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Shingles, Your Risk, Your Informed Choices & Your Options
What Will You Do When Your Doctor Recommends a Shingles Vaccination?
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Volume III # 39 Copyright
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Shingles is definitely not fun, but does that mean you need to be vaccinated with one of the
shingles vaccines? Here are some facts to help you decide.
Shingles is a symptom caused by a virus. Both the symptoms and the virus itself are
referred to by a variety of other names: herpes zoster, VZV, Zona, Acute Posterior Ganglionitis to name a few. It
is caused by the same virus that causes varicella, which is also known as chicken pox.
Chicken pox is the acute phase of the invasion of the varicella-zoster virus, and
zoster, or shingles, is a reactivation of the latent phase of the virus. In other words, the chicken pox virus
(also called varicella virus) can lie dormant in your body for many many years. Thus you could have had chicken pox
as a child but not develop symptoms of shingles until older adulthood. In fact, although they can occur at any age,
most shingles outbreaks occur after age 50.
In short, this means that if you had chicken pox as a child, the virus can still lie
dormant in your body and 'bloom' when your immune system is weakened due to stress or medical
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS of
By whatever name it's called, the symptoms are the result of the virus erupting along
the surface of the trunk of your body , usually along a peripheral nerve that relays sensory information from your
skin back to your central nervous system and spinal cord. When the virus erupts, it causes inflamed, blister-like
skin eruptions. It also causes considerable pain in the skin area supplied by the nerve and inflammatory changes in
the nerve itself.
Long after the shingles outbreak has disappeared, the nerve pain (or neuralgia) can
remain, despite the fact that one such outbreak usually confers immunity.
This implies that a two-phase recovery program may be required: the first to support
the body in clearing the virus, and the second to assist the nerve to recover.
WHO IS AT RISK?
If you had a case of chicken pox, or if you received a chicken pox vaccination, you
are at risk of developing shingles due to the possibility of the virus lying dormant in your body, waiting for your
immune system to weaken sufficiently to become active again. The names of the vaccinations that put you at risk
(because they contain weakened versions of the varicella virus) are Varivax, ProQuad and Varilix.
WHAT IS STANDARD MEDICAL
Since there are currently very few prescriptions that address viruses, the standard
medical treatment often consists of relieving symptoms with cortisone (Prednisone is one such product). and pain
medication. Unfortunately, cortisone products suppress the immune response, which can worsen the progression of the
WHAT IS THE NAME & INGREDIENTS OF THE
There are now four vaccines used for this virus. The three mentioned above, Varivax,
ProQuad and Varilix, are used for children. A new vaccine is MMR-V or Zostavax is the first vaccine for shingles
approved by the FDA but only for people over 60. According to Dr. Steven E. Wolverton, M.D., Zostavax is basically
the same as the chicken pox vaccine but at least 14 times stronger.
It has been scientifically demonstrated to work only half the time, and it was tested
only on white people over the age of 60, and was tested for only three years before receiving FDA
Allan Spreen, M.D. states that he would not take such a vaccine 'for a king's ransom'
because " ALL vaccinations are suspect until they've been monitored for decades (for long-term dangers), and this
vaccine obviously could not fall in that category."
This vaccine as well as all the other varicella-zoster vaccines inject live virus.
The new one, Zostavax, or "the shingles vaccine" addresses the delayed effects of childhood chicken pox and
childhood chicken pox vaccination. Its weakened virus is meant to stimulate an immune antibody response sufficient
to rout out any varicella virus lying dormant after a childhood bout with chicken pox or childhood
As stated by its manufacturer, Merck, Zastavax contains:
live, attenuated( weakened) varicella-zoster virus,
hydrolyzed porcine gelatin,
residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and protein,
bovine calf serum.
(Note: If you'd like to check about the ingredients of any particular vaccine your
doctor is recommending, go to http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html or do an internet search for the name of
the vaccine along with 'ingredients in'.)
WHAT ABOUT NATURAL REMEDIES?
Support for Clearing the
The effectiveness of the aerial part of the herb Echinacea (rather than
the root) has been shown to be effective in warding off viruses, including this one. Apparently it blocks virus
receptors on the surface of cells and also supports the body in killing the virus through the production and
release of interferon, which can block viral RNA.
This common food has antiviral actions due to its ability to stimulate
and support the immune system. It can kill viruses and can protect from invading viruses.
This herb has demonstrated antiviral activities, including that of inhibiting the
This herb restores and enhances immune system activity. Used in Chinese
medicine for centuries, it also has the additional advantage of supporting adrenal and cardiovascular
St. John's Wort
This herb promotes optimal immune responses, and has the additional
advantage of acting to calm nerves and restore nervous system balance, thus it has the potential to reduce nerve
pain associated with an outbreak.
Allan Spreen, M.D. recommends 500 mcg per day of B12 as
a prevention. He used B12 shots in higher dosages for 3 days when he had an outbreak and that took care of it, he
Tai Chi Practice
A UCLA study demonstrated that the practice of Tai Chi
by older adults doubled their immunity to shingles.
Support for Repairing the
After clearing the virus, the following are among the remedies
for nerve repair:
This is a B vitamin with a somewhat
sweet taste; it is the fuel nerves use to fire.
Flax Seed Oil
This is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The lining, or insulation of the nerves
is made from this type of fatty acid.
May be helpful in nerve repair and relief from
An herb specific for addressing nerve pain.
This herb is a central nervous system tonic.
This herb promotes a tranquilizing effect on the central
St. John's Wort (see
Minerals Nerves Use
Nerves use minerals to do their work and
also to repair themselves. Those minerals found in kelp and alfalfa are especially effective for these
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Pamela Levin is an R.N, a Teaching & Supervising Transactional Analyst and
award-winning author with 500+ post graduate hours in clinical nutrition, herbology and applied
Pamela Levin, R.N., T.S.T.A.
December 3, 2012
Tags: herpes vaccine causes of herpes zoster shingles prevention chicken pox vaccine shingles Zostavax Varivax ProQuad varicella zoster shingles shot side effects
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