You all are great will mention all of your suggestions and sympathy to her and him !

The shot is over $200 and not covered by my insurance. Walgreen's recommended the health department. I wonder about getting it when I have had the shingles several times starting when I was 19. That one was around my body and painful, but more serious was the return when I was much older. This time they were on face and around my eye. Before I was done, I had a detached retina. I do not skip my Lysine! My doctor wants the shot, but I have reservations in my case.

Chicken Pox/shingles is caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help.

lots of Echinacea, vitamin C, Silver shield, lots of rest and gentle massage with something like aloe vera will sooth the area


Echinacea and silver are natural antibiotics, much better than perscription

Some of you might find this information helpful. The shingles vaccine is called Zostavax. It is covered by Medicare and Medicare HMOs, but you have to pay for it up front and submit it to your Part D (prescription drug) carrier to be reimbursed if you choose to receive the vaccine in your doctor's office. Many pharmacists are now approved to administer certain vaccines, so that is another avenue that can be explored for flu and pneumonia vaccines, and they are usually able to directly bill pharmacy plans as if they were filling a regular prescription. Many commercial insurance companies cover as well, but only for people aged 60 and up because that is the age group the FDA gave approval for. There are a couple plans that pay for it for anyone age 50 and up, since that is when the risk of contracting shingles rises dramatically, but those are few and far between.

Hope you find this information helpful.

God bless

My doc says that even if you have had an occurance of shingles, you still need to take the vaccine so it doesnt come again..and now Medicare will pay for it, according to my pharmacy (I have Medicare and BCBS and with the two of them, there is no cost for it).

I got my vaccination against shingles from an in store pharmacy, I cost me $43.00, Dr. wanted to charge me $200.00.
My Husband came down with shingles first few days of June, he felt bad, his forehead hurt and a line up into his hair. Shingles attacks nerves, his forehead broke out, Dr. gave medicine for a month, then he went back and got medicine for the nerve pain, It comes and goes, has scars on his forehead. That was when I decided to get the vaccine. His eye was not involved Just his forehead and the nerve going up into his hair.

The shingles vaccine is a 'live' vaccine. I have RA & asked my rheumatologist if I should get it. She said I'd have to go off the Enbrel I take for RA for at least a month, maybe longer, I'm not sure. BUT there's no way I'm going off the Enbrel for that long. It really helps!

So check with your dr, before getting the shingles vaccine. It may interact with a medication you are on.

If I get shingles, I may regret my decision, but for now, I want my weekly shot of Enbrel.

I've heard that aloe plants work well on the rash. My father-in-law had them and used up a lot of my aloes on his; said it was the only thing that helped...