# Flu Shots



## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

When I first started getting them, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years ago or more, I never got sick. I never got a fever. I never felt poorly. I got one Friday. I feel terrible. I ache. I was freezing and now I am hot. I guess it's a low grade fever, as they go. 

Anyone know if this is possible or is it something I'm coming down with? I think I'll sleep all day tomorrow. I have sweats on and my feet are burning up. So are my hands, but I am not sweating. 

I should go take an aspirin or two.


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## sunsetmist (Jul 12, 2018)

So sorry. I had no trouble after mine--even wondered if I'd been given the right stuff as usually my arm is at least tender.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

sunsetmist said:


> So sorry. I had no trouble after mine--even wondered if I'd been given the right stuff as usually my arm is at least tender.


Thanks. I don't remember getting this way before. I had a pneumonia shot a year or two ago and it didn't make me feel badly.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

People react differently. I had a pneumonia shot once and my arm hurt like I got tackled...


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

Time to curl up under my blankets. I hope I can sleep.


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## Violet28 (Oct 4, 2018)

2ntnuf said:


> When I first started getting them, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years ago or more, I never got sick. I never got a fever. I never felt poorly. I got one Friday. I feel terrible. I ache. I was freezing and now I am hot. I guess it's a low grade fever, as they go.
> 
> Anyone know if this is possible or is it something I'm coming down with? I think I'll sleep all day tomorrow. I have sweats on and my feet are burning up. So are my hands, but I am not sweating.
> 
> I should go take an aspirin or two.


I had the same experience the one time I got the flu shot. I have never gotten it again and I never get the flu.


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## Blondilocks (Jul 4, 2013)

A friend got the shot last week and complained that her shoulder had limited movement and she thought she had come down with the flu. The ill effects lasted 3-4 days. This is the first time she has had ill effects from a flu shot.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

2ntnuf said:


> When I first started getting them, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years ago or more, I never got sick. I never got a fever. I never felt poorly. I got one Friday. I feel terrible. I ache. I was freezing and now I am hot. I guess it's a low grade fever, as they go.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Flu shots don’t normally contain a live virus anymore. You should be fine in a day. The main complications are allergic reactions (will happen within 10 minutes of the shot) and ache in arm.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

Blondilocks said:


> A friend got the shot last week and complained that her shoulder had limited movement and she thought she had come down with the flu. The ill effects lasted 3-4 days. This is the first time she has had ill effects from a flu shot.




It’s possible that she got a cold around the same time she got the flu shot. Flu shot effects don’t usually last longer than 24h (if at all).


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## Blondilocks (Jul 4, 2013)

inmyprime said:


> It’s possible that she got a cold around the same time she got the flu shot. Flu shot effects don’t usually last longer than 24h (if at all).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't think so because a cold takes two weeks to get over (with or without medical intervention). It looks like some people are having an adverse reaction to this particular vaccine.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

Blondilocks said:


> I don't think so because a cold takes two weeks to get over (with or without medical intervention). It looks like some people are having an adverse reaction to this particular vaccine.



Depends. There are over 200 viruses that can cause a cold. They can last anything between 24 hours and 2 weeks so it’s difficult to always be sure.
Since the flu vaccines don’t contain a live virus (at least in UK), they can not cause anything by themselves.
But anything’s possible. Since it’s the immune response to the vaccine rather than actual virus.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

Blondilocks said:


> A friend got the shot last week and complained that her shoulder had limited movement and she thought she had come down with the flu. The ill effects lasted 3-4 days. This is the first time she has had ill effects from a flu shot.


This is the same with me. It's the first time. I wonder what is going on? Maybe they had to change the recipe or something. My sister told me she won't get one because it makes her sick. I would always get one, or I'd get the flu. One of my brothers is the same as her.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

inmyprime said:


> Depends. There are over 200 viruses that can cause a cold. They can last anything between 24 hours and 2 weeks so it’s difficult to always be sure.
> Since the flu vaccines don’t contain a live virus (at least in UK), they can not cause anything by themselves.
> But anything’s possible. Since it’s the immune response to the vaccine rather than actual virus.
> 
> ...


Does this mean there is something wrong with my immune system? Maybe it changed?


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

I'm going to nap on and off today. I feel better than yesterday, but not great.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

2ntnuf said:


> Does this mean there is something wrong with my immune system? Maybe it changed?



No, it’s just unpredictable (plus nobody really knows how immune system works anyway). See a doc if it doesn’t improve soon or if it gets worse.
I never have any effects from flu shots (haven’t done one this year) except a bit of pain in shoulder (from injection) but my wife once was sick in the evening but ok again next morning. Give it a bit of time.


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## personofinterest (Apr 6, 2018)

I have had the real flu one time.

It lasted over two weeks, and I kind of hoped I would die. 

I'll never miss another shot. Two days of blah is nothing compared to how I felt with the flu.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

personofinterest said:


> I have had the real flu one time.
> 
> It lasted over two weeks, and I kind of hoped I would die.
> 
> I'll never miss another shot. Two days of blah is nothing compared to how I felt with the flu.




Yes, people sometimes confuse heavy colds with flu. A flu is much more severe (and it’s usually the complications and secondary infections that kill people).


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

personofinterest said:


> I have had the real flu one time.
> 
> It lasted over two weeks, and I kind of hoped I would die.
> 
> I'll never miss another shot. Two days of blah is nothing compared to how I felt with the flu.


I used to get it with a 102.5 temp and be extremely miserable. That's why I started getting them. I was alone and didn't want to go through that. I am alone again and don't want to go through it, but I didn't remember feeling as poorly as I do. Yes, maybe a bit of a fever, but this really hurts. my joints ache, I have a mild headache, am hot and cold, and feeling like I haven't in the past, when I got the flu shot.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

2ntnuf said:


> I used to get it with a 102.5 temp and be extremely miserable. That's why I started getting them. I was alone and didn't want to go through that. I am alone again and don't want to go through it, but I didn't remember feeling as poorly as I do. Yes, maybe a bit of a fever, but this really hurts. my joints ache, I have a mild headache, am hot and cold, and feeling like I haven't in the past, when I got the flu shot.



It takes a few weeks for the body to develop antibodies to the flu virus. I think it’s just the immune response. Take it easy for a day and see how you feel. Take an ibuprofen every 4-6 hours (not on empty stomach)


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## Diana7 (Apr 19, 2016)

personofinterest said:


> I have had the real flu one time.
> 
> It lasted over two weeks, and I kind of hoped I would die.
> 
> I'll never miss another shot. Two days of blah is nothing compared to how I felt with the flu.


Trouble is, I had the flu jab last year and later in the winter got a terrible dose of the flu, lasted a month. Was in bed for 2 weeks. Not having the jab this year, seems no point if its not going to stop it.
I have never had any reaction to the jab.


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## SpinyNorman (Jan 24, 2018)

Diana7 said:


> Trouble is, I had the flu jab last year and later in the winter got a terrible dose of the flu, lasted a month. Was in bed for 2 weeks. Not having the jab this year, seems no point if its not going to stop it.
> I have never had any reaction to the jab.


I've always heard you are less likely to get the flu if you get the shot, but aren't guaranteed. I recently heard your symptoms are often milder if you get the shot. I've also always heard you can't get the flu form the shot.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

I slept quite a bit today. Nothing very deep, but that's how it usually works when I am sick. It did help. Thank you all for helping me to not worry so much. I needed that.


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

2ntnuf said:


> When I first started getting them, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years ago or more, I never got sick. I never got a fever. I never felt poorly. I got one Friday. I feel terrible. I ache. I was freezing and now I am hot. I guess it's a low grade fever, as they go.
> 
> Anyone know if this is possible or is it something I'm coming down with? I think I'll sleep all day tomorrow. I have sweats on and my feet are burning up. So are my hands, but I am not sweating.
> 
> I should go take an aspirin or two.


*Sounds like the same thing that happened to me years ago! Being a Federal employee, I got flu shots every year gratis!

Then the year before retirement, I took one and it knocked me for a loop! I was out sick for a week. Went and saw the doctor, and he said I likely had an allergic reaction to the strain. 

Long story short, I was sick for two weeks! 

Never again! I can catch the flu on my own!*


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## happyhusband0005 (May 4, 2018)

2ntnuf said:


> Does this mean there is something wrong with my immune system? Maybe it changed?


The way I understand it is the flu vaccine can/will be different year to year. Basically the drug companies make their best guest as to which flu strain will be most prevalent in the given year and base the vaccine on that. SO you might be getting this odd reaction to this specific vaccine version. 

You could also have a small cold coming on made more dramatic by your bodies immune response to the vaccine.


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## PigglyWiggly (May 1, 2018)

Diana7 said:


> Trouble is, I had the flu jab last year and later in the winter got a terrible dose of the flu, lasted a month. Was in bed for 2 weeks. Not having the jab this year, *seems no point if its not going to stop it*.
> I have never had any reaction to the jab.


Has it ever occurred to you to google, "why did i get the flu even though i got a flu shot?"? 



I got my flu shot last month. The pharmacist said it might make me tired for the rest of the day. I went home and took a nap and that was the end of it for me.


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

happyhusband0005 said:


> The way I understand it is the flu vaccine can/will be different year to year. Basically the drug companies make their best guest as to which flu strain will be most prevalent in the given year and base the vaccine on that. SO you might be getting this odd reaction to this specific vaccine version.
> 
> You could also have a small cold coming on made more dramatic by your bodies immune response to the vaccine.


let me add a little to this.

The drug companies make their best guess (backed up by the US CDC) and base their vaccine on that. Actually they now pick the most likely 3 or 4 flu strains. Kind of like buying 4 lottery tickets to increase your odds. But the Odds are actually a lot better than that. It is a very educated guess. This is part of how the medical technology is improving. 

I have a related question. Are you all getting the trivalent (3 strain) or the quadrivalent (4 strain) shot? And is any one getting the egg free shots?


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## WorkingWife (May 15, 2015)

2ntnuf said:


> When I first started getting them, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years ago or more, I never got sick. I never got a fever. I never felt poorly. I got one Friday. I feel terrible. I ache. I was freezing and now I am hot. I guess it's a low grade fever, as they go.
> 
> Anyone know if this is possible or is it something I'm coming down with? I think I'll sleep all day tomorrow. I have sweats on and my feet are burning up. So are my hands, but I am not sweating.
> 
> I should go take an aspirin or two.


The flu shot does not have live virus in it (supposedly) but it's whole purpose is to get your body to develop anti-bodies to the flu, so on some level your body must see it as an invader and the feelings you describe are things the body does in response to the flu. So while it could not actually give you the flu, it seems reasonable that it could cause your body to behave like you have the flu. Should be short lived.

I get a flu shot every year and I swear I feel weak and tired for a day. But it could be 100% psychosomatic since I know I just got the flue shot, LOL. 

I know others who got them every year for years then one year had a bad reaction. Usually tons of pain in the arm.

Every year they change it up to try to match the adapting strains of the flu virus, so I guess it makes sense that it could affect the same person very differently one time.


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## sunsetmist (Jul 12, 2018)

@2ntnuf how are you feeling today?


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

Mr. Nail said:


> let me add a little to this.
> 
> The drug companies make their best guess (backed up by the US CDC) and base their vaccine on that. Actually they now pick the most likely 3 or 4 flu strains. Kind of like buying 4 lottery tickets to increase your odds. But the Odds are actually a lot better than that. It is a very educated guess. This is part of how the medical technology is improving.
> 
> I have a related question. Are you all getting the trivalent (3 strain) or the quadrivalent (4 strain) shot? And is any one getting the egg free shots?


Don't know what kind.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

sunsetmist said:


> @2ntnuf how are you feeling today?


I'm feeling better. Thank you. I slept in the afternoon and then went to bed early. I feel decent now, but a little weak. I think another good night's sleep should kick this pretty well.


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## 269370 (Dec 17, 2016)

2ntnuf said:


> I'm feeling better. Thank you. I slept in the afternoon and then went to bed early. I feel decent now, but a little weak. I think another good night's sleep should kick this pretty well.




Sounds like you may have had a mild case of the dreaded man flu shot...flu  
Glad you feel better.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

inmyprime said:


> Sounds like you may have had a mild case of the dreaded man flu shot...flu
> Glad you feel better.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think I needed babied a little. Thank goodness for the women of TAM. That alone made me feel like I could worry much less and rest and relax. 

Thank you for the info and all others, too. I needed that.


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