Bad reaction to flu shot

[emily_in_nc]

Okay, so I had my flu shot yesterday. I rarely get the flu, but I wanted to protect myself from my co-workers who come to work no matter how sick they are all winter.

About five hours after the shot, I started feeling funny. My arm was a little sore, but this was much worse. By 8 pm (6 hours post shot), I had the shivers, chattering teeth, body aches, and a headache. Took my temp and it was 100.5 (I normally run in the 97s, so that's higher for me than for some folks). Took 4 ibuprofen and laid in bed all evening under the covers watching TV. No energy to be on the computer or even to read during commercials!

Got up at 7 am and into the shower, could barely stand up from the body aches. Logged into my work account and emailed my boss that I'd be taking the day off. Got back into bed and slept until 9 am. Achy and headachy in the morning, temp. 99.9 at noon. Took two more ibuprofen, a nap, and finally started feeling human again this afternoon around 3pm.

Anyway....hope no one else has a reaction like mine! I had the flu shot two years ago and only remember a sore arm, nothing like this.

I think this will be my last flu shot....it's just not worth having a "mini-flu" in order to avoid what I probably won't even get! I know you can't get the flu from the vaccine, but I am apparently pretty sensitive to it anyway, despite not being allergic to eggs, thimerisol (sp), etc....

Emily

[traveller_62]

Getting a sore arm following a flu shot is pretty common. I just got mine today and my arm is definitely sore. Mild body aches and a low-grade fever are not unheard of either. But, wow, your reaction does sound at the extremes of what is normal! You can develop allergies to eggs and stuff over time so you might want to get tested to see if you have emergent sensitivities.

I hope you don't give up the flu shots entirely (unless you are really allergic to eggs or thimerisol) because it is the shots are really quite effective against what can be a deadly viral infection. I was amazed at the number of normally healthy people in my town (who are also much younger than I am) who got seriously ill with the flu last year and required hospitalization.

[emily_in_nc]

The CDC site does confirm that reactions like mine, while not very common, do occur:

"The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are

* Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
* Fever (low grade)
* Aches

If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days." -- from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

I'm not going to bother getting tested for an egg allergy. Been eating 'em for years with no problems. Fortunately I feel a lot better now.

Emily

[Blueberry]

Emily-

Sorry to hear you're feeling poorly

This is a similar reaction to mine. I *always* feel like that for about 2-3 days. I've given up on the shot too. However, I have been tempted to try flu mist on the off chance it's something in the vaccine that might not be in the nasal version...

CA

[withm]

If it's any consololation same thing happened to me. Got the shot at noon. Was ok, but of course arm was sore - always is after flu shot. But around 2am I could not sleep, was shivering in my bed, too cold to get up and get another blanket - but hey, I have a freakin down comforter on the bed, why am I so cold? Finally I got up to find a fleece sweater to put on and realized - duh - flu shot. Took 4 advil and went back to bed. Next morning all was well except for the "hangover" of being "sick" in the night. Did not bother to take my temperature mostly cause I really didn't want to know. Went to work the next day, but it did take a couple days to feel normal again. I've gotten the shots pretty religiously for many years, but this is the first bad reaction I've had. Still, it has to be better than getting the flu and being sick for 2 months which is what happens if I get a bad upper respiratory infection. Hope you feel better soon.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for the condolences! I found this online just now. Interesting....I'd noticed that my eyes were red, and I've coughed a couple of times (but no wheezing):

http://www.healthandage.com/Home/!gc...62843D626A020E

I haven't had the flu in many years, despite only getting the shot one other year; that's why I hesitate to get the shot again. 24 hours of feeling like crap vs. the slight possibility of 2 weeks of feeling like crap but most likely not getting sick at all. Tough call.

Emily

[Pax]

I've had three flu shots in my life, ages 8/18/39...I was sick as a dog every single time. High fever, joint pain, nausea, chills... Never again!

[Kitsune06]

I'm seriously considering getting a flu shot just because a) I'm going to be going to school on public transportation b) X got hers, and even if she doesn't come down with the flu (seeing patients all day?) she could accidentally pass it on to me. =( I'm willing to deal with a day of 'sick' to bypass the month of seal-bark coughing and bullfrog voice.

[r900]

Hi Emily, Glad to hear you're feeling better. I had the flu twice last year.Please don't stop getting the vaccine. I was so damn sick. I really don't remember much of the month of February other than fever and hacking. Recovery took soo long.I would gladly give up two days versus six weeks of being in a funk. Plus, you don't have any energy to bike. it's like starting all over. I think I'll get my shot about the first week of December this year.

[margo49]

Had one several years ago and a week later spent 3 days feeling like something the proverbial cat had proverbially dragged in.
Thought to get one this year. Felt like h-ll earlier this evening (a week after the shot) and now I am awake (not quite 2 am) after terrible dreams and feeling not much better.
Ah well, better this than the Real Thing...I s'pose

[spokewench]

My hubby had exactly the same reaction on saturday morning after he had a flu shot on Friday. He is a medical worker.

spoke

[Pax]

Just got home from allergy tests...I'm allergic to eggs among other things. No wonder flu shots made me sick.

[Eden]

Just had my first flu shot ever, but I'm going to work in a children's hospital so I think it was probably a good idea, for me and for them. I don't generally have any bad reactions to vaccines, but if I do I'll let you know.
It was a dead virus vaccine - there was even a notice on the web site that if you'd had a live virus vaccination they could ask you to not come to work for a period of time!

[emily_in_nc]

Just had my first flu shot ever, but I'm going to work in a children's hospital so I think it was probably a good idea, for me and for them. I don't generally have any bad reactions to vaccines, but if I do I'll let you know.
It was a dead virus vaccine - there was even a notice on the web site that if you'd had a live virus vaccination they could ask you to not come to work for a period of time!

Oh, mine was killed virus too -- I didn't even know there were any other kind! Hope you don't have any side effects. Most people don't (other than a sore arm). Guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Turns out my mom has bad reactions to them too (and is also not allergic to any of the ingredients that she is aware of). She stopped getting them years ago when she retired from teaching.

Emily

[margo49]

Yeah mine had "INACTIVATED" written in big letters like that on it. Sheesh, I would hate to see the activated one

(sorry about the "Sheesh"" It must be from the Andy Griffiths YouTube that Zen linked on TD/Australia)