Shingrix and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Lam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Trials indicated the vaccine is very effective. Having had post-herpetic neuralgia in the past, I definitely wanted to get the vaccine to avoid the shingles nightmare. It's a horrible disease. First dose, no problem. Second dose - kicked. My. Butt. Fever, chills, sweats, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, headache, large painful local reaction. I basically stayed in bed for 3 days. In other words, a robust immune response. I did read the data on adverse events, and this kind of response is not uncommon, so I was not concerned, but I was very surprised to have such a severe reaction. Husband had no reaction whatsoever, barely a sore arm. We are both in our early 60s in good health. I felt much better on the 4th day and was back to normal activity on the 5th day. Vaccine was free under my ACA insurance. Yay."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2020

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "65 y/o male. Had first dose on Thursday (Aug 2020). Today is Saturday. I had a sore arm on Thursday and Friday, but today 90% better. Had some headache on Friday, and one extra strength Tylenol took care of it. No other serious side effects. Hope to get the second dose in about 3 months."

• JKa...
• January 22, 2020

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Had a terrible reaction the first night. Chills and shakes. Didn’t sleep well. Felt like I had the flu. Next day, major headache and very tired. Had to miss half of a day of work. I can deal with a sore arm, but I have had body aches all day long. Scared to take part 2. I never had this reaction to the other shingles vaccine I took a few years ago. I am a healthy 53-year-old man."

• Itc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Very fit, active woman, 72, no history of adverse response to any medication. First Shingrix injection at noon Thursday, June 20, left upper arm. Friday, June 21: Fatigue (slept much of the day), body aches, chills, headache, injection site 2' diameter, red & itchy. Read reviews of side effects on this site. Slept hot that night. Saturday, June 22: Headache, injection site 6' rectangle, red, itchy. Raised red rash appeared on both arms from injection site (corresponding location on right arm) down to wrists. On left arm, 4' above wrist, 1.5' diameter itchy red patch. A long-healed scratch directly above the patch turned red with blisters along the scratch line. Sunday, June 23: No improvement in rash, still red, very itchy. Have not used any remedy such as cortisone cream. Plan to be at doctor's office tomorrow at opening. No way will I get the second injection."

• fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2020

"50 y/o female, 150 lbs, healthy, active. Felt fine when I went in for the first injection. Within 2 hours, arm was very sore, could not sleep on that side. Next day, arm still sore. By end of day 2, I had a severe headache, could not lie down, made it difficult if not impossible to sleep. Day 3, fatigue, mild headache, sore muscles, neck pain, sore joints, injection site tender to the touch but less painful than previous 2 days. My husband, 62 y/o male, 220 lbs with hypertension, only had soreness in his arm, no other side effects."

• fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2020

"50 y/o female, 150 lbs, healthy, active. Felt fine when I went in for the first injection. Within 2 hours, arm was very sore, could not sleep on that side. Next day, arm still sore. By end of day 2, I had a severe headache, could not lie down, made it difficult if not impossible to sleep. Day 3, fatigue, mild headache, sore muscles, neck pain, sore joints, injection site tender to the touch but less painful than previous 2 days. My husband, 62 y/o male, 220 lbs with hypertension, only had soreness in his arm, no other side effects."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2020

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "59, female. Had the first shot 10/30, no problems besides arm pain. Had the second shot 12/31. Had no idea there was a possibility of side effects (my mistake for not looking into what was being injected into my body), but early evening, in addition to arm pain, dizziness, then joint pain, fever, raised rash down my arm, migraine-like headache, general malaise. Took Tylenol, Benadryl, Lyrica, and sleep! It’s been rough, but the vaccine is a good thing. I’ve seen what shingles can do to someone’s life."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2020

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I had the first dose of Shingrix in November. After about 12 hours, I felt like a truck had hit me. I was in bad shape for a day. I had the second dose on 1/31/2020. By the next morning, the headache had started. By early afternoon, I felt terrible; severe body aches and a headache that ibuprofen wouldn't touch; rash over my entire body; nausea. By the next day, just as bad, but I could keep food down. The third and fourth day, still a slight headache, and now I have stabbing itchy pain in my skin. I have very high autoimmune antibodies and maybe should not have received the vaccine."

• pha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I received my first Shingrix dose yesterday morning and only felt the normal soreness at the injection site. About 11 hours later, I began feeling nauseous, slightly feverish, combined with chills. I also have a headache, which feels like someone is jabbing me in the head. Please note that I did also receive my tetanus and flu vaccines on the same day (different arm). My doctor warned me of possible side effects with Shingrix, but I didn’t realize it could be this bad. Definitely get the injection because it works, but try to get it during a time when you have a few days off, just in case you get side effects. We dispense tons of Shingrix at the clinic I work at, so now I can let patients know side effects may occur."

• DR ...
• April 7, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Wow. Certainly worse than any other vaccine. The side effects are really bad. Lost a day of work (which is expected if you read the fine print). Had to take some leftover painkillers to offset the outrageous headache that will wake you up the first night, chills, nausea... and I have to do the booster in 2 months? Someone has a lot of nerve approving this for the general public because I had a pretty good threshold for pain/discomfort. The sore arm is the least of the symptoms."

• Mus...
• August 5, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I am a 70-year-old female in excellent health. I had my first Shingrix shot yesterday. No reaction at all for three or four hours, and then only moderate soreness in my arm. No swelling, no redness, no dizziness, no headache. It’s now 24 hours later, and I have barely any soreness in my arm. I have not needed to restrict any movement or activity. The injection itself is a little stingy going in. But I want to encourage you that the reaction to Shingrix can also be minimal. Go for it."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2021

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Write specifics, please, so those that are paranoid during COVID can be at peace - upper thigh muscle severe random pain - severe joint aches everywhere - injection site arm muscle pain - headache - low-grade fever 101°F - foggy malaise feeling. Hard to concentrate. What really helped was sunshine (although I suddenly felt I hated sun) and fresh air and acetaminophen. Long daytime walk with dog. I got too achy to walk at night."

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2022

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I had a small outbreak of shingles on my right arm in 2021. No red rash, just the blisters. Lasted about 4 weeks. Decided to go to the local pharmacy where I had gotten my COVID shots and get the Shingrix vaccine and booster. The first vaccine was on 1-31-2022, which was what was listed in the information section of all the websites that I looked at. My second vaccine (5/9/2022) was the worst. My resting heart rate was around 105 for 3 days, my brain felt like it was shivering, and I developed ringing in my ears that has not gone away. It is loud and constant (24/7). I also felt what felt like a shingles outbreak under the skin in the muscle. It throbbed and burned, beginning on the right side of my spine, traveled along the bra line, and to the front of my stomach like someone was punching me in the gut. This lasted about 4 weeks. Sometimes, so bad and rapid that it made me throw up. Not sure whether the side effects are worth the vaccine and not sure that I would recommend it to others."

• Far...
• July 17, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I have now had both Shingrix vaccinations, and my response was about the same for both. Within two hours of the shot, I got a wicked headache that lasted about 5 days. The next day, I had extreme arthritic-like pain, particularly in my spine, neck, and knees. I felt feverish, had scary nightmares, and could not get comfortable temperature-wise in bed. I felt like crying, which is not my style. My stomach was quite upset, and I could barely eat. I felt lethargic and dizzy at times. I also had two incidents of visual display disruption, like what I was looking at was vibrating. This was migraine-like if anyone has ever had that. My arm was very sore and red. My breasts hurt. I felt, at times, like it was hard to get air. My husband had the shot, and it hardly bothered him. He felt mostly just tired. I am 64 years old, and he is 68. I got the shots because I know some people who have had shingles, and they were in excruciating pain."

• EMT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "14 hours after the initial Shingrix vaccine, I woke to chills and a 101 fever, along with a chickenpox-like rash 2 inches around the very sore injection site, headache, and aching joints. Gee, just like when I came down with influenza in 1999! Day 2 mild fever and aforementioned symptoms plus total malaise. I have a medical and public health background and am considering not getting the #2 dose. 90% efficacy with 1 dose and goes to 97% with dose 2. I think I'll play the odds and skip the 2nd dose!"

• Too...
• July 26, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "52-year-old female. First shot Dec/18. No effects first day, other than a very sore, stiff arm. 24 hours later, suddenly felt very warm all over, heart racing, felt dizzy and nauseated. Thought I might pass out. Unable to work, spent the rest of the day in bed with flu-like symptoms and a bad headache. Fine on Day 3. I had the second shot five days ago. Again, very sore, stiff arm on Day 1. Day 2 started having the same reaction again. Felt woozy and faint, very warm all over, racing heartbeat, diarrhea. Very weak with flu-like symptoms and a pounding headache for the rest of Day 2. Day 3 felt fine, then out of the blue, hearing became muffled like my head was underwater. Lasted most of the day. That suddenly went away just as quickly as it started. Days 4 and 5 have been okay, just tired. Give yourself a few days to recover from the side effects of this vaccine. If it prevents me from getting shingles, it will be worth it."

• Too...
• July 26, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "52-year-old female. First shot Dec/18. No effects first day, other than a very sore, stiff arm. 24 hours later, suddenly felt very warm all over, heart racing, felt dizzy and nauseated. Thought I might pass out. Unable to work, spent the rest of the day in bed with flu-like symptoms and a bad headache. Fine on Day 3. I had the second shot five days ago. Again, very sore, stiff arm on Day 1. Day 2 started having the same reaction again. Felt woozy and faint, very warm all over, racing heartbeat, diarrhea. Very weak with flu-like symptoms and a pounding headache for the rest of Day 2. Day 3 felt fine, then out of the blue, hearing became muffled like my head was underwater. Lasted most of the day. That suddenly went away just as quickly as it started. Days 4 and 5 have been okay, just tired. Give yourself a few days to recover from the side effects of this vaccine. If it prevents me from getting shingles, it will be worth it."

• Mol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Only took the first. Fever of 103 deg F. Overall body aches, nausea, headache, very sore arm. Spent the day after in bed. By the second day, mild fever and head/body aches. Resumed normal activities. Four months later - got the first cold sore I have ever had. Related? I'm a runner, and one knee feels like it has a fever. I've never experienced quite this type of pain. Related? I will skip the second shot. I talked to my doctor, who agreed with me to skip. Sometimes I wonder if all of this hype is for companies to make money selling vaccines. I have never had any kind of side effect from any medication or vaccine before."

• Rel...
• October 24, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I’m a 62-year-old male with no known drug allergies. Injection 1 was sort of annoying, with injection site pain for 2-3 days, fever, and chills that lasted overnight. But it passed, and I was OK. Injection 2 was far worse and created soaking night sweats alternating with nearly uncontrollable shaking chills that bordered on rigors. I had a 102.2 temp that began at 2 am on the day of the injection and lasted all night and the following day until about 7 pm. Temp finally broke and dropped to about 100.2 by 8 pm the following day. I had a debilitating migraine-like headache all day long, upset stomach with gas and cramping, overall muscle aches, and frequent urination. I took ibuprofen 600 mg every 4 hours and drank cold liquids every 2 hours. I literally soaked through my compression shirt and shorts like I had night sweats and had to change my night clothing twice. I really hope this vaccine prevents shingles down the road because it’s a tough set of injections."

• Age...
• September 24, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Got shot, nurse said... so did they tell you about side effects? Right after the shot I got a headache, within a couple hours my arm/neck was really sore, and 8 hours later felt like I had the flu. Lasted about 2-3 days. Now, 5 days later I have a lump (chocolate Easter egg size lump on shoulder) above the injection site... not sure what that’s about? Boy, it’s going to be hard to get that second shot!"

• Fra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "My oh my! Had the 1st dose of the vaccine on Monday, today is 2 days, and I just want to crawl in bed and not get back out. The first night, I had stomach pain, vomiting, a fever of 101F, a headache, chills, my joints and skin hurt everywhere, my arm was hot, swollen, and my entire arm was very red. The 2nd night was better because I didn't throw up. The pain is incredible (and my doctors say I have a high pain tolerance). Today I'm feeling a little better. My fever is at 100F. No throwing up, but absolutely miserable. I'm going to bed! Wish I had been made aware of what could happen so I could plan accordingly."

• Pis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 23, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "Doctor recommended I receive this vaccine on Dec 21st. 12 hours later, I woke in the middle of the night with severe chills, joint and muscle pain, and headache. First, I couldn't get warm, so I added clothing and blankets, then I got sweats, then severe chills again. Was in bed for a day and a half. Dr. NEVER told me about severe side effects, if she had, I would have declined the vaccination. I already had the previous shingles vac, I only allowed this one on her recommendation."

• Irr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 24, 2018

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I was asked if I wanted a shingles shot at my former pharmacy and did not know it was the new Shingrix shot. I was alone that night and became so ill. I had a 102 fever, delirium, headache, not knowing where I was, chills, shaking, passed out... it was horrible. Thanks, big pharma! People should not be getting this shot. It was not ready, and your clinical trials should have told you that. This was so irresponsible of you. But, hey, money is more important, right? It always has been and always will be. I am scared to death to get my second shot but don’t want to get the shingles. I received no literature on this. Shame on all of you! I was so confused I could not find my phone to call anyone. I could barely see. I woke up on the floor. If I have the next shot, someone will be with me. Worst of all, I had to pay for this big drama."

• Rec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2019

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "I’m a 67-year-old male. I had a mild case of shingles in my early 20s. All I remember about it was raised bumps all in a row on my back and a lot of pain. I had the previous version of the shingles shot 6 years ago and had no reaction that I can recall. I am relatively healthy for my age and take no prescription meds. I got the shot at Costco 2 days ago. My symptoms started about 10 to 12 hours later: chills, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite. Today is day 2, and I have a headache and gastro pain. I’m taking Advil and using a heating pad. I’m retired. If I were still working, I would have missed 2 days. From what I’m reading here, I can still have side effects from the 2nd dose. Having had shingles before, I’ll get the 2nd shot, but I’m dreading it."

• fhw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2023

For Herpes Zoster, Prophylaxis "The first dose was given three days ago. It took 8 hours for the side effects to start, mild soreness at the injection site, and slightly tired. A few hours later, 103.3°F, sweating, overall aches, headache, nausea, chills, and sweating through the night. The next day, fever was down to 102.0, zero appetite, entire upper arm red and painful, and fitful sleep. The fever broke about 60 hours post-vaccination, lethargy continues but is mild, and appetite is better. The arm is still red and incredibly itchy. I had hoped I would not have only mild side effects like 'most' people, but the past three days have been miserable. I hope the intensely itchy arm goes away and does not evolve into a rash or worse. I doubt I will get the 2nd dose and hope my robust response protects me somewhat."