Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Shingles

Certain Medications

If the shingles virus is already dormant in an individual, certain medications can increase their chances of developing the condition. Some drugs are designed to keep the body from rejecting transplanted organs, and these have been shown to increase a patient's risk of developing shingles. In addition, prolonged use of prednisone and other steroids can increase an individual's risk of developing shingles. They might be at a higher risk of developing shingles if they take certain medications for psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis as well. One study found rheumatoid arthritis patients had a much higher risk of developing shingles when they took prednisone or other steroid medications. For patients with psoriatic arthritis, there was an increased risk of shingles if they took both DMARD and TNF drugs. At the same time, the risk of shingles didn't appear to develop if the patient took either DMARD or TNF medications alone. There isn't significant data to explain why the combination of these medications can increase an individual's risk of developing shingles.

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