Myasthenia Gravis Support Group
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...
My hubby Jerry has MG and therefore you know he cannot have the shingle shot since it is a live vaccine! Today he was diagnosed with shingles on his forehead! The head is not a good place to have it as shingles travels through the nerve endings and can effect the eyes! Has anyone any info with having Shingles and MG ! TIA! I continue to pray for all you you MG'ers! Barb
If you are treating MG with immunosuppressants, then live vaccines are not recommended, but if you just take mestinon then it is not a problem.
Search:
shingles myasthenia site:www.dailystrength.org
In the MG Links and News there is a discussion with links to the CDC recommendations and other discussions of vaccines. There is no absolute contraindication to the shingles vaccine for people with myasthenia gravis. We do not start with weakened immune systems, just screwy ones that are overactive in some respects. If we are on immunosuppressants that qualifies as having a weakened immune system. Mestinon is not an immunosuppressant.
However, revving up the immune system with vaccines may be considered unsafe in MG by some. It is something that should be discussed with your doctor. I find the varicella and shingles vaccines particularly problematic because not only are they live attenuated vaccines, but it is an organism that tends to hang around, and become reactivated.
I am so sorry your hubby is dealing with this and I hope it is very short lived. b.