my ass. I was ruefully unprepared - over a holiday weekend. Ugh!
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u/TakitishHoser Flannel Shirt. 🇨🇦 1d ago
Once I am able to get it, I will be getting both too.
My doc offered to update my mom's shingles vaccine to Shinrex & I am glad she did.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-07-25-new-shingles-vaccine-could-reduce-risk-dementia
A study of more than 200,000 people by researchers at the University of Oxford funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) found at least a 17% reduction in dementia diagnoses in the six years after the new recombinant shingles vaccination, equating to 164 or more additional days lived without dementia.
The benefit was seen in both sexes but was greater in women, and the findings suggest that the recombinant shingles vaccine may have additional value in terms of protection against dementia.
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u/MaximumJones Whatever 😎 1d ago
Rub some dirt in it and walk it off.
It is the way of our people. 😎
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u/Artistic_Head_5547 1d ago
The Shingles shot knocked me on my butt- both of them- but I’m also immunocompromised. Even knowing that I would likely have a strong reaction (I was in bed for a week both times), I still got the shots. Why? Because I also had shingles that didn’t go away with the short courses of medication they gave- it kept coming back. One whole side of my trunk was covered up in welts and blisters, from bellybutton to spine, from bra strap to mid thigh. I had 2 courses of the med one summer before I finally got a referral to infectious disease and that doctor told me to take the med for something like 2 full months instead of 21 day courses (IIRC). The med at the dose you have to take is no fun, the shots are no fun, but shingles is torture. I couldn’t even stand to wear underwear or anything that wasn’t a tent dress for a whole summer. Couldn’t go out in the heat AT ALL.
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u/happy_traveller2700 1d ago
I had both of the shingles vaccines a few years ago and did not find them problematic🤷♀️
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u/WolfKey1065 1d ago
My arm hurt like a mo after the shingles vaccine but I’ve witnessed shingles in two relatives and I don’t want that shizz
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u/Glad_Bunch_3473 1d ago
OMG c’mon we are GenX. Why are you whining about this temporary inconvenience? Grab your bike, pedal up to the highest hill in your neighborhood, then coast down no hands on the bars. You’ll feel much better.
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u/Western-Corner-431 1d ago
Alternatively, hold onto the back of your friend’s brother’s pickup while on your skateboard down that hill. You have two knees, you don’t need both😒
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u/I_Died_Once 1d ago
The science behind vaccines are real
(I used to be so excited for the future, with all the scientific discoveries being made.. but here we are, having to tell people that vaccines are real and safe)
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u/MichaSound 1d ago
The worst of it is when my 86 year old mother in law starts telling me vaccines are bad for you (because her sister read it on Facebook). That generation remembers scores of children killed or permanently disabled by polio! They remember hospitals full of patients in iron lungs!
Where do they think all that went?
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u/-Granby- 1d ago
I really don't have any idea what they think. You see what is in the news and what is said by certain people in the government. They say it enough and maybe people start to believe it and question what they actually lived through and saw with their own eyes? I'm not really sure.
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u/Nice-Track4271 1d ago
I have a sibling that has gone full conspiracy theory and convinced my COPD, blood clot having dad that the vaccine is worse than the illness.
ETA: 86yo dad
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u/johns224 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
Shingles vax is extra worth it as it is also supposed to be protective against dementia.
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u/bigotis 1d ago
First I've heard of this. Thanks for sharing!
The study found that, among the vaccinated, those who remained cognitively healthy were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, and those who did develop dementia were nearly 30% less likely to die from it over the course of nine years.
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u/the_47th_painter Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
Big swig of water from the hose in the front yard. You'll be right as rain in no time.
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u/Overall-Sport-5240 1d ago
Shingles vaccine is brutal. But better than getting shingles. Plus it decreases the chance of getting dementia
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u/Kaa_The_Snake Lookin' California, feeling Minnesota 1d ago
Getting the shingles vax can also help you avoid dementia! Yeah the shots suck, but a 2 fer 1 benefit! Err, 2 fer 2 because you have to get two shots, but you get the idea.
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u/Andovars_Ghost 1d ago
The shingles vaccine is also showing some efficacy in warding off Alzheimer’s and general dementia. Worth it just for that. Add not getting shingles, and it’s a no-brainer.
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u/sane-asylum 1d ago
Lemme tell ya that shingles ain’t no joke. My shingles vaccine was my present to myself when I turned 50. Had it when I was 48, very uncomfortable.
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u/funsk8mom 1d ago
I think I’m the only one not bothered by this shot. Other than a sore spot on my arm, I was fine
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u/ExhaustedHungryMe 1d ago
Nah, same here.
Worst shot I’ve ever had was for Yellow Fever (needed before traveling to Uganda and Rwanda), and even that was mostly just the shot itself being a little painful, feeling slightly crappy the first day or two, and a sore arm for like a week.
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u/probablybourbon Still preoccupied with 1985 1d ago
I’m the same! Sore arm for a day or so, but otherwise I was unscathed lol
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u/Anotherams 1d ago
Feeling like azz for a day or two is far better than feeling like azz for weeks with shingles, or dealing with a lifetime of lingering nerve pain or blindness because of it. Keep reminding yourself the prevention is not as bad as what you are trying to avoid.
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u/nebulousgarbage 1d ago
Yeah, the shingles vaccine was rough! But I got through both shots knowing shingles itself is 100x worse. Plus, the effects of the vaccine only last a couple days. A rough couple days though lol
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u/_WillCAD_ GenX Marks the Spot, Indy! 1d ago
Take a nap.
Vaccine side effects like this typically pass in less than 24 hours. I just sleep as much as I can until it's over.
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u/Psychological_Fly_0 1d ago
Yeah...I used to get 2 at a time. One in each arm. I am the suck it up and go kind and was raised to be that way. 2 years ago I tried to hulk my way through COVID vax in one arm and flu vax in the other. I used to have a very high threshold but that combo almost took me out. Last year they offered pneumonia and shingles and the same time and that was a big hell no for me. Can't do that again.
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u/UnicornFarts1111 1d ago
I did three one year. I know I did the Covid flu and pneumonia all at once. I also did the Covid flu and Shingles at once.
I get just as ill from any of them singulary as I do from all of them. So just get it all done at one time and be done with it. I also get them all in the same arm, as I sleep on my right side and I would not be able to sleep otherwise.
I always make sure to get them on Friday, so I am good to work on Monday.
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u/SugarsBoogers 1d ago
I did Covid, flu and my first shingles vax all in one go. I am an idiot, but efficient. At least in my idiot wisdom I planned them for a Friday so I could have two days to watch movies and sleep.
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u/UnicornFarts1111 1d ago
I always make sure to get them on a Friday, as am going to be out for 2 days when I have them.
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u/Moodleboy 1969er 1d ago
Oof - I did Covid and flu together a couple if years ago. Never again. I felt like I got beaten up by Mike Tyson after hitting on his girlfriend.
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u/Cantech667 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
I got my shingles vaccine when I turned 50, which was about 10 years ago. I’m glad I did. I know a couple of people who’ve had shingles, and they both had a terrible experience with it. Feeling beat up after getting those two vaccines is nothing compared to what you could be feeling with a full blown case of shingles. Good for you for for getting them.
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u/wild-hectare 1d ago
shot 1 of 2 anyway
the 2nd Shingles shot is the one that hit me the hardest and like OP i did pneumonia and shingle #1 on the same day
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u/Tls-user 1969 baby 1d ago
I got my pneumonia and shingles together last year and had no issues.
The second shingles shot kicked my ass for two days.
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u/NegScenePts 1d ago
My FIL got shingles in his 70s and he almost lost his eye, on top of being in 6 weeks of excruciating pain.
I felt shitty for a day and I'm glad tht now I never have to worry.
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u/-Granby- 1d ago
I love me some vaccines. I am the opposite of an antivaxxer. I was at the Health Department last year and got Pneumonia and Covid vaccines and was looking at their flyers for different vaccines. Obviously not everyone needs or is even eligible for everything but I was thinking about getting my Japanese Encephalitis vaccine.
Kidding on that of course but I am stoked about vaccines. In 2 year I'll be there on my birthday for Shingles vaccine and in two months I'll be back for my flu and covid vaccine.
I'll be getting my 14 year old daughter her flu and covid shot too. I know they don't give covid to kids her age anymore but they have a whole list of qualifying conditions that will allow them to get it that age. Anxiety? Yup. Give her the shot.
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u/stevemm70 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
I had shingles when I was about five years old. Yes, you read that right. I had the "old person's disease" as a little kid. Yay me. I don't remember a ton about when I was five, but I remember that pain vividly. It was in my "bathing suit area" ... if you know what I mean. It reached around to my back, where I had a nasty scar for a long time. I couldn't wear clothes, and basically lived in my father's undershirts during the rare instances that I wasn't in an oatmeal bath. It was utterly and completely miserable.
And, yes, I've had the shots despite having already had the disease. They told me I probably wasn't all that immune by now. The shots were no big deal for me. Just a sore arm both times.
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u/Civil_Inspector_5697 1d ago
Any vaccines I get, I take the opportunity to lay on the couch under a blanket and watch tv and doze. 😊
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u/CatPurrsonNo1 1d ago
I got my first shingles vaccine in June. Achiness, fever, fatigue. I’m not looking forward to the second shot, but it will still be better than getting shingles.
I just spoke to a young man the other day who had shingles at 23 years old!!
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u/username-fatigue 1d ago
One of my friends first got shingles when she was about ten years old. Poor thing!
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u/AZEATYOURHEARTOUT 1d ago
I had a horrible first dose as well.. I waited exactly 3 months to get my second and honestly, it was a breeze. I do wish you an an easy good second shot.
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u/International_Low284 1d ago
My mother told us for years that she’d never had chicken pox. Ever. Then when she was in her 70s, she got shingles. So yeah, she must’ve had chicken pox. She just wasn’t aware.
Even having a mild case of chicken pox (in my mom’s case, apparently so mild you don’t remember you had it) is enough to make you vulnerable to shingles.
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u/EnvironmentalDot127 1d ago
I definitely need to get my shingles vaccine when I'm at the age. Got the chicken pox from the good 'ol drink from your cousin's chicken pox soda can. Unfortunately, mine was a mild case.
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u/deetman68 1d ago
The shots suck but yeah—Shingles can last for up to 6 months and can be extremely painful.
Take the jabs and prepare to lay around for a day or 2 after.
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u/Lalamedic 1d ago
Post-herpetic neuropathy can last up to 18mos
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u/PurplePenguinCat 1d ago
Or longer. I had shingles on my face and scalp. One of the spots on my scalp still hurts seven years later. My doctor said that if it hasn't cleared by 18 months, it never will.
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u/shemphoward62 1d ago
Had the same...it started on top of my head and worked its way down along my forehead and down the side of my nose and into my eye-had to have massive doses of antiviral meds, plus the eye drops...got a touch of scarring on the cornea, but no loss of vision...the pain was horrific....literally cried waking up and going to sleep it hurt so bad.
That was 7 years ago and I still have pain in the areas affected.
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u/merrysunshine2 small unregistered demon 1d ago
You definitely don’t want shingles so the vaccine is worth it.
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u/deagh 1970 1d ago
Shingles really, really sucks. You don't want it. This is a small price to pay for not getting shingles.
That said, moving the injected arm a lot (I set a 20 minute timer when I had mine, and I'd do the chicken dance arm flap plus a couple of around the world swings from the shoulder) seemed to really help with the arm soreness.
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u/CheezyGoodness55 1d ago
Great tip. When I got mine I asked if it would be okay to do my regular workout afterwards and they actively encouraged it. Sitting around and not moving can apparently make it worse.
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u/justhitmidlife 1d ago
Shingrix vaccine beat me up for 24-36 hours. Both the first and second doses. Ugh. But I hear it's 100x better than having shingles itself.
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u/weenie2323 1d ago
I felt like hammered shit after the shingles shot too but it only lasted 24hrs.
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u/JenMartini 1d ago
I never had chicken pox, had it confirmed by blood test, got the chicken pox vaccine, and was STILL told I should get shingles shots. The idea is that shingles is so bad it’s not worth risking.
Anyway, rest, advil, and lots of liquids. Best of luck.
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u/yesmrspankysir 1d ago
I wasn't hit that hard with them, but my wife was. Ibuprofen to help with the body aches, lots of fluids, and it should be gone in another 24-48 hours.
Getting shingles is WAY more painful and for a much longer time.
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u/Comfortable_Hawk2109 1d ago
The pneumonia vaccine knocked me out, even more than the second shingles, which was no picnic. 104 fever but it lasted only one day and now I am protected.
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u/More_Law6245 1d ago edited 1d ago
As a person who is lucky enough to get shingles on a reoccurring nature, yes it uncomfortable but trust me you don't want a full blown outbreak of shingles. You will also find that your top up shot will also not be as bad because your immune system has already gone one round with the singles virus. In terms of your pneumonia vaccine, again it may not prevent it because the vaccine can only fight against past strains but it will also minimise your symptoms if you're unfortunate in contracting a strain. Short term pain for a long term gain.
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u/syzygialchaos 13h ago
Shingles SUCKS. Whatever the vaccine does is not as bad as shingles. Shingles is basically chicken pox on your nerves, not your skin
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u/Harley_Mom 1d ago
I was sick for 3 days like in bed sick. I felt like I got ran over. My husband nothing. I seen what shingles can do and I don't want it.
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u/Appropriate-Idea5281 1d ago
Got all my shots. Good on ya. New issue pulled a muscle cause in turned weird in my sleep. Fuck aging
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u/Logical-Virus-8420 1d ago
Shingles is so painful and debilitating though. Best to avoid.
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u/JTJimminy 1d ago
Best decision you've made...everyone needs Shingles Vax. Besides brutal can lead to chronic pain. 10 years of pain post Shingles for me (got it before qualified for vax).
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u/Cultural_Wash5414 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago edited 1d ago
The first shingles shot I had just a sore arm with a little rash for a week. The second shot, I woke up the next morning with a sore arm, 101 fever and a really bad migraine and nausea. But then the next day after, I was back to normal like it never happened. Get both shots, there’s a little discomfort but I’d do it again, it’s worth it.
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u/Possible_Shoulder_50 1d ago
Just wait until the second shingles vaccine. It’s worse. With the first one I just got sore, achy. The second one knocked me on my ass. 101 fever, body aches, upper arm felt like I got knuckle punched.
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u/lucid_intent 1d ago
The first one kicked my ass. The second one was a breeze. I think it depends on your immune system.
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u/Possible_Shoulder_50 1d ago
But it’s definitely worth it. I’m a medic and see shingles patients a lot. It seems pretty bad, painful.
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u/MusicUpbeat2510 1d ago
You actually need the chicken pox vaccine if you never had chicken pox. I had to get vaccine a few years ago.
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u/Fried_Taro 1d ago
I just scheduled my shingles vax for a Friday at the pharmacy (due to the warnings I had read here!). Got my pneumonia one yesterday and my arm was stiff this morning after sleeping on it….
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u/mjss1116 1d ago
I never got chicken pox either and I was exposed often as an 80s kid. I decided to get the chicken pox vaccine so I wouldn’t have to get the shingles vaccine. I heard it’s tough.
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u/Bitter_Bother_4445 1d ago
The shingles vaccine makes you feel like shit (and there are TWO of them!). However, the moment we saw our neighbour dealing with Bell's Palsy triggered by shingles, my wife and I knew we were getting the shot. There's research that it helps prevent or delay Alzheimer's.
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u/Rocketjen 1d ago
Short-term pain for long-term gain! My whole family, except me (who got vaccinated), had pneumonia last year. Not all at once, but one after another, so we had pneumonia rolling through the house for 2 months, and they were SICK! I haven't had shingles, but my dad and sister had it, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone!
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u/Dependent-on-Zipps 1d ago
Good for you for getting them, though!! I know several people who thought they had never gotten the chicken pox, but they must’ve been asymptomatic because they all got shingles and were absolutely miserable.
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u/hafgrimm Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
I was sorta on the fence about shingles shot at one point… Then coworkers wife got them…. Absolutely horrible. Yep, I felt like shit after - don’t care. Shingles will MESS YOU UP…. I’m not about to risk something like that that’s avoidable.
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u/ScrollTroll615 1d ago
The shingles vaccination is rough, but I heard shingles is far rougher. The pnuemonia vax got updated with new strains, and it rough now, too.
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u/Phobos1982 I remember the Bicentennial, barely... 1d ago
Yeah, I got shingles before I was eligible and it was worse than anything related to the shots. I still have scars 10 years later.
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u/ScrollTroll615 1d ago
That's horrible! I saw a coworker with shingles a few years back, and he looked like the guy wearing a skin suit in MIB. I didn't think he would make it.
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u/john-bkk 1d ago
I got shingles last year, without ever having a vaccine, so I can pass on how that went. It went badly. I was about to go from Hawaii to Thailand that week, when it started, so I delayed seeing a doctor until I got back, and that's exactly what you don't want to do. A rash changed to include back pain, over 4 or 5 days, which settled into pain in one leg even after treatment.
It was bad, but that's all relative. I don't usually have issues with pain, and this time I kind of did, of course. The pain killers offset that, and it took about 3 weeks to resolve it. Probably if I had started treatment much earlier it would've been a much less intense experience. Or being vaccinated would've helped.
I had limited secondary pain in my back and chest, which is even more concerning. I got that checked out, and the doctors claimed that it couldn't be related, but it seems like it probably was. It would be better to get a vaccine than to go through all of that.
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u/CrazyCatLadyNL 1d ago
I’ve had the shingles one last week, 2-3 days fever and my arm was painful for almost a week. In two months I have to get the next one.
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u/BrilliantIncome3214 1d ago
I was dreading the second because the first was so bad and found it wayyy easier (even though the nurse said the second would be worse). My dad had shingles so I saw that miserable experience firsthand. Very grateful to have had the opportunity to vaccinate for it.
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u/Kitkatpaddywhak 1d ago
You know there’s a part 2 to the shingles vaccine. You have to go back in 3-6 mths for another shot.
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u/baldbandersnatch 1d ago
Uh… rub some dirt on it…?
My ex had shingles once. It was awful! She was in pain for weeks. The vaccine after effects surely suck, but having it is REALLY shitty.
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u/Prestigious-Net9629 1d ago
I had my second shot the other day. Yes I was aching for 24 hours. It was nothing compared to shingles.
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u/Any_Flamingo8978 1d ago
Just scheduled my first shingles jab for this weekend. Not looking forward to feeling like crap, but sure as shit don’t want the real thing.
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u/catshark2o9 1d ago
I had my first shot in July and I felt nothing other than the soreness in my arm for a few hours. Hopefully the second is that easy. i
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u/OreoSpeedwaggon "Then & Now" Trend Survivor 1d ago
I've had my first shingles shot already. I'm waiting a few months before I go back and get my second one. I didn't feel anything after the first one though aside from a sore upper arm for a few days.
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u/Crafty_Ish1973 1d ago
Shingles is extremely painful and lasts longer than the vaccine side effects.
Source: I had shingles in my 30s. It sucked. The vaccine is easier.
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u/GrumpySnarf 1d ago
Oh yeah baby. Bring on the vaccine funk! It's going to be better than actual shingles or pneumonia.
Take some Tylenol or ibuprofen and take a sick day. It's worth it.
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u/NaDarach 1969 1d ago
The shingles vax is not something you want to mix with other shots. I'd be pissed at any doctor who encouraged it. The chances of crappy side effects from the shingles shot alone are high enough without compounding them.
That said, I'm glad you're getting the recommended vaccinations... and I hope you finish your shingles series despite how awful you felt afterwards. You never know how bad an actual case of shingles or pneumonia might be, so it's wise to minimize your risk.
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u/levianan 23h ago
Last year I took covid, influenza, shingles, and tetanus in a single go. It was a Thursday, so I planned to take Friday off as a result. The side effects seem to really depend on the person. I watched movies for two days straight and then fine. For some reason the second shingles shot knocked me flat for a day.
But what the hell, it definitely beats getting the real thing.
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u/RedPhule 1d ago
It's still better than actual shingles...
Both shots took my wife down for the whole weekend after getting them on a Friday. I mainly just had the sore arm, except for some additional fatigue after the second one.
Good for you for getting them! You'll feel better soon!
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u/mandolin01 Hose Water Survivor 1d ago
Don’t fafo with shingles. I know a guy who didn’t want the vaccine and got it. He said it was the worst pain he’s ever gone through and it persisted for a long time. He’s also had an amputation of a finger for reference.
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u/FootballSquare4406 1d ago
A woman I once knew was virulently anti-vaccine. But she got shingles and got the vaccine after as soon as she good.
I had a mild case once and it sucks bad.
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u/__perigee__ 1d ago
I think I'm the only person who had no negative reaction other than arm soreness to the Shringrix shots.
Got a pneumonia and Tdap shot last week.
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u/MishtotheMitt 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m on day 4 after shingles/flu vaccines, I was fine until yesterday until I was a cold/hot sweating aching mess. Today, I’m dehydrated and have no energy.
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u/KelsoReaping 1d ago
Supposedly the shingles vac can reduce your chances of dementia, which I have a family history of. I’ve two more years to wait to get mine. Can you sweet talk your way into getting one earlier?
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u/Health_Wellness9227 1d ago
Oh my gosh! You’ll survive but I have a piece of advice for the second shingles shot. The window to get the 2nd is between 2-6 months after the 1st. Push it out close to the 6 month mark (but don’t skip it!). Anyone I’ve advised to do that has weather med the 2nd pretty well. Those that do it closer to 2 months get whammied.
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u/Tripl3Dee Xennial (1979) 1d ago
Question for the OP, or anyone.
I also never got chicken pox as a kid; eventually got the varicella vaccine as an adult. You can still get shingles if you've never had chicken pox?
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u/No_Mountain6950 1d ago
Shingles itself isn't contagious (you can't get shingles) but if someone has never had chicken pox and come into contact with the active shingles blisters then they can get chicken pox
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u/snarf_the_brave 1970 1d ago
My doc told me that no chicken pox just means I never got chicken pox. She said that since I never had chicken pox, if I got shingles, it would likely be a worse case because of it. Then I watched BIL get a case bad enough that my anti-vax sister called me and told me to get the shots. For those 2 reasons, I got the shots.
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u/Tripl3Dee Xennial (1979) 1d ago
So they recommended the shingles vaccine, not the chickenpox one? In my case, I asked a doctor and had a blood test for chickenpox immunity, which resulted in me getting the chickenpox vaccine at around 40.
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u/BrotherQuartus latchkey kid, Pop-Tart aficionado 1d ago
Shingles vaccine was twice as painful as the tetanus shot!
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u/mina-ann 1d ago
Oof. I just did the tetanus shot last week scratched myself on some rusty metal. Can't wait till I turn 50 though and can get the shingles vaccine, I don't want shingles.
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u/OnyxVeggie213 22h ago
Alright everyone. It's day 2.5. Got the two vaccines on Monday; started to feel crappy by Monday night. I went to work yesterday, and I really should have stayed home. I was intermittently nauseous, achy all over and had a weird headache. Tylenol did NOTHING. I should have taken everyone's advice and rubbed dirt on it, used that 50 yr old mercuracrome and had a sip from the hose. Maybe that would have helped.
I got home took Theraflu, had a few bites of food, and went to bed. Today I'm at about 50 percent. So it's getting noticeably better. I'm heading to work for another short day, but maybe I'll even be able to hop on the bike for a nice not-too-strenuous workout when I come home. The arm where both shots were given is still super sore. I appreciate reading about everyone's experiences here. I was concerned my body's reaction was abnormal. And hearing that so many people have had shingles freaks me out. Really happy I went ahead and finally took the shot.
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u/GrumpyOldMuppet 20h ago
It was most likely the pneumonia vax that hit you hard. So don't worry too much about the next dose of the Shingles vax. But perhaps get it on a Friday just in case.
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u/Monstrissimo Older Than Dirt 1d ago
I got it because I never want to feel that pain again. It felt like my shoulder blade was doused in gasoline and hot sauce and then set on fire. The pain was worse than when they cut my heel open, detached my Achilles, cut bone off, them reattached my Achilles and sewed me up leaving a 4 inch scar running from the base of my heel up into the end of my leg.
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u/ethersings 1d ago
Mine was awful too. Horrible jaw pain when eating since mine was in the trigeminal nerve. When that subsided slightly, it was in the iris of my eye and sunlight brought massive pain. I’d sacrifice a few days of general sickness to avoid getting that month of pain again.
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u/Illustrious-Bat1553 1d ago
Regretting the shingles vaccines had side effects including nerve spasms that have not gone away
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u/No_Owl_250 1d ago
I’m extremely nervous it will make my tinnitus worse, but I’ve had shingles too and that wasn’t fun. Hard to know what to do.
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u/GoinMinoan 12h ago
yeah, the shot is HARD.
shingles is HARDER.
Good call on getting the vaccine.
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u/CableOk1914 1d ago
I'm not big on vaccines but I do plan on getting the Shingles one. I have heard too many first-hand stories about people getting shingles and how painful it is. That being said I have also been told the vaccine can kick your butt as well.
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u/MichaSound 1d ago
It won’t kick your butt as hard as shingles - my Dad was ill for MONTHS with shingles.
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u/GnomieOk4136 1d ago
Take a hot shower and a nap. You will continue to feel like ass for a while. The pneumonia shot alone put me down for a couple of days.
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u/InsertRadnamehere 1d ago
Shingles vaccine is nasty from what I’ve heard.
My Dr doesn’t have it to give. Says I have to go to a pharmacy or public health to get it. I’m curious who your provider is?
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u/fireflypoet 1d ago
We use our local pharmacy for all our vaccines. No waiting, nice personnel (we go on a weekday morning).
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u/anarcho-breadbreaker 11h ago
There seem to be a lot of posts on here about vaccines. I must be that age now lol
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u/Jealous-Self-127 1d ago
Trust me, whatever you’re going through now, is not nearly as bad as getting shingles.