Family time medical discussion

[Ozz]

Ok, we are all sitting around the big round table Sunday, drinking coffee, or juice. One of us asks: "Hey, what is your opinion on getting a Shingles vaccination?" Jack doesn't know what shingles is..are.. whatever, so the discussion begins.
Your turn for the discussion. I, for one will discuss it with my family Dr. when we get back. If we get back...

[simonsrf]

My understanding is that if you had chicken pox, you have the shingles virus in your system and should get the shot. They are expensive.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Al and I got ours several years ago, cost was reasonable, we do have pretty good insurance, believe we paid for the administration, not the shot.

BUT, would have paid, anyway. We have had several dear friends that dealt with shingles, it was horrible, painful, they were miserable.

Pretty sure they would have paid a hundred bucks to NOT have had the shingles.

Did I say they were in serious long term pain??

[Ozz]

Just found this:
Typical costs:
•For patients not covered by health insurance, the cost of a shingles vaccination typically includes: a shot administration fee and the cost of the single required dose of vaccine and in some cases (if your own doctor does not offer the shingles vaccination and you are unable to get it during a routine doctor visit) a doctor visit or consultation fee, for a total of about $200 to $250. For example, The Shot Nurse, a mobile vaccination service in Tennessee, charges $205. Walgreens' Take Care Clinics charge about $220.
•All Medicare Part D plans cover the shingles vaccine, as do many private health insurance plans. For patients covered by health insurance, typical expenses include a doctor visit copay and, in some cases, a copay for the vaccine. For example, under a North Carolina health plan for state employees, patients pay a doctor-visit copay, but the vaccine is covered 100 percent.

[DQDick]

Thanks for bringing this up. I'll also be asking my Dr. when we get back around home base. We pay a lot more than that for things that are a lot less important. I guess I was totally not worried about this issue thinking I left shingle issues behind when we sold the S&B

[DHenry]

We got ours a couple years ago.

[PapaBeav]

I had shingles about 30 years ago and was referred to an acupuncturist. I was a little skeptical at first, but it dried up in less that a week. So if you do get it you might want to consider that treatment, it worked for me. Shingles are very painful, kinda like a raw burn.

[Carl n Susan]

If you have had Chicken Pox you are at risk for Shingles. MIL caught it eight years ago. She still has lingering affects. Just as a Polio Vaccination is now considered essential, so is the Shingles shot.

[Gorgeguy]

Ours were a little over $200 each. I hate needles and I am cheap.....but I hate the thought of shingles even more, it is nasty.

[CATCRAW]

After seeing what my husband went through a couple of years ago with Shingles, we both got the shot as soon as he was over it. He had it on one side of his head and it got to his eye lid and very painful and itchy at the same time. You can go blind if it gets in your eye. The pills they gave him cost way more then the Shingles shot. If I remember $400 for 7 days of pills. I found the shots the least expensive at COSTCO. Doctor said the worse the case of Chicken pox that you had the more likely to get Shingles. It can also be brought on by a trauma - my husband hit his head pretty hard a few days prior to Shingles outbreak, coincidence who knows!!!

[Ozz]

Thank you all for input on this. I passed last year when my Dr. asked me if I wanted one. I was just not informed, this helps a lot.

[Flymutt]

DW and I decided to each get one last year after we saw Tony LaRussa (retired STL Cardinals coach) suffer through his last season with Shingles. He had it on the side of his face, similar to what CATCRAW was describing. We walked into a Walgreens and it was administered similar to the flu shot...no big deal.

[jim n deb]

Our Dr. says that anyone over 60 should have the shot.

[bobcat92]

I agree I would get the shot. You can get it in your eye and go blind. The chicken pox virus hides in your nerve endings and when your immune system gets low the virus can emerge. It can sometimes impact the nervous systems itself resulting in chronic pain after the shingles out break is gone.

[BusyCarol]

I was at the doctors appointment with my dad when his doctor discussed it with him. Our Family Dr. is not the type of person to recommend things but in this case he said, 'If you were my dad I would say it wasn't a choice! You would be getting it!' So that is what my dad did! Best of luck finding the pricing less expensive. I have been told that Albertson's also does it but I am not sure where the price falls.

[kab449]

I had mine last year, covered with Blue Cross/Shield. They will cover it for anyone over 50. Buddy of mine got it and took him 2 months and many trips to the Doctors to beat it. Don't take any chances, do it.

[maximo]

About 12 years ago I had the shingles on my left side and the left side of my back and it was pure hell. I did get the shot after everthing cleared up. My only cost was a $10 dollar copay. I have a friend that had shingles on the left side of his head and face about 10 years ago and he says to this day he still has some pain . GET THE SHOT.

Franken

[mazboy]

had shingles and asked the doctor if I'd get them again...he said I had a higher risk because I had them. so, wife and I got the shot, $240 and insurance didn't pay. Life goes on.

[c214dick]

Louise was charged $275. Medicare declined so we'll see whether her supplement pays. I haven't received it yet. Our Dr recommends (of course) Will wait until we get home (Illinois).

[Wayne and Carolyn Mathews]

I had shingles on either side of my spine and around my waist when I was in college. They were so painful that to this day, I cringe when I think about that miserable time and how long it went on, long enough so that I missed a month of school because I couldn't sit comfortably enough to stay in class. You should consider getting the vaccine if you've had chicken pox.

Carolyn