Sex: F
Vaccine: VARZOS
Symptoms: Herpes zoster, Impaired driving ability, Insomnia, Neuralgia, Pain
Clinical narrative: This spontaneous report as received from a patient's husband refers to an elderly female patient (reported as beyond 70 year old) with high blood pressure, allergies, pacemaker placed in "last July"for arrhythmia problem and allergy to BACTRIM. In October 2013, (reported as end of October 2013) the patient was vaccinated with ZOSTAVAX (dose unspecified, frequency reported as "one shot", route reported as back of arm). Concomitant medication included SINGULAIR and blood pressure medication (unspecified). On approximately 31-OCT-2013, (reported as a week later after her husband which was 24-OCT-2013) his wife developed burning on her back and both arms, the skin on the inside of her arms from elbow to wrist and back got really bumpy and rough feeling, and then she developed nerve pain (in an approximately November 2013). The reporter described his wife's case of shingles as "developing on the inside of her body and not the outside". (also reported that both reporter and his wife developed shingles, traditional shingles rash including pain and itchiness). The patient's pain was so intense that she "could not sleep, it attacked her nerves and they got frayed, she started having panic attacks then developed anxiety and deep depression."(in an approximately November 2013). They couldn't find anyone that knew what to do for her and stated they would be in the Emergency Room once a week. The reporter stated they visited the Emergency Room on 22-NOV-2013 then after that visited different family doctors, 3 different neurologists, a trauma center, 7 different Emergency Rooms, and on 01-FEB-2014 they finally found one Doctor who was willing to listen and admitted the patient to the hospital. (on 01-FEB-2014, city and stated not specified,for about 12 days, up to am approximately 12-FEB-2014). The reporter stated they "took care of her pain first then took her to the crisis management unit to calm her down and experiment with other medications (unspecified) to help with the nerve damage". The reporter stated CT Scans (computer Tomography) and X-Rays couldn't determine what was going on with his wife. (date unspecified). Unspecified blood work, psychiatric evaluation (date unspecified) were performed (results unknown). Eventually through treatment patient's pain, panic attacks and depression have improved, but she has lost a lot of her memory, couldn't cook, drive a car and couldn't do a lot of things she used to do. (onset date in an approximately November 2013, at the beginning of November 2013). The patient was still undergoing unspecified treatment. The reporter also stated that his wife experienced constipation while taking TEGRETOL (date unspecified) and that it did not relieve all her pain (date unspecified). The reporter also stated that his wife developed adverse effects while taking other pain medications (unspecified names and manufacturers) (date unspecified). The patient's outcome in regards to events described as constipation while taking TEGRETOL and adverse effects while taking other pain medications (unspecified names and manufacturers) was unknown. Patient's outcome was reported as recovering. Relatedness between all events and ZOSTAVAX was not reported. This case is linked to MAARS #1403USA009550, MARRS#1403USA009551 (same reporter link). Additional information is not expected.