RESEARCH - Biologic use associated with increased risk of shingles

[Guest guest]

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Raise Shingles Risk

Older people and those also taking steroids are most vulnerable, study finds

Posted February 17, 2009

By Gardner

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A class of medications used

widely to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases

might increase the risk of shingles, especially among older people and

those who are also taking steroids.

But while the findings, appearing in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal

of the American Medical Association, might raise awareness of the

potential complication among physicians and patients, some experts say

it's unlikely to change how the drugs are used.

" We've changed people's lives with use of these anti-tumor necrosis

factor drugs. People who were housebound are now leading relatively

normal lives, " said Dr. Guy Fiocco, an assistant professor of internal

medicine at Texas A & amp;M Health Science Center College of Medicine

and director of rheumatology at & amp; White in Temple. " This

modest increase in risk is not going to stop us prescribing the drug.

It may make us more aware. "

The increased risk did not reach clinical significance, and, Fiocco

added, rheumatoid arthritis itself probably increases the risk of

shingles (herpes zoster), as do steroids, which are taken by many

people with the disease.

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Read the entire article here:

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/02/17/rheumatoid-arthrit\

is-drugs-raise-shingles-risk.html

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

I think that the statement below is what happened in my case. I got

shingles a couple of months after my RA symptoms started, but before I

had been diagnosed. I had not taken any RA meds, including steroids.

One of the things my PCP did for it was to give me a steroid shot. She

treated in aggressively, and I had an easy time with it. My sister has

had shingles recently and has had a horrible time. She's had to go

back to the doctor 4-5 times, and still has pain after a month and a

half.

Sue

On Feb 18, 2009, at 2:31 PM, wrote:

> rheumatoid arthritis itself probably increases the risk of

> shingles (herpes zoster),