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Shingles Impact on QoL
Immediate and Ongoing Impact of Shingles: A Patient’s Story

Released: March 25, 2024

Activity Information

Activity

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Key Takeaways
  • Many people, regardless of insurance status, may face financial barriers to accessing vaccines.
  • Neuralgia from a shingles episode can be acutely excruciating and last a lifetime.
  • The recombinant zoster vaccine is key for preventing shingles and future episodes.

On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, Clinical Care Options (CCO) will host a symposium at a large internal medicine meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, focused on best practices to optimize shingles vaccine uptake. I invite you to read my story and learn how shingles has negatively affected my quality of life. Then register to hear more at the live interactive symposium, either in person or virtually. 

My Story
Approximately 15 years ago, I received the original shingles vaccine (zoster vaccine live) and thought that I was protected against this virus for the rest of my life. Several years later, my doctor informed me that I needed the new shingles vaccine because the one I had received had proven not as durable as originally thought.

At the time of this recommendation, I was dually insured but my out-of-pocket cost for the vaccine was too high. I declined to get the new shingles vaccine because it was too expensive.

My Shingles Episode
I then experienced a shingles episode in 2020. While I was driving my husband home after outpatient surgery, I noticed the back of my left ear began throbbing. When I got home and checked in a mirror, I found a rash on the back of my left ear that extended up to my scalp. My doctor later confirmed that I had shingles.

 

 

The pain I experienced during this episode was excruciating. It felt like I had blown out my left ear. The pain remained at its absolute worst for 2 weeks, and there was nothing I could do to treat the episode. It was very difficult just trying to sleep because I was in so much pain. I could not do anything—housework, errands, social activities—during this time. Instead of caring for my husband after his surgery, he, supported by my adult children, became my caregiver.

Lingering Effects of Shingles
During my shingles episode, I also had to start medication for my type 2 diabetes because my blood sugar increased. Previously, my diabetes had been well controlled by my diet and exercise, but the stress of the shingles episode caused it to become less controlled. Each time my blood sugar would rise, the pain would worsen, typically with increased pain in my left ear that sometimes radiated to the top of my head. Once my acute shingles episode resolved, I stopped taking my diabetes medication.

Now, 4 years later, my ear pain, which I now know is called neuralgia, continues at a low level. This background pain is minimal but constant. When I get acutely ill, such as having the flu, the neuralgia flares up. Unfortunately, this issue will probably never go away completely, so I will live with neuralgia for the rest of my life.

The Recombinant Vaccine
I got the latest shingles vaccine (zoster vaccine recombinant) about 1 month after my episode. Even though I still had neuralgia at the time, I was feeling much better overall. I got the vaccine because I now knew how important it was to prevent future shingles episodes. Fortunately, I had no bad reactions to either dose. Now I recommend the vaccine to all my family and friends who are eligible and ensure they do not wait like I did!

To further explore the burden of shingles and the importance of vaccine uptake among eligible people, I hope you will join CCO’s expert faculty at an interactive panel case–based symposium at a large internal medicine meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. You can join in person or virtually to hear expert faculty discuss the burden of shingles, shingles vaccine recommendations, and strategies to improve shingles vaccination. 

Your Thoughts?
What is the biggest barrier to shingles vaccination your patients face? Join the discussion by posting a comment.