Shingles Part 2
Posted by xenya@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 51 comments
I've seen a few posts about how hard the shingles vaccine is on your body. When I got it I got some other vaccines at the same time (silly me) and I had a headache for a week straight. I felt like garbage. I finally went to the Doctor it was kicking my ass so hard.
I'm due for the second part. So my question is, is the second part as bad as the first?
daddyjohns@reddit
My dumb as loaded up shingrix, flu, covid, and got some cancerous cells frozen off my face on the same day.
xenya@reddit (OP)
I got four vaccines. I had never had a bad reaction to a vaccine before and I didn't want to bother with multiple appointments.
Yeah I paid for that. Never again.
bullgod55435@reddit
I did my first shingles vaccine with the flu shot and the flu shot was worse. The second shot was totally uneventful. The absolute WORST shot I can remember was the last tetanus shot I got in 2017.
Careless_Ocelot_4485@reddit
First one was rough. Flu-like symptoms for 2 days. I had hardly any reaction to the second shot.
woodworkingguy1@reddit
First shot no problem..2nd...I slept something like 15 hours but my wife...no problem with either shot.
Mrjlawrence@reddit
It’s highly personal. Both shots wrecked me
xenya@reddit (OP)
Maybe if I load up on vitamins it will help. lol
Mrjlawrence@reddit
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s any magical solution to preventing vaccine side effects. Some people just have it worse than others. I’m pretty sensitive to most vaccines so it wasn’t a surprise for me with the shingles vaccine
xenya@reddit (OP)
I didn't have any issues with the covid vaccine so my reaction to the shingles vaccine was unexpected. Either way, I'll have to get it done.
Mrjlawrence@reddit
It’s funny because the 2nd shingle vaccine was better for me on that I only felt like I had a horrible flu with body aches, fatigue, and a fever for 2 days as opposed to the 1st shot wrecked my stomach for 5 days and I was just fatigued for that time. 😂
herbal_thought@reddit
or painkillers.
Melodic_War327@reddit
I felt pretty awful for about a day with the first round. I don't remember feeling that bad for the second. Still better than actual shingles, though.
MhojoRisin@reddit
For me, both shots were easy. Barely an inconvenience.
As I’ve mentioned in some other threads, I’m not trying to brag or be smug by announcing this. It’s just that I put off getting the vaccine for too long, in part because I read a bunch of accounts of people who did have a rough go of it.
I think I would’ve benefited from more posts saying that a terrible reaction isn’t inevitable.
Vioralarama@reddit
Yeah, I just got the first shot a week ago. My allergies went crazy, like wake up sneezing crazy, but I think that might have been due to the pneumonia vac I got at the same time. I had bruises on my arms and they were tender but that's about it. I'll be surprised if I have a reaction to the second shot.
Actually I'll be surprised if I get the second one on time. With double dose shots something unavoidable always happens so that I miss the second one.
lolalucky@reddit
I was thinking the same. Once I had mine, I completely forgot about it. No reaction at all.
takotako577@reddit
There's no real answer. You're triggering an immune response and everybody's response is different. The first one hit me REALLY hard, but I also got my flu and Covid shot at the same time. That might have worsened the response. I was dreading the second dose because of that first one and delayed until the very last minute. But the second shot wasn't all that bad. Arm hurt for a few days and I was super foggy and tired to the point where I crashed out hard the night of and then couldn't do anything but sleep off and on the entire next day. But that was it.
So, what it really comes down to is you're not going to know until you actually get it. Just grit your teeth and get 'er done! Needs to get done anyways and even if it kicks your ass, it's still better than actually getting shingles. And once it's done, you'll have peace of mind and be so relieved that's over and you won't have to do it again.
MissMurderpants@reddit
I had zero issues. For both and all vaccines.
I try to not think about the affects. I keep busy and just do other things to keep my brain occupied so I’m not dwelling on any effects.
I did have a slight ache in my arm a couple of times after a shot.
I just work on my hobbies which consume my thoughts so no thinking about that ache.
Yes, I’m lucky. There are a few folks in my family who have zero reactions. Weirdly after 80 years of no reactions my mom reacted to her last flu booster. As in flu like symptoms.
xenya@reddit (OP)
I never had reactions to vaccines before this one. I don't know how much of it was the shingles vaccine vs getting multiple vaccines done at once. Guess I'll find out!
MissMurderpants@reddit
I actually did multiples at the second shot.
Our bodies be crazy.
xenya@reddit (OP)
As an aside, I love your username! 😂
MissMurderpants@reddit
It was the cat’s name. She died peacefully from cancer last year.
xenya@reddit (OP)
I'm so sorry. I lost my Merlin to cancer the year before last and still miss him.
kingtermite@reddit
Some have said it was worse. For me the second wasn’t nearly as bad as the first. Second was about 1/3 as painful as first for me.
lrbikeworks@reddit
Both shots laid me out.
My wife just got her second on Friday. She was fine through the weekend and Monday, but had a real bad Tuesday and Wednesday. According to chat GPT, this is an uncommon but not unheard of outcome.
xenya@reddit (OP)
I'm hoping the first one hit me so hard because I had multiple vaccines done at once. I'll find out I suppose.
Friendly_Ad_2256@reddit
For me, the second shot was worse. I felt like I had the flu, I woke up in the middle of the night shivering and sweating at the same time. It only lasted the first day and night but it was no fun.
xenya@reddit (OP)
Great. :( The first one had me feeling so bad I was thinking of skipping the second but my Dr suggested I don't. I had hoped my reaction was because I got multiple vaccines at once.
herbal_thought@reddit
Don't skip it, it will suck but it protects you against something much worse.
xenya@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'll get it done. I was just wondering if I was going to be wrecked for a week again. Thanks!
herbal_thought@reddit
I felt worse from the second shot but it was mostly feeling body aches and feeling like I was sick with the flu. It lasted about 4 days for me. But I was able to go to work and manage even though I am the biggest baby when I am sick.
Icy_Occasion_8877@reddit
Same for me
Grobbekee@reddit
I've never felt anything from a vaccine. Do they still work?
NearlyBird809@reddit
I'm one of the lucky ones who didn't have much reaction to either dose. But I had already had shingles so I don't know if that made a difference. You do NOT, and I mean you do NOT want to get shingles. It was the 2nd worst pain of my life
Qedtanya13@reddit
I’ve had both my shots and Ii never had any issues. Just lucky I guess. 🤷🏻♀️
lolalucky@reddit
Same. It was nothing other than a spot on my arm that was mildly sore for 12 hours
moccasins_hockey_fan@reddit
I had no problem with either one. There might have been some localized soreness with the first one but that is the most common side effect of any vaccine
nefarious098@reddit
I can assure you any discomfort from the vaccine is a cake walk compared to shingles itself … that shit suuuuuuuuucks
xenya@reddit (OP)
Yeah I wasn't really aware of how serious it was until recently. I will get it.
metropolitandeluxe@reddit
Are the shots worse if you've actually already had shingles? (0/10 do not recommend)
MrRGG@reddit
Still worth the week of feeling bad. Better than the alternative.
NoneyaBizzy@reddit
First one hit me hard. Second one not nearly as bad. My neighbor was the opposite. So it doesn't seem like a consistent impact.
gatadeplaya@reddit
There needs to be a weekly pinned post on this.
looking4truffle@reddit
I had my second 2 days ago. Really sore arm, a bit of a foggy head, not 100% but not as bad as I was expecting.
xenya@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the response! That I can deal with. I'm just hoping the second doesn't kick my ass like the first one did.
Tyrol_Aspenleaf@reddit
Side effects vary. A headache for a week isn’t gonna kill you. The shingles can be permanently disabling, cause blindness and other issues. People are such crybabies.
xenya@reddit (OP)
It wasn't just a headache, but a headache for a solid week is unusual so it's what I mentioned.
Tyrol_Aspenleaf@reddit
Solid week of headache < intense nerve pain for a minimum of several weeks with many many more worse out comes. Headaches are literally the most non specific side effect of all time, you could have had a headache for almost anything hard to even say if the vaccine is what did it and even if it did who cares.
xenya@reddit (OP)
Apparently you since you took the time to be a complete dick about it.
Decisions_70@reddit
I've been wondering for a long time, am I just lucky? I never react to any vaccines.
Status_Silver_5114@reddit
Neither one bothered me (and I duped stuff at the second one like you did).
xenya@reddit (OP)
Glad to hear that it doesn't kick everyone's ass!