Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus, varicella-zoster, lies dormant in the nervous system after an outbreak of chickenpox. As you get older, it is possible for the virus to reappear as shingles. Shingles is most common in people over 50 who have had chickenpox. Other people at risk include those with weakened immune systems from HIV infection, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, transplant operations or stress. Shingles will affect 2 out of 10 Americans in their lifetimes. More than 500,000 people suffer from shingles annually.

Symptoms of shingles include pain on one side of the face or body. The pain can be severe and described as burning, shooting, tingling, or itching. A rash or blisters often accompany a shingles outbreak, which last up to 14 days. Shingles can cause complications, especially if the outbreak involves the face. Shingles lesions can cause temporary or permanent blindness if they affect the cornea or affect hearing if they involve the ear. Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication that results in nerve pain for months or years after the shingles rash resolves.

There is no cure for shingles, but the duration and severity of symptoms can be greatly reduced with immediate treatment with antiviral medications. Commonly used antivirals include acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famcyclovir. Antivirals can also reduce the likelihood of postherpetic neuralgia. Postherpetic neuralgia is also treated with analgesics, glucocorticosteroids (like prednisone), antidepressants (like amitriptyline), and anticonvulsants (like gabapentin).

In May of this year the FDA approved a new vaccine to reduce the risk of shingles in people 60 years old and older called Zostavax. Zostavax is a live-virus vaccine given as a single injection under the skin in the upper arm. The vaccine has been shown to boost immunity against the varicella-zoster virus. A study involving 38,000 people in the US age 60 and older showed that Zostavax reduced the incidence of shingles by about 50%. Those who did develop shingles after the vaccine reported reduced pain and duration of symptoms. Importantly, vaccinated subjects were only a third as likely to develop postherpetic neuralgia, the most common serious complication of shingles. The most commonly reported side-effects of the vaccine were injection-site-related such as redness, pain, tenderness, swelling at the site of injection and itching. Headache was also reported as a side effect. The incidence of significant adverse effects did not vary between vaccine recipients and those receiving placebo. Zostavax is indicated for adults age 60 and older for the prevention of shingles.

Zostavax, flu vaccine and other vaccines are available at Taos Pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. Call Jake or Becky to schedule needed vaccines. We have this year's flu vaccine in stock.

Reference: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01378.html.

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