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Can a Flu shot lead to Shingles?

By Expert HERWriter October 11, 2008 - 9:42pm
 
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flu shot

dear michelle, a 76 year old friend recently had a flu shot and developed a case of shingles. any connection? coincidental? thanxs so much

Jean

Has anyone ever heard of this or had this happen to them?

Michelle

Add a Comment366 Comments

Expert HERWriter

Thanks for posting this information on EmpowHer. Did someone give you this recipe to help your shingles? I'm so glad this treatment worked for you.

Thanks for sharing!!!

Best in health,

Michelle

February 27, 2009 - 4:46pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

When I had shingles several years ago I gently rubbed some St. Johns Wort extract into the affected area, then I put a few drops of lemon, and eucalyptus oils into a little coconut oil and rubbed that gently into the affected area. And it seemed to calm the nerve sensitivity and help dry up the blisters.
I am getting over the flu right now and developed achy overly sensitive bands of pain at my waist, and though I see no rash I am putting that mix on my skin again and it helped the pain and sensitivity diminish significantly.

February 27, 2009 - 11:20am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I received a flu shot on Nov. 30, 2006, and on January 19, 2007 developed shingles. I have never been the same since that flu shot. Within three days of receiving the shot, I started getting sick and not feeling well, having fever, aches and pains, cramps in my feet so bad that I couldn't walk. I had terrible pain in my arm from the injection. My arm to this day still hurts, can't lift anything heavy. Getting the flu shot was the worst decision I ever made. Whenever I have more stress than usual, it always feel as if the shingles will return.

I will always believe that there is a link between the flu shot and getting shingles.

I'm a 46 year old female.

February 14, 2009 - 5:16pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I got the shingles after getting a flu shot in 2000. I am now 29 years old, and I get shingles on my face 4-5 times a year. My face is completely numb, and my hair literally hurts. I wish I never got the flu shot. The doctor told me that it compromised my immune system, and triggered the virus.

February 9, 2009 - 2:20pm
(reply to Anonymous)

I got shingles on my forehead and scalp last December. The only thing I could associate with it was the fact that I had recently had a flu shot. It was the absolute most painful, awful experience of my life. I thought I would pull the hair out of my head. I am afraid to get the flu shot again this year because I believe that it caused my shingles. It is unfortunate that there is no available information about this because I now see that is more prevalent than I realized.

October 15, 2009 - 10:58am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I am a 63 year old female. I have received the flu shot for many years. In 2007, approximately 2 weeks after receiving the flu shot, I developed shingles in my right ear. It caused a condition called Ramsey Hunt Syndrome. I had severe paralysis on the right side of my face including my inability to open and close my right eye. It has been two years and I still cannot automatically blink my eye. The numbness has gotten a lot better but is still there. I don't know if the flu shot triggered this, but I am not going to get the flu shot again until more information comes out about the connection of the flu shot and shingles.

October 5, 2009 - 10:27am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

that is not shingles on your face, that is bells palsy as a result of the shingles. see my post above about how i got shingles then got bells palsy too.

February 27, 2009 - 11:54am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Hi, I understand that you may have gotten bells palsy, but my diagnosis is post herpetic neurolgia. It happens everytime I have an outbreak on my face.

February 27, 2009 - 4:20pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

interesting! i havent seen shingles on the face nor heard of Postherpetic neuralgia (localized pain in the area of involvement of shingles that persists beyond one month.) everyone i know of had it on their torso, usually under their arm. this is great information. thank you for sharing.

February 28, 2009 - 6:48am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I came across this site while googling "flu vaccine shingles." I'm a 23 year old female who recieved a flu shot around December 19th. About 2 1/2 weeks later, after feeling under the weather for a week or so, I began to develop a shingles rash. I am generally healthy and had chickenpox when I was much younger. I can't help but think there may be some connection between the flu vaccine and shingles.

January 14, 2009 - 10:50am
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