Flue Vaccine

[Guest GayleP]

Last year after getting the shot for the first timeI felt a little creepy right after it. Kind of weird and lightheaded. The next day I had a fever and a cough which lasted a month. I haven't been that sick in years.

So while I doubt it was the shot that caused me to get that sick I'm still really afraid to get it. But I also don't want to get the flu.

Major decision.

GayleP

[Guest GayleP]

Last year after getting the shot for the first timeI felt a little creepy right after it. Kind of weird and lightheaded. The next day I had a fever and a cough which lasted a month. I haven't been that sick in years.

So while I doubt it was the shot that caused me to get that sick I'm still really afraid to get it. But I also don't want to get the flu.

Major decision that I can't seem to make but need to soon before they run out of the vaccine..

GayleP

[Ling]

I got the flu injection this year. The injection was painful and my arm was sore for a few days. I was in bed for a whole day but the worst was my heart. It affects my heart almost immediately. I was actually in bed because of the way my heart felt and made me feel. I am seeing my new Cardio in 2 weeks time I will ask him why this happened. Remembering that I don’t think I will be going again. It might be because I have Barlow’s Syndrome and Pots that it affected me more. Heaven knows why.

My doctor has me on Panado's for pain lately.... Fibro..... (Still trying to get the body ready for a baby) I was taking 6 a day and could not stay awake. Doziness is not even noted on the side effects list. You will all know about the joys of side effects. I personally like to collect the one's that are really rare. Got to laugh at some of this sometimes. I have reduced the dosage to 3 a day and now I can stay awake.

On a positive note I did not get the flu but the heart cramps were scary .

[DancingLight]

well, i talked to the nurse at the doctor's office today and she said that he felt i would have to try and "slide by" without the shot....so that is the plan.

a couple of places in town received their full supply of vaccine, but my office did not...they only got 24 vaccines! so, basically, the nurse said you had to basically be dying to get the shot! i am using her words, not mine! eeek. not good.

although, my dad was in for an appt. yesterday and even though he isn't 65 he got one probably b/c he has asthma and is high risk.

the nurse said that the chronic illness stipulation is very specific...COPD, heart problems or asthma...

she said they might want to give me the pneumonia vaccine. anyone else besides nina have this? what do yout think?

so, i think my decision is made for me! if there is supply left somewhere else after those who need it most get it, then maybe i will do that. but right now, it seems that in our area it really needs to be rationed carefully...so let's just hope, for EVERYONE that this is not a bad flu season!

i live in a univeristy town and i am picturing all of the students sick! yuck! and my parents teaching to a classroom of coughing, stuffed-up kids! eeek!

emily

[Mary]

I went with a friend to the doctor last year. We share the same PCP. Well, it wasn't even an appointment for me but... the doctor wouldn't let me go without getting the last flu shot they had. She said I was to much at risk and needed it. That was the first flu shot of my life and it went well. No reaction and no flu. I haven't been able to get one this year so far. Such a shortage. Mary

[Dawg Tired]

I will not get one this year. last year I planned to but I was going to wait until later in the year. Well, I got the flu in November. The year before I got the shot at work (I was a nurse) and got the flu in March. That is when I learned that the vaccine is only good for 8-12 weeks! It was funny... I went into work not feeling well, took my temp - it was 102. When the doctor came to work he swabbed my nose (NOT a pleasant experience!) and the lab called back 30 minutes later with a positive result. The doctor sent me home with a flu shot for my hubby and a 2-week supply of amantadine for him. It takes 2 weeks for the flu shot to build your antibodies so the amantadine was to take care of him until then.

[DancingLight]

well, here's another opinion from my new pots doc!! it's amazing how differently the specialists feel about the flu shot....

he does not recommend getting the vaccine b/c he has had patients GET chronic fatigue from them...so unless you have tolerated it well in the past he doesn't recommend it.

he told me he does not recommend the shot to his patients and would rather use some of the new drugs available now to help if i DO get the flu than mess with the vaccine.

i felt i should post thing b/c earlier i posted dr. grubb's belief that we should get the shot... a tough one!!!

this year the decision is made for me with the shortage of vaccine, but i think now, in the future, i will not get them b/c my reactions to them over the years have been mixed.

emily

[Guest GayleP]

Emily,

My accupuncturist who is also an MD has mixed feelings about me getting the shot. It's sort of a ****** if I do ****** if I don't situation. She knows how hard the flu would be on me but she also knows I don't do well with the shot.

I went in to my HMO to see about getting the shot on Tuesday and almost had a panic attack just thinking about getting it after my reaction to it last year. I made it as far as talking to the nurse who was giving out shots and was making myself sick just thinking about the shot. I was told I had to get the shot by tomorrow or there won't be any more left.

Anyhow, I saw my acupuncturist today and she recomended that I not get the vaccine this year. She'll do some treatments that should help build up my immune system.

GayleP