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Posted 9/17/2009 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
I received a flu shot last Sept 2008 for the first time.

Well I was very sick from the shot and I also had 1 day around the same time that was soooo stressful for me, I was shaking, my heart was pounding I remember being out of body like... I know it sounds strange and I remember this very clearly. My kid did something that made me soooo mad, my body went into Shock I think.  My immune system I think was shot, I got Shingles and a few days later I started having excessive gas, pregnant like distention, then spotting, and denial for a while until I waited a month to tell my husband or anyone. By Oct it was bad, toilet every hour! I made a mistake telling my GI that I'd  rather die than go through another colonoscopy with students gawking at me, (Teaching Hospital) (I wasnt notified at the time of students watching the procedure, it was very embarrasing for the first time)

Anyways, the Dr. wrote a leytter to my General Practictioner saying, I cant see this person anymore! So anyways, finding a new GI was hard, and when I did, she was wonderful liquid drops on the tongue and digestive pills thats it. I dont know if it worked or just went away. But 2008 was terrible and uc grew 15cm but it all started around the same time of my body being under stress from the FLU SHOT etc..

 

Posted 9/17/2009 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Reminds me of my first colonoscopy. Same type situation. I was a little high on the drugs so 5 people staring at my rear didn't bother me much at the time, lol.
Posted 9/17/2009 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
There is a trade off of what's worse, getting the flu shot or taking the risk of getting the flu. Hopefully, many people will be getting flu shots this year to avoid getting the swine flu. If so, there will be less risk of getting the flu for those who don't get the shot.

I've never gotten a flu shot. I've asked my younger daughter to get one annually when she is attending university. She'll be miserable if she gets sick during the school year, especially since she is a straight-A student like I was.
Posted 9/17/2009 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
I always think it's sweet of people to assume others will take care of their health needs by assuming any risk of vaccines.

The flu shot has never made me sick. The only way it should make you sick is if you're allergic to something in the vaccine - like eggs, chicken, feathers, etc.

Soleil, I'm sorry you had that experience with your colonoscopy. Yes, if you go to a teaching hospital you get the benefit of people who tend to be leaders in the field. In trade, you have a number of students and residents working with you as well as your private doctor. Pick a private hospital next time and you'll be spared that embarrassment.
Posted 9/17/2009 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
My understanding vaccines made with dead or attenuated cultures is as Judy said - the only reason they'd make you sick would be if you were allergic to something else in the vaccine.
Or, maybe folks who seem to get sick from the vaccine were getting sick anyway......
I had the flu once after diagnosis and narrowly avoided being in the hospital. It was horrible. I get the shot every year. No problems ever.
Posted 9/17/2009 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto Judy on the "I always think it's sweet of people to assume others will take care of their health needs by assuming any risk of vaccines." With a small child (11 months) who isn't yet fully vaccinated, he's at risk to get some pretty nasty diseases. We're doing everything we can to get him protected from them, but his risk of catching something like whooping cough (which can be deadly in infants) is increased because of those who don't vaccinate.
Posted 9/18/2009 5:19 AM (GMT 0)
To FruitGirl and Judy, thank you for that information. Thinking about all the events that happened a year ago, I was getting Shingles, so thats probably it or allergies. I know there is alot of body aches and pains on one side of the body. I just cant remember all the events from back then. Note to Private Hospital, yes, I wish I knew back then.

Thanks

Posted 9/18/2009 9:43 AM (GMT 0)

Judilyn said...
I always think it's sweet of people to assume others will take care of their health needs by assuming any risk of vaccines.

fruitgirl said...
Ditto Judy on the "I always think it's sweet of people to assume others will take care of their health needs by assuming any risk of vaccines." With a small child (11 months) who isn't yet fully vaccinated, he's at risk to get some pretty nasty diseases. We're doing everything we can to get him protected from them, but his risk of catching something like whooping cough (which can be deadly in infants) is increased because of those who don't vaccinate.

I hope you weren't talking about me, because that wasn't what I was saying. Nor was it what I was thinking. I was trying to ease the minds of those who can't get flu shots. As for me, I don't get flu shots, because I don't believe in getting them unless you're at high risk of getting seriously sick from the flu or can't afford to take the time off. You may not agree, and that's okay. But I believe that it's good to allow our bodies to get a cold or flu once in awhile so that it builds up resistance. I don't plan on getting flu shots until I'm old and feeble. Both my younger daughter and I just had the flu a couple of months ago, most likely the swine flu. We both have friends who got the swine flu right before us.

As for vaccines, all my kids have been vaccinated and so have I. There are certain diseases that one can't afford to get.
Posted 9/18/2009 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Judy & fruitgirl- having a child, I've gotten all her immunizations- the people who don't immunize are just riding the coattails of the people who did! There was an outbreak of whooping cough in the town we lived in when she was around 1 year old- lots of kids got very, very ill. I'm not referring to you, subdued- although I feel that since we all have a chronic illness, we are in that high-risk group. Also, since many of us are on immune suppressors, that makes us high risk also. I plan to get both flu shots this year- I work in a medical facility, & do not want to get any type of flu! My daughter has asthma, so I hope to be able to get her the H1N1 flu shot as well as the regular flu shot. As far as getting any illness from the vaccines, the injected ones are not live viruses- there is no way they can trigger an illness reaction. I think your body was under stress prior to any flu shot, & it just steamrolled. Why do people have such a hard time believing that they just get sick sometimes, with no apparent reason? No single cause to point to?
Posted 9/18/2009 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
subdued, your statement did kind of sound like you wouldn't vaccinate a child, so yeah, it triggered that response, coupled with Judy's statement! :) no worries. But my reaction was mostly just because I was worried about my son getting whooping cough last year. I had to start back to work when there was an outbreak in my area, and he wasn't yet fully protected from it.
Posted 9/18/2009 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
Are we really going to go this way with the thread? IMO, because all these are opinions anyway, I think riding the coattails of others vaccinated kids, is a little out there. At least for me. I do know the prevalance and risk factors for each of the disease and what ages they are most at risk.... I have more problems with parents that assume they can vaccinate their child and assume they are healthy while they continue to feed them nutritionally void processed food daily, then wonder why they are sick all the time. Look at childhood obesity along with adult obesity now. I think they are more riding my coattail, becuase my kid is one of the healthiest little guys in his daycare. Parents roll in the parking lot smoking with the windows up, carrying a mcdonalds breakfast for their kids, looking like they had one too many themselves.
Posted 9/18/2009 4:10 PM (GMT 0)

Dr-A said...
Are we really going to go this way with the thread? IMO, because all these are opinions anyway, I think riding the coattails of others vaccinated kids, is a little out there. At least for me. I do know the prevalance and risk factors for each of the disease and what ages they are most at risk.... I have more problems with parents that assume they can vaccinate their child and assume they are healthy while they continue to feed them nutritionally void processed food daily, then wonder why they are sick all the time. Look at childhood obesity along with adult obesity now. I think they are more riding my coattail, becuase my kid is one of the healthiest little guys in his daycare. Parents roll in the parking lot smoking with the windows up, carrying a mcdonalds breakfast for their kids, looking like they had one too many themselves.

+1
Posted 9/18/2009 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Dr-A, I'm also on a forum for parents, and there have been quite a few moms saying they're not vaccinating because they think their kid will be protected b/c most other kids get them and don't want to expose their child to the risks that are associated with vaccines. That's selfish, IMO.

I also have a huge problem with parents who don't feed their kid appropriate food, who expose them to second hand smoke, who don't properly restrain them in the car, etc, etc, etc. Basically, I don't like seeing a child's health jeapordized b/c of what I feel is lack of education (or lack of caring) on the parent's part.
Posted 9/18/2009 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with you 100%, Dr. A- on the 2nd half of your post. The first is bunk- the reason you (or any parent) can say "I'm not getting my child immunized" is because the majority of parents do choose to get their children immunized. So the risk is minimal for your non-immunized child, becasue of all the other kids who got the immunization! And took a chance, etc. It's relying on every other kid who got the shot to provide the protection. But, I don't want to hijack the post too much.

Posted 9/18/2009 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
The only thing I will say on this thread is that I also got a flu shot for the first time last October. Soon afterward I was in the worst flare I have ever experienced. There was nothing in my life that was out of the ordinary at the time (no stress or other issues). Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I will pass on any more flu shots.
Posted 9/18/2009 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
I respond from a place of having watched children die from influenza, chicken pox, measles, ear infections. Not all children are lucky enough to be resistant to the effects of viral infections.
Posted 9/18/2009 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
as an immunologist with colitis, (the irony is not wasted on me!) i thought i would wade into the vaccine debate.
first i would say that the aim of the vaccine must be taken into account. if we are talking about vaccines for diseases such as small pox or whooping cough, then the aim is to get over 90% coverage of vaccinated people and this will stop effective transmission of the disease and like in the case of smallpox, we can then eradicate the disease all together. In this case i believe that you have a societal responsibility to keep coverage of the vaccine up by getting the shot.
The seasonal flu vaccine is different, it is not aimed at eradication of the flu, as this is a waste of time as a new variant of flu will emerge next year anyway. so the vaccine works only as a preventative measure for those who choose to take it. it is true that transmission of the flu through a population can be slowed if there is wide uptake of the vaccine, this is secondary to preventing disease in those that are most susceptible to complications, such as the young, the elderly, and of special interest to this forum, those with pre-existing medical conditions.

i have had the flu shot many times now and i have not had a bad reaction, in fact sometimes the opposite. the flu shot does activate your immune system in order to give you a protective anti flu response. as a by-product of this it could cause a flare of colitis symptoms, or as i find when i get sick, my immune system gets distracted by the infection and leaves my gut alone for a couple of days! but that is no consolation a good colitis day when you are ill with something else.

so in short, its your call on the flu vaccine, given that my colitis is in permanent flare and that i know what a bad dose of flu can do, i am going to continue to get it.
Posted 9/18/2009 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
:)
I like what you said, bowie.
Posted 9/18/2009 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
     Every time I ever got a flu shot I wound up with the flu.  I have no idea why.  For the last three years, I chose not to get the flu shot and stayed healthy.  Call it luck or whatever.  This year I will pass on both the regular and Swine Flue vaccines.
Posted 9/18/2009 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
Something useful: I don't think I posted this yet but the H1N1 vaccine list and ingredients got released this week so you can look through the ingredients. They are composed of same stuff as the other 9 versions of regular flu shots this year. Just go for pre-filled syringes and not multidose vials, if you have any worry on the thimerisol issue.

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm181950.htm

Bowie, one interesting thing in there you mentioned. Last time I got a good virus couple months ago my UC behaved wonderfully, lol. I was thinking the exact same thing. Immune system too busy to worry about my colon at the time.

Eva Lou said...
I agree with you 100%, Dr. A- on the 2nd half of your post. The first is bunk- the reason you (or any parent) can say "I'm not getting my child immunized" is because the majority of parents do choose to get their children immunized. So the risk is minimal for your non-immunized child, becasue of all the other kids who got the immunization! And took a chance, etc. It's relying on every other kid who got the shot to provide the protection. But, I don't want to hijack the post too much.

I love all you guys and gals and respect your opinions. Eva, I won't bicker with you, because we all know we don't get anywhere with that. My wife has a hard time reading my mind, so I doubt you can or know my intentions for doing what I do. I am sure different people have different reasons. I think fruitgirl mentioned one of the views.... I don't really get why people base a decision on that though... I couldn't. You can't stereotype everyone into that group though, because it just doesn't work. I actually want my child to experience the typical viruses and get natural permanent immunity to those. I got vaccinated as a child... my schedule was 5 shots by 6 months and now its 16 at 6 months. 10 vaccines total by age of 5, now it is 36 total and adding up yearly. Are today's kids that much better off for it? Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes it's more beneficial to find out why people actually do what they do, rather than assume. For some reason it's hard to have a conversation on this topic without people getting all bent out of shape though. It's worse than politics. In end, you are responsible for your own health though, so anyone who is worried about flu or swine flu should probably get vaccinated for it.
Posted 9/18/2009 8:27 PM (GMT 0)

Christine1946 said...
Every time I ever got a flu shot I wound up with the flu. I have no idea why. For the last three years, I chose not to get the flu shot and stayed healthy. Call it luck or whatever. This year I will pass on both the regular and Swine Flue vaccines.

Perhaps, you got some other flu. Perhaps, your body has a hard time fighting off colds and flues during the period that it is reacting to the shot, and you ended up getting full-blown flu symptoms from some other flu. Just my opinion. I know the medical community probably doesn't agree.
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