You can tell from the time I'm posting this that I'm up again...but this time it's not just insomnia...I'm sick as a dog from the flu shot I got today. There is a big movement in our city to get every citizen vaccinated, (for free) so hubby and I signed up for it, and this morning, we went down to the local high school and stood in line for a shot. The doctor looked dishelved and smelled strongly of body odor (didn't exactly fill me with confidence) but I let him put the needle in my arm anyways. I asked about reactions, and he said there would be none. Riiiiiiight. We tried going out for breakfast right afterwards, but half-way through my scrambled eggs and raisin toast I began to feel dizzy and really nauseous. We left, came home and then we BOTH fell asleep for 4 hours (highly unusual for either of us.) Hubby was dizzy and nauseous too.

I was moving kind of slowly all day, and after a light dinner, went to bed at 7 pm. About an hour ago I woke up with massive diarrhea, cramping, and a low grade fever. Is this from the flu shot?

Has anyone had a bad reaction to it?

Robin,

What you are describing is not a reaction to the flu shot, unless there was something wrong with the vaccine. A flu shot is generally full of dead or weakened virus and will not make you will. Also the flu being vaccinated against is respiratory, not stomach. The worse you could expect is a sore needle site with some redness and swelling, a low fever for a day or two and a minor headache.

I am sorry you are ill again! You seem to be sick more often than not....I am sorry that you are. I hope you are better by morning. Take care of yourself.

Kathie

Kathie: I hope you are right but it seems very coincidental. I've got muscle aches all over and I feel awful. So does my husband...and we were fine this morning before the shot. Oh well....I"ve been run down in general; wonder if that has anything to do with the (possible) reaction...

Hi Robin, I had the flu shot 2 weeks ago, and the only reaction I had was a terribly sore arm where the shot was injected. We all got the shot for free at work, and nobody that I know of had the kind of reaction you are describing. A few got a little achy and lots had the sore arm, but no nausea, etc. Sounds to me like you had a mild stomach bug or something maybe? Could it be possible that you both ate something that may have been turning bad?? I do hope you feel better! Doesn't sound like much fun at all.

HUGS!

Here is an article that talks about similar symptoms, but it is due to an allergy not the flu itself. ***

I used to get sick after the flu shot and always blamed it, but the last two years I haven't become ill. Maybe just a coincidence the other times.



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Hi Robin, Let me tell you... I have had the flu shot 1 time in my life and I was also sicker than a dog !!!!!! And yes it was from the shot. I know of quite a few people that I work with that this has happened too so I will NEVER get another one.I wish I could remember the explaintion of why this happened but I don't.... something about I already had the flu bug in my system and with the shot it makes it worst. If I hadn't ALREADY had the bug this would not have happened. Thats what I was told anyway. Hope you are feeling better. Cathy

Hi Robin,

Argh. Just what you needed...

I had the flu shot about 7 weeks ago and had no reaction at all. Not even site soreness. I guess I am fortunate in that regard.

I had the flu back in 1998 and I vowed to always get a flu shot after that. I had a temp of over 104 degrees for more than a couple of days and was sick as a proverbial dog for three weeks.

Along with the others I wish you a speedy recovery.

Cyberhugs,
Marcy

Flu shot information:


Remember too that if you are getting ill or just getting over an illness (or exposed to someone who was severely ill) when you get the shot, then you will get sick again.

NO doctor or nurse will (or should) administer this shot to anyone who is presently, or just getting over an illness.

I've been run down for months now....and y'all know something is going on with my thryoid but I havne't yet been diagnosed. Just seems so strange that within an hour of this shot, all hell broke loose and now I'm sick as a dog.

BTW, still no response from the endocrinologist. The results of my blood work are back, and I call her office Fri morning. She has yet to return my call. Arggggh. MRI tomorrow...

Robin,
The flu shot is prepared to fight off influenza - your symptoms were of gastroenteritis - not the same viruses at all. Also, if you were to get sick from that shot, it would have happened 24 to 48 hours later, not so quickly. It sounds like perhaps you and your husband suffered some food poisoning.

I have gotten a flu shot every year for a long time, and never suffered ill effects from it. I work in an elementary school, and boy, are those full of germs every winter! The one year, three years ago, when there was a shortage of vaccine, I did not get a shot. Let me tell you, I was so sick in February, missed a whole week of school, and ended up with pneumonia!

I am a firm believer that most everyone should be vaccinated - it helps keep us all healthier!

Hope you feel better soon!
Take care,
Di

Robin,

You have gone through so much and I truly hope you get some relief soon.


God bless you, Deb

(Ditto to what others have said, the flu shot only gave me a sore arm for a couple days.)

I've never gotten the flu shot. I know a lot of ppl will disagree with me, but I'm not convinced it's a good thing to put in your body. From what I understand, the vaccine is really only a "good guess" on the part of those who develop it - based on the type of flu virus in China the previous year. And, don't the flu vaccines still contain mercury (which has been outlawed in the normal children's vaccines)?

I've never gotten them either. I'm with you Kathsshadow.

I've read that the vaccine is based on 3 different strains. Since there are hundreds of influenza viruses in circulation, it's very posslble that you'll get the flu anyway. I say keep your hands washed (and your fingers crossed).

I passed these last 2 years and decided not to have one, all to do with having Hashimoto's, because the disease is autoimmune. I'm just one of those folks who just don't want to take a chance on getting anything else that's autoimmune. Maybe i'm being silly, but i've had my share of illness already.

A casual friend told me her son came down with MS shortly after receiving a flu shot and he became so ill he was forced to go on SSD. I don't know if that's even true or not but it's a pretty scary thought!

My husband is a college professor so he's exposed to a lot of illnesses coming into that institution.

A few years ago, while showing at a gallery in Baltimore, my husband and I visited with the curators and their daughter (high school age) during the holidays. Both parents also work full time at Johns Hopkins hospital. Their daughter was a bit ill, and so was her father, but seemed just a bit under the weather. (We found out later that the family was just coming down with the flu).

I became sick first and then my husband. It was the worst illness I'd gone through for many, many years and I was terrified that I'd wind up in the hospital or would die. It took a full two weeks to recover enough to just be weak but able to move.

After that, I was VERY, believe me, determined to do whatever I had to, to at least protect the best I could. Though I have MANY allergies and problems with so many medications, I took the vaccine and the nurses had me remain there for at least 15 to 20 minutes to be VERY sure I was going to be okay and I was.

It only takes once to catch the flu and you regret not doing anything, something to protect yourself. My only other option was to remain inside during the entire season and NOT be around anyone, including my husband. While I know that only specific viruses are protected by the vaccine, ANY protection is worth it to me.

Buttercup: I hear you...it's a personal decision and I would never tell anyone who doesn't believe in flu shots that they are wrong, but let me tell you my little story:

I used to be a high school science teacher. I always got a flu shot, and never got the flu. Well, the year I got divorced (this is 12 years ago) I was so stressed and busy that I neglected to get my flu shot.

And you guessed it: I got the flu. Like you, it is the sickest I've ever been. I actually had a fever of 105 for 3 days. Pneumonia develolped in both lungs and I had a cough that lingered for months afterwards.

So...I don't take chances anymore--I get the shot. I know I can still get the flu, but I figure there's always a chance it will help.

Also, my husband I were talking about the folk tales and wisdom that our grandparents used to tell us...for example, in the winter, my grandparents would always avoid crowds. They wouldn't go to malls, or large department stores, or movie theaters...too much chance of getting sick. I'm wondering now if that might have been good advice. We went to a restaurant last Sunday for an early dinner, and our waitress was coughing and hacking into her hands. Then touching our glasses and plates! We carry hand santizer with us in the car, and I made him go get it.

Hope none of us get the flu this year!!!

I used to get the flu shot every year and have my kids get one too. Then I learned that the flu shot still has thimerosal in it which is mercury. Apparently mercury has been taken out of most vaccinations but not the flu shot. This mercury thing really freaked me out so I stopped getting the shot and do not let my kids get it. Why can’t they just make a mercury free shot????


There are some studies that show that influenza is an issue with people that have low Vit. D levels. There was a study where in one ward of a hospital all the people got influenza and the ward next door all of the patients stayed well. The only difference was that with the well ward a doctor there had been giving the patients extra Vit D. Think about when we get the flu—it is in the winter when we are all covered up and our body is not making Vit D. There are articles that talk about this on the internet. I have increased my Vit D 3 to 4000 IUs/day to hopefully help with influenza and other issues. In the summer when I am getting some sun I go down to 2000 IUs/day. The Canadian government recently increased the Vit D recommendation in pregnant to 2000 IUs/day.

To the orrigingal poster. I got so sick with my first flu shot years ago. I got it in the morning and by evening I was achy and feverish. I felt awful and my arm hurt. Subsequent flu shots did not give me that reaction except for arm soreness at the injection area.

Kathy

After getting phenumonia a number of years later, I get the flu shot every year. I know it doesn't cover all the potential viruses that may come around, but something is better than nothing. I don't want to be that sick again. It just wiped me out for weeks and took months to get better.

I too have never had a reaction the the shot except a sore arm now and again. This year the nurse was so good, my arm was hardly sore. I know my nurse did ask me if I had been sick or was sick. She wasn't going to give me the shot if I was.

I hope you are feeling better Roundrobin. It does sound like something you and your hubby ate or were exposed to 24/36 hours before you received the shot. The flu affects our lungs more than making us have diareha. Do take care.

Mopsy

It is more costly to make the mercury-free shot.

I've had the flu and it's terrible. Felt absolutely rotten. However, I'd rather feel rotten for a few days than knowingly put dangerous toxins in my body. Did you know the flu vaccine also contains Ethylene glycol? Better known as antifreeze. Maybe the ppl who get sick immediately from the vaccine are having an allergic reaction to some of these ingredients?
The reason they don't

That is really interesting. I did not know about the Ethylene glycol. I had influenza over 13 years ago and it was horrible. That was when I started getting the shots every year until I stopped a couple of years ago due to the mercury thing.

I have this interesting book—The Safe Uses of Cortisol by Jeffries. There is a very interesting chapter about influenza and cortisol. Apparently one of the reasons why we feel so sick when we have influenza is because the virus suppresses our cortisol production somehow. The chapter goes over using cortisol to treat the suppression. According to the book, you still need to watch for a secondary bacterial infection though which would need to be treated with antibiotics.

Kathy

With everything in the world today that is bad for us, and it seems like JUST about everything is bad for us ~ I try not to worry about the mercury in flu shots. I've eaten enough tuna and other fish in my life so far so I'm SURE I must have overdosed on merc by now! I have to work full time to support myself and can't afford to miss a week or two from catching influenza. And that's about the amount of time it took me to get over it when I DID catch it last time, and even then I wasn't feeling up to snuff completely. After I finally got past the initial "I'm going to die" stage, I was weak for at least a month after. I'll take my chances with the flu shot. Just like I do with the polluted air that I breathe, the dangerous chemical treated and pesticide tainted foods that I eat every day, etc etc. Every day I turn on the news there is something new to scare us. Eh. It works for me.
Hugs!

I'm with Kleeo I got a really bad case of the flu a few years back and vowed I would never take that chance again....I don't think the amount of mercury in the shot can be that harmful after all every filling in mouth from when I was a kid had mercury in it!

I'll top that one...when I was a kid my brother and I used to break open thermometers and play with the little balls of mercury...can you imagine???

Oh my goodness girl! That is too funny! Well not FUNNY, but funny! My brother did the same thing when he was young and my Mom thought it was fantastic that he was 'experimenting'! So yes, I CAN imagine!
HUGS

So, some of you are of the opinion that mercury exposure is not harmful? That the EPA guidelines are hype? According to their guidelines, the typical flu shot containes 250 times the safe level. I know the media is infamous for media hype. This time of year we're bombarded with all the Flu outbreak scares and "HAVE YOU GOT YOUR FLU SHOT?" news reports.
I

Kate: Are you kidding me? Geez, why would they allow it to be so high? Since I"ve already got the darned thing, I'm not going to worry about it...but this is sure interesting....

That's what I read on a website. I'll try to find the link again.

I'm wondering if 250 times the safe level is even that bad. Government agencies love to throw out statistics. The FDA is telling us to get the flu shot and the EPA is telling us it's unsafe.

???

Found this on an organic consumers website, but if you google "250 times safe level mercury flu shot," you will get dozens of references.

****************
In 1999, government agencies called for the removal of Thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative in most vaccines. Then, in 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that, "mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population." Despite these actions, 90 percent of this season's flu vaccines still contain Thimerosal, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the vaccine for pregnant women and children six months and older.

These recommendations come on the heels of recent studies that reveal new findings about the neurological effects of mercury and question the effectiveness of flu shots. Mercury, the second most toxic element after plutonium, is estimated to be 500 to 1,000 times more toxic than lead.

"A common myth is that Thimerosal is added to vaccines in 'trace' amounts," said Mike Wagnitz, who has over 20 years experience evaluating materials for mercury and is employed as a senior chemist with the University of Wisconsin. "The concentration of mercury in a multi-dose flu vaccine vial is 50,000 parts per billion. To put this in perspective, drinking water cannot exceed 2 parts per billion of mercury, and waste is considered hazardous if it has only 200 parts per billion. Is it really safe then to inject pregnant women, newborns, and infants with levels of mercury 250 times higher than what is legally classified as hazardous waste?"

Agreeing that mercury has no place in vaccines, seven states have passed Thimerosal bans in recent years: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New York, and Washington. California is the first to have implemented the ban for the current flu season, but Governor Schwarzenegger temporarily overturned the ban on November 2 after a shortage of mercury-free flu shots led to pressure from state medical groups.
***************

Someone mentioned fillings. I've got them....should we be concerned?

I do need something new to worry about .

I have been getting the flu shot for years and I've never had the flu. I guess just like everything else it just depends on the person as to how you will react. I work in a hospital and just 2 or 3 years ago, I remember one of the worst outbreaks ever. There were signs posted everywhere that if you were exhibiting any signs of the flu whatsoever, to please wear a mask. I was in The ED with my Mother and witnessed more vomiting from patients then I had ever seen in my life. It scared me. I know that getting the flu shot isn't a guarantee that you won't get sick, but without it I feel that I have no protection.

Bigheart

Hello my Fellow Flu Shooters ::::achoo:::::

I work with the general public and I get a Flu Shot every year. Yep....I give the 'general public' luv...and they make me sick!! .......I was scheduled to have my shot last week but developed a nasty cold so have had to postpone my needle until next week. Can't get a flu shot iffn you are sick at the time ........I hate needles.....but I hate the flu even more. I have a friend who refuses to have a Flu shot because of the reasons that some of the other members have reported. It is true that the Flu Shot is not a guarantee that you will be Flu -Free (Try saying THAT 3X quickly).......but we all take our chances.

Speaking of mercury.....I used to have hours and hours of fun playing with the mercury of the old thermometers as well. Loved the way it would jiggle in the bowel....then I would smash my Mercury ball into tiny wee balls....and watch the tiny balls smoosh together as one.....AHHHHH Good Times!!

Off to go play in traffic

Cheers!!
(achoo) ~S'cuse me~

Dottie

GOOD Lord Dot you crack me up! I can't even say Flu-Free ONCE never mind three times in a row!!! Hope you didn't get run over in rush hour traffic!
HUGS!

Snicker - that was fun! Okay, after getting the flu a few years ago (two years in a row!), I realized this is no longer our childhood flu that just took a few days to get over. These are some new generation, nasty germs that can and will kill many this flu season. I say, don't take the chance, and don't wait much longer. Get a flu shot.

Dottie: You are so funny---! I kid with my daughter that I used to run with scissors and go out in the cold with wet hair. And for those of you looking at the timing, yup, it's 3:00 am and I'm WIDE AWAKE. I have a killer headache too..I think that IS one of the valid flu-shot reactions...don't know, can't tell. All my mountains of health problems are overlapping and melding into one. I've got to find a middle of the night hobby, 'cause I spend of light of time here (and vacuuming doesn't go over well with the hubby at this hour...)

Oh well...off to watch infomercials...

Hi Robin~

I started getting the flu shot a couple of years ago. With the exception of a soar arm, I didn't experience any side effects. My son now gets the shot with me, however; my husband refuses to get one. I think it's interesting how people are divided on this.

You know it was when I had insomnia, that I discovered Jane Seymour's Advantage Skin Line. It was an infommercial that was playing at around 2am, 3am, 4am, etc. etc. I was intrigued (as well as bored), so I decided to purchase it. Best thing I ever did for my skin! In other words, insomnia does have it's benefits

I'll be sending you good thoughts in hopes of sweet dreams this evening..........

(((Hugs)))
Karen

Karen, I don't think we're supposed to plug stuff here, but I ordered it! It seemed to be much more reasonable than the Lancome stuff I've been using, so I'll give it a try! Thanks!

Karen: Yeah, it can get scary when you're up at 3 am and you've got a Visa card in your hand. I've ordered some weird stuff because of the insomnia...anyone remember that belt that zapped your muscles so you didn't have to do sit-ups? Cost over $50 bucks and didn't do a darn thing for me (except make me feel like I was being electrocuted!)

I've got a really bad migraine and I still haven't slept. Oh well, I figure I've got to pass out at some point. Hey, how long does this sore arm thing from the flu shot last? I had it on Sat and my left upper arm is still swollen and hurts like heck.

Hey Robin - I was up at 3am too and was shopping away online...Neiman Marcus & Saks know me by name. Now that I have the Christmas shopping done...for me....I really should get gifts for the other people on my list!

The deltoid muscle can be sore for 2-3 days following the flu shot, if you got it on Saturday the soreness should be gone after today. I always get the flu shot now too, I developed pneumonia following a bout of flu a couple years ago and it tooks months to recover. I was probably anemic at the time too so that probably didn't help, but I don't ever want to get that sick again if I can help it!

The hospital has always offered the flu shot free to any employee that wanted it but they are getting more firm these past few years about health care workers having it. It is not only to protect ourselves while working with flu patients, but to prevent passing it on to other patients who are already ill &/or compromised. Having to sign a refusal form that goes in your file has really upped the percentage of staff taking the flu shot!

And your grandparents were absolutely right....like other respiratory viruses, the flu is often spread by droplet nuclei so you don't want to be in a crowd - especially indoors where you are breathing the same air as the person next to you. Another common way to spread is by touching something that an infected person has just touched after they have coughed or sneezed...like a shopping cart or door knob...and then touching your own eye or nose which transmits the virus into your body. Lots of hand washing and keeping a distance of 3-6 feet from others helps tremendously to keep from getting & spreading colds and the flu.

Meryl~ I didn't know we can't plug stuff over here (I've been plugging Royal Caribbean on my other post). Anyway, I think you will really like the product line. It might tingle at first, though that will go away (it just means it's working). Use it just the way it comes in the package, that makes a real difference.

Oh my gosh, RR! YES, I remember that belt! Oh my, sounds like a bit of a disaster:( Thinking back, I wonder why i didn't purchase that!? Let's see, during my insomnia phase, I purchased the Food Dehydrator, the JuiceMaster, Susan Lucci's skin care line, Victoria Principal's skin care line, and finally - Jane Seymour's skin care line (which I still use, it's wonderful!). I figure, my medication is expensive (due to our high deductible), however; not nearly as expensive as my insomnia!

My arm hurt for about three days. I bet you'll be feeling much better tomorrow.

Happy snoozing
Karen

I've been getting flu shots for the past 6 years. Luckily I've never experienced any problems. When I didn't get the shot and I got the flu I'd be flat on my back for 2 weeks. I was sick as a dog. Now that I've gotten older I make sure I get one every year. We get them for free at work and they give out a list of what may happen such as a mild fever for a day or so. I've never been sore where I was injected or had any other symptoms. I would think it depends on where you go and what kind of vaccine you get. Some fellow coworkers experienced fatigue and a sore throat for about a day and others did not. On the sheet it says that it takes 2 weeks to be fully activated and effective. Sounds like you got a bad batch of vaccine. I would report it so they are aware. I receive a card with the batch # and info in case something happens.

Hi katesshadow, too late- I know you're thinking about your fillings right this minute!! I've been there, worried about them, did a lot of reading/research and found out that there apparently is a more huge risk of mercury exposure when you have them removed. Best to leave them be and wait (hope) for the day the filling just falls out. And we can replace with the pretty white ones - It probably won't be long before they tell us there's something scary about the white fillings they're using to replace them (I've got those too! ) Anywho, back to the flu. Isn't that interesting about Thimerosal ban in California; until Gov Schwarzenegger overturned; cause I was going to say hey, my flu shot brochure disclosed it did contain Thimerisol (I'm in CA) . Geez Louise. For those of you who remember most of the old contact lens solutions always had themerisol as a preservative. My girlfriend was terribly allergic and since she told me about thimerisol all those years ago, I chose the solutions without. We're exposed to so much all the time -- I swear it's a wonder we don't glow in the dark! Okay, I feel anxiety coming on....

How many of you realize you were born with DDT already engrained in your system?

We SHOULD be glowing....literally.

Our mothers and fathers were exposed to all kinds of products that became a part of us while we were still in the womb. Then we were out into the world and continued to be exposed to all kinds of safety products like asbestos while we studied in school, x-rays every time we went to the shoe store and tried on shoes and the sales person and our parents looked at our little skeletal feet in those machines installed to make sure the new shoes weren't cramping our feet, Radon, lead paint, ................ how many other cute little products can be listed???

The grand point being that once you become a viable living entity, you are constantly barraged by killer 'things' just in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the foods you eat to keep you alive for awhile longer.

The best any of us can do for ourselves and those we love, is to embark on the things that do help keep those steps going forward. No doubt we will discover eventually that the leading cause of pain and disease is 'life' itself.

Good points!

Several years ago I worked in an office with only two other people. They both got a flu shot and I didn't. Three weeks later I was the only one at work as they both developed a bad case of flu and were out of work for two weeks.

I personally think it's a big ploy by the pharmacutical companies to make us think we need something we don't. Now, if I worked in a hospital or school, I might think about it, but since I don't, I doubt I will ever have a flu shot. That goes for my hubby and son too.