Age: 70.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: VARZOS, VARZOS, VARZOS, VARZOS
Symptoms: Gait disturbance, Limb discomfort
Clinical narrative: This spontaneous report was received from a 70 year old male patient who is a physician and refers to himself. There was no patient's medical history and no drug reactions or allergies reported. On 06-JAN-2015, the patient was vaccinated with a dose of ZOSTAVAX (expiration date, dose and route were not reported) lot # K011004. Concomitant therapies included losartan potassium (manufacturer unknown), aspirin and FLOMAX. On 08-JAN-2015 (reported as "2 days later"), the patient developed numbness in his right leg. The physician stated the numbness occurred when he was either sitting or walking and it was difficult for him to walk and at the time of the report he could no longer garden because he could not sit on his right leg. The physician stated he had a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), of his head, performed on an unspecified date in 2015 to rule out a stroke. The physician stated the MRI "didn't show anything". There was no treatment given for adverse events. The physician thought that adverse events caused significant disability because he liked to garden, it was a part of his life and at the time of the report he could no longer do it. The physician stated at the time of the report adverse events happened if he was sitting for 30 minutes to an hour but he felt like it was getting worse. Relatedness between adverse events and therapy with ZOSTAVAX was not provided. Follow up has been received from the patient who is a physician on 05-MAY-2015 during a phone call and e-mail. The reporter indicated that in approximately 1958 (reported as >57 years ago), when he as 13 years old he had a massive calf muscle injury, he was bitten by an infected mosquito which caused an untreated infection, sepsis and a large abscess which were treated performing surgical removal of infected muscle, blood vessels and nerves without anesthesia. The patient indicated that perhaps it caused a fibrosis of large part of the calf muscles. On 02-JAN-2015 (previously reported as 06-JAN-2015 by the same reporter), the patient was vaccinated with dose of ZOSTAVAX, and on 03-JAN-2015 (reported as after 24 hours) (previously reported as "2 days later" on -8-JAN-2015 by the same reporter), the patient experienced numbness of lower right leg upon sitting for 30-120 minutes described also as peripheral neuropathy caused by shingle vaccination lasted for >3.5 months. The patient was treated with high doses of Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, folic acid and carbonyl iron, CORVITE FE for 3 days (dates unspecified), and after that the event resolved on an unknown date in 2015. On an unspecified date in January 2015, a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, the results had not been received yet (previously reported as "didn't show anything" by the same reporter) and on approximately 26-APR-2015 (reported as 10 days ago), a spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, the results had not been received yet. It was also reported that on an unknown date in 2015 (reported as now/week 16th), the patient experienced heaviness in his lower right leg while sitting and may be moderate while walking and some pain upon walking/getting up from the chair and the patient indicated that he was in aquatic therapy for more than four months (>4 months) and that it was "the only prevention." On the other hand, the patient reported that after 4 months of vaccination he suspected that his right leg circulation was compromised described as venous valve insufficient due to the aging, old injury and vaccination, which causing intermittent claudication described as pain and tightness upon walking after sitting for 0.5 to 2 hours. Additionally, the patient stated that "until this vaccination, I was aging slowly and gracefully and was running my life in relatively great health". The patient indicated that he had an appointment with the vascular surgeon on 06-MAY-2015. The outcome of limb discomfort, pain in extremity, peripheral venous disease and intermittent claudication was not recovered/resolved. The relatedness between limb discomfort, pain in extremity, peripheral venous disease and intermittent claudication and therapy with ZOSTAVAX was related. Additional information is not expected.