May 15, 2019: Tuesday night, Wednesday morning experiencing horrible pain in left shoulder, the worst in days, could not sleep. Left arm shoulder very weak in terms of raising it above my chest, usually need the right hand to help it. Turning my neck does not increase the pain. Moving my arm in different positions is what really hurts. Just resting at night, the shoulder throbs and I get some sharp pains when I try to move it into another position. Sitting upright seems to help the most. Spent hours sleeping in a chair for relief.
Shingles
Posts related to Shingles rash, treatment, and the Shingles vaccine.
Anxiety Over the Covid-19 Vaccine
In 2019 I decided to get the shingles vaccine. I figured that since I had never had a reaction to the flu vaccine, nothing would happen other than a hoped for suppression of another bout with shingles. Two weeks after the first vaccine injection I had a raging sinus headache for days. My doctor said it was allergies and prescribed Flonase. Then my shoulders started to get weak. Within a couple days my whole body was itching, head to toe.
Surviving Doctor Visits, Prostate Problems, and Shoulder Paralysis
By the time I had all the fun in the urologist’s office, the prostate pain had virtually disappeared. My PCP and I had theorized before the PSA test that the new mountain bike I bought, with the knife-like seat, may have traumatized the pudendal nerve, a common problem among cyclists. I had stopped riding my new bike and the pain gradually subsided. The next PSA test result was a 4, confirming that I needed to buy a new bike seat.
Shingle’s Rash, Back Pain, And Skin Sensitivity
Tuesday evening I took a shower and this rash had blossomed around my waist and butt. The most uncomfortable outbreak was around my couch and between my legs, not to mention it just looked awful. I was the perfect candidate to have a flare up of the herpes zoster virus also known as Shingles when it manifests itself as a rash. I was over 50, had chicken pox as a child, and had not had the Zostavax vaccine to prevent Shingles.
Shingles Vaccine Price Varies From Pharmacy and Health Plan
With only one manufacturer of the Shingles Vaccine, Zostavax from Merck, there are no generic prices on the market. The retail price for Zostavax at the local pharmacies I surveyed is fairly consistent across the board. Lower prices can be found under different Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, but even with insurance, there can be a spread of $115 to $170 difference in the cost.
Anthem Blue Cross Adds Shingles Vaccine to Pharmacy Coverage
I now know that I have been having outbreaks of the shingles on my legs these past couple of years.