Question: DMARDS and Shingles

[Guest guest]

Greetings,

My father has RA - so do I. He takes Remicade. I'm on Enbrel. We had dinner

with my

parents on Sunday, at which time he was complaining of terrible pain in his

shoulder. My

husband and I were debating a torn rotator cuff and encouraged him to see his

doctor

(he's 74). What he didn't tell us was that he had developed a rash. He was

diagnosed with

shingles.

I have since learned online that RA patients on DMARDS have an increased chance

of

developing shingles due to a compromised immunity. I even found one PubMed

study that

recommended shingles as an on-label complication of Remicade.

I'm curious if anyone has developed shingles while taking Remicade or Enbrel.

Also, I'm

trying to find clarification on contagion. The Enbrel website states that I

should contact

me doctor if I've been exposed to anyone who has shingles. Thoughts? Opinions?

Many thanks!

Paige

[Guest guest]

I've had shingles twice in the last few years. Am not on Remicade or

Enbrel, but was on Plaquenil at the time.

They say that it is not contagious, but I have my doubts. The first time I

had it, a friend at work had it first. I developed it next and then another

friend got it. I had never even known anyone who had ever had it and then,

within a space of a couple of months, there were three of us. Seems odd to

me. But they do say it's not contagious.

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Paige

My father has RA - so do I. He takes Remicade. I'm on Enbrel. We had dinner

with my

parents on Sunday, at which time he was complaining of terrible pain in his

shoulder. My

husband and I were debating a torn rotator cuff and encouraged him to see

his doctor

(he's 74). What he didn't tell us was that he had developed a rash. He was

diagnosed with

shingles.

I have since learned online that RA patients on DMARDS have an increased

chance of

developing shingles due to a compromised immunity. I even found one PubMed

study that

recommended shingles as an on-label complication of Remicade.

I'm curious if anyone has developed shingles while taking Remicade or

Enbrel. Also, I'm

trying to find clarification on contagion. The Enbrel website states that I

should contact

me doctor if I've been exposed to anyone who has shingles. Thoughts?

Opinions?

..

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115417/stime=1216722416/nc1=5191948/nc2=5191951/nc3=5191953>

[Guest guest]

A couple of months after my RA symptoms started, I had shingles. I had

not yet been diagnosed with RA and therefore was on no DMARDS. So I

think that people with RA might have an increased chance of developing

shingles. My PCP treated my shingles very aggressively, and I had

little pain as a result. So if you think you have shingles, you should

go immediately to the doctor, because there's a window of opportunity

there. When I got it, I thought that this must be shingles. Sometimes I

can diagnose my diseases pretty well, LOL.

Sue

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at 06:26 AM, Paige wrote:

>

> I have since learned online that RA patients on DMARDS have an

> increased chance of

> developing shingles due to a compromised immunity. I even found one

> PubMed study that

> recommended shingles as an on-label complication of Remicade.

>

[Guest guest]

I developed shingles last May, four months after I started taking Plaquenil.  I

don't know if there is an association or not, but I suspect there may be.  I am

always worried that the shingles will recur; even with the anti-viral

medication, I had linger pain for about four months.

 

Meg in PA

[Guest guest]

I am no expert on Shingles,but my mom is in a nursing home,and when someone in

there has an outbreak they are put in isolation.I had it one time,and had a

gland in my groin get so large,my MD did a biopsy and removed the gland.(the

shingles were on my maximus sp?-butt!!huggs,Sherry