Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Anti TNF and other biological medications Anti-TNFs - 75% Increased Risk of Shingles

http://www.eular.org/congresspressreleas...ti-tnfs.pdf.pdf

EULAR 2012
Annual Congress of the European League
Against Rheumatism
Berlin, Germany, 6-9 June 2012
TREATMENT WITH ANTI-TNFS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING
SHINGLES BY UP TO 75% COMPARED TO MORE TRADITIONAL DRUGS
Results of a systematic review urge prophylactic treatment for those at risk...(more...)

That's true, any virus we are susceptible to with a lowered immune system. You are darned if you do and darned if you don't sometimes. I will have to read this article. We can't have any live virus shots either like a flu shot or such.

It's only a poster presentation, not that much info. EULAR just had their last day of international conference - Germany this time. Sometimes I really do find it seems to be a case of a 'paper, article', at any cost!

yep

but if my odds of getting shingles are 1 in one hundred and they go to 2 in one hundred that is a 100% increase yet still very low odds. Those percentage numbers can be scary until you break them down a bit.

BTW the shingles vaccine is a live virus and probably should not be taken by anyone on a TNF drug

Pea the flu shot is not a live virus and is OK to take. The nasal spray is a live virus and is to be avoided.

I heard that to Drizzit but I talked to the Pharmacist an he said no, it is live and he won't give it to me :\

I have to take a flu shot every year for work (hospital) and it is not a live virus vaccine. Like Drizzit says, the Flumist (nasal vaccine) IS a live virus and is contraindicated in people on immune suppressants.

Might be that the pharmacist only had the Flumist available to him since he might not be approved to give injections. I saw the sign up in my pharmacy that they were approved to give the Flumist, but nothing indicating they were able to give injections.

if i remember correctly, my old rheumy office used to encourage, and give flu vaccines to their patients on the biologics, so that they would be less likely to contract the flu. with the reasoning, better to not get an infection (bacterial or viral) while on the biologics.

hadn't thought about the attenuated vs inactivated vaccines. so thanks for that information.

Okay Steve,

Thank's for letting me know that. It seems really odd to me that I have not gotten the flu once since my A.S. came out of remission. I don't know if it is because I am housebound, I wear gloves all the time and don't take them off at the grocery store or any other store and use a lot of hand sanitizer. I ask people before they come over if they are sick.