Hello, I’m a Type 1 diabetic and recently got the shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles. My reactions was a sore arm but I also noticed for the last three days my blood sugars have spiked and my blood pressure has also gone up. I googled shingrix and blood sugars and didn’t see anything that would suggest the vaccine might cause your blood sugars to rise except that it is a live virus and would my immune system think it has to fight something off? That would make my blood sugars go high!
Just curious if anyone else has had this vaccine and noticed any similar reactions. The pharmacist said reactions last usually 3-5 days. I’m on day 5 today!
I haven’t had this vaccine but I have read others saying when sick their blood sugars might be high or low. I think in many cases vaccines at least make your body think its sick so maybe that would account for a temporary change in blood sugars.
If that was the case I would think you’d be back to normal after a few days.
Hopefully someone else will have better details to offer.
Thanks Chris, I think you are correct the vaccine made my body think it was sick because yesterday and today my blood sugars are back to diabetic normal!
Hi Jane
I’m a type 2 on insulin and I got my first Shingrix vaccination in June 2018. I had a similar reaction where my blood sugars shot up and I generally felt washed out for about a week. This is the first such reaction I have ever experienced with any type of vaccination. With the country wide back order of the Shringrix vaccine I haven’t been able to get my second Shringrix vaccination, so I can’t share that experience yet. After a week I was back to being my normal self and my blood sugars returned to reasonable levels again. I too could not find any manufacturer’s documented side effect reactions of elevated blood sugars. Hope you are starting to feel better. I guess the country wide back order of the vaccine must be easing if you got your vaccination.
Thanks so much Rich for your response on the Shingrix vaccination. I have never experienced a reaction like this before either. All I know is that my blood sugars will really rise when I’m trying to ward off a cold or some other virus or bacterial infection. It’s like my first clue that I’m getting sick so this reaction sort of threw me. I’m back to diabetic normal now but I think I’ll let my endocrinologist know this so she can warn other diabetics.
Jane
