Thanks for the source site Hwkmn. As per common sense everyone, be vigilant about understanding the credibility of online sources for medical info. I appreciate a wide perspective of opinions and know it is easy for all of us, in our search for understanding afib and our particular issues, to get caught up in information overload. Good luck in your decision Paul, confer with yr docs.

So Sharon says (that's Sharon my new wife ... that's Professor Emeritus of Biology Sharon), so Sharon says .... "is this going to be like the Coumadin. Your doctors had been telling you for five years to go on Coumadin and you wouldn't do it. Then you had a stroke that could have made you an invalid. Then you started taking the Coumadin, a little late".

Its hard to know what is more self destructive (the do's or the don'ts). And they are all trying to sell you something.

Always procrastinated on the shingles shot until a friend of mine not only had a heart transplant but developed shingles. This guy is no wimp!!!. When he described the pain he went through I couldn't believe it. THERE IS NO CURE FOR SHINGLES. My buddy is now on an electrical stimulator that was surgically implanted around his lower spine. His condition has improved but I can see when the pain returns. By the way ,he HAD a shingles shot. The doctor told him it is a break down of the immune system and the virus just overwhelmed the vaccine.Went out and got the shot. Ounce of prevention. Kind of like life . No guarantees

I got the shot and shortly after that had a mild case of shingles. I got in to see the doctor within a couple days and she put me on meds that took care of it. She said you have a very small window to begin the meds so they are effective.

There is a small chance you can get shingles as a result of the vaccine and of course since I seem to always be the one to have problems, this didn't come as a surprise. It was a very, very mild case and was gone within a week so I was lucky.

That article says 3.3% of people will get shingles if unvaccinated. The CDC says about 33%: The vaccination is supposed to reduce that number in half and in other cases, lower the severity. So whose numbers are right?

"About one in three persons will develop shingles during their lifetimes, resulting in about one million cases of shingles per year."

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080515.htm

petey

Upon asking, I was told by two of my doctors not to get the shingles vaccine. At the time, not long ago, they were certainly not impressed by clinical results, and also voiced their opinion it was a money-making product promoted by the drug makers. They did not seem to place much, if any, confidence in it. Recently, they still do not recommend this as a necessary vaccine, but, of course, recommend the flu and pneumonia vaccines. Three cardiologists that I have seen, also did not recommend the shingles vaccine.

Petey, thanks for the research and link. I checked out a few other interesting facts from the CDC, one Ive often wondered about, why shingles and all these other diseases now? Rare in our day. Heres one from the CDC: Mass use of chickenpox vaccine by children in the U.S. since 1995 has limited natural boosting of Varicella Zoster immunity in the adult population and there has been a significant increase in cases of Herpes zoster among adult -
Its the kids fault!!
Even if the 33% is correct, which I believe there are smoke and mirrors to that figure,, Ill take my chances with building up my immunity. I never had Pox, so Im a bit more confident than most.
At some point this country has to get away from the quick fixes and understand we cant fool mother nature forever.

Ive had shingles twice: the first time in 1982 (before they came out with the antiviral stuff ouch) and the second time two years ago (caught it within the 3 day limit and was put on medicine almost no pain at all!). My doctor has never brought up the subject of a shingles shot I dont think hes too hot on putting a live virus in someone without a spleen. I now know what shingles looks and feels like so I would get my rear-end to the doctors if I see anything that even remotely looks like it to prevent any further pain.

I got the shingles shot last year and have been getting the flu shot most years for about a decade.

I remember when my grandmother got shingles about 35 or 40 years ago. She was pretty miserable. Her experience and my own research made it an easy decision.

Before I retired about 6 years ago, I was an Emergency Preparedness Manager. I was working with a group to develop a tabletop exercise on a flu pandemic. I did a lot of research on the flu and the dangers from the flu. Bottom line was that a pandemic could easily lead to the death of hundreds of thousands in the United States alone...millions worldwide. The best defense against the flu was getting the right flu shot and frequent washing of hands. The pandemic came and we had an inadequate supply of the right vaccine. People in some places were desperate for the vaccine. Others demanded Tamiflu as a preventative (it's not).

Every year one of the biggest killers of the elderly is complications from the flu.

For me, prior to getting a flu shot and prior to getting on asthma medication, I'd get the flu on average, twice a year. I'd be sick for a week or so and then had a terrible time getting rid of the upper respiratory symptoms. For the last 10 years or so, since being consistent in taking the medication and getting a flu shot, I don't get the flu.

For me, afib has not been affected by flu shots or the shingles vaccine.

Thank goodness.

Todd

Todd, agreed and disagree once again. I am not advocating for zero prevention, that we agree on. However the type of prevention I disagree with in part. Just as with AF, doing nothing is not an option. For those who do nothing, yes, any shot is perhaps your only chance. Please know also that there are fatalities with that.
I also got the flu every year without fail, with the flu shot once, until I began preparing my body to defend against it about 5 years ago. Not even a sniffle this year with people with and without the flu shot dropping like flies everywhere. Shingles, flu or whatever doesnt require a shot if we are healthy.