This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Has anyone else had an extreme reaction to the flu jab this year? About a day after I had it I became as weak as a dish rag: unable to move a muscle to the point where I couldn't even lift my chin off my chest when I sat up. I thought it was just me having a bad time, but I have since heard of two other people with MS who have described identical symptoms, so I wonder if it's a widespread phenomenon. That main reaction lasted for about 36 hours, but I'm still feeling slightly weaker than normal 10 days after the jab.
It was pretty frightening, but it made me think: if that was the vaccination, imagine how bad the full blown virus would be,

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Dom

Can you find out anything about that particular flu shot, such as how it was made? Maybe there is something in the production process that you are allergic to. Was it made in eggs or horses or what? I'm not familiar with how they make things nowadays. I've had bad reactions to flu shots in previous years. This year was okay though.
Once I got a tetanus shot in my arm and was told to take it easy for 24 hours. Silly me, I thought 'take it easy' meant only do my usual 3 mile run later in the day, no more. Unfortunately that spread the serum all around in my arm and it was very stiff for a couple of days. I learned my lesson the hard way that time. So, the question is, did you do anything particularly strenuous soon after your shot?

Wesley

I didn't have anything except a little soreness at the injection site for a couple of days. I did ask before the injection if there was any mercury used as preservative and they said it was mercury free. I'm not sure if it would make any difference but it's something to look into.

My four kids had it also but my 5 year triplets got the nasal spray instead of injection and had no reactions at all.

Did you have a fever? I know the flu vaccine can sometimes cause a slight case of flu to manifest.

I hope your feeling better.

Marcia

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Marcia

Thank you for your replies. I don't have any allergies that I'm aware of – they always ask if I am allergic to albumin and I've had the jab plenty of times before without feeling any more than a bit ropey. I wasn't aware that mercury could be used in vaccinations.
I'm afraid the severity of my symptoms, (partial use of left hand and arm; fairly normal use of head, face and neck muscles, everything else is pretty much gone), means that doing anything extra strenuous is out of the question. If I hadn't heard of other people, who have much milder MS, experiencing the same kind of near total paralysis, I think I'd have just put it down to the fact that I don't have much capacity to spare and it was all used up by a fairly moderate reaction to the injection.
Oh well, I suppose this will just have to go down as another fun packed episode in the life of a PWMS,

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Dom

Tomorrow is when I go to get my shot. Now I am concerned about getting it.

If anyone didn't have an abnormal reaction, please let us know.

gwa

gwa, I hope I didn't alarm you! I've just read my last post and realised how misleading it can sound – when I described my symptoms I wasn't describing how the jab made me feel, I meant that's how I NORMALLY am and it would only take a fairly moderate level of illness to tip me over the edge into complete disability. Please don't avoid the injection on my account because the real thing would be 100 times worse than the vaccine,

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Dom

I had a bad reaction (not like yours Dom) about 4 years ago and have not taken one since. I listened to a radio show and the guy talked about making sure you take plenty of Vitamin D during flu season. Since I already take 4000IU daily I thought "OK". I have not, knock on wood, had the flu since I quit taking the shot. I don't know if it's the D or simply that I have not been exposed, but I don't plan on getting another flu shot in my lifetime unless I have a new reason to do so.

I had mine, no problem. One of the two available here in Ottawa. We have the Vaxigrip and the Flurisal. I had it 10 days ago.
It doesn't trigger any neurological symptoms in me, ever.
I still think everyone should have one. It is our best protection against some pretty vicious diseases that are circulating. (Avian flu for example)
take care all. Carole

I'm getting mine next week. Thiomersal is the ingredient you should look out for if you want to avoid mercury but there are vaccines without or with negligable amounts of thiomersal ni them.

I had to look into this as I'm currently 24 wks pregnant, do need to flu vaccine, and didn't want to use one with any mercury.

One year about 11 years ago I had a huge reaction to a flu vaccine - got a severe asthma attack that landed me in hospital, but I've had 4 or 5 flu vaccines since then and nothing happened. I think sometimes I can really wipe you out, maybe you're fighting off another bug at the time....or something unscientific like that

Hey twisted...

I as well had a bad effect after the flu shoot.. I was intially planning to take the mist, but once I was given a medical history form I was directed that i should get the shot because the mist is known to on set MS excerabations... So I had the shot, and a few days later, I felt horrible... I started having some memory and speech issues, and tingling in my left arm...

Hi Mandy,
I'm sorry to hear about your reaction: I hope things have improved since. I never knew that the mist was a known trigger for MS exacerbations, but I've never been offered it anyway.
In previous years I've only felt a little bit unwell for a few days so this year came as a nasty surprise. It's just typical, isn't it? I was due to be taken out to a party on the day I was most ill – that would have been the third trip outside my house this year, which actually counts as a hectic social life for me – so I was pretty annoyed about it. Sometimes I'm quite convinced I have a guardian angel… who absolutely hates my guts!! (I call him Bob).
I will definitely continue to have the vaccination because I believe the benefit outweighs the risk, but in future I'll be a bit more prepared for what may happen,

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Dom

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I chickened out on my flu shot but got the pneumonia vaccine that I had planned on getting. My last pneumonia shot was 10 years ago and we are supposed to get one every 5 years.

We have company for Thanksgiving and I didn't want to chance getting sick from a flu shot.

gwa

I was offered a flu jab upon my last visit to the GP which i declined. I just felt reluctant to have another vaccine- I had loads in recent years for one thing or another. I wondered afterwards whether i should have opted for it. Having read the posts I think my decision was the right one for me - but not necesssarily for others.
muu

My husband who has SPMS no longer gets flu shots. He takes amantadine instead. If he gets type A influenza, it's very weak and short-lived, never really gets off the ground. Afterward, it's like it never happened. The turnaround for this amantadine-subdued flu is less than 24 hours.

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Joyce (aka cypriane)~caregiver and advocate in Dallas for Steve (SPMS)----"Enter through the narrowgate..."