HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

getting vaccines when you have colitis.

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/5/2015 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
so, my dad is one of those anti-vaccine people & as a result i never got my shots for hep a/b/c, tetanus, etc. the boyfriend & i are planning a vacation for march and so i need to get these shots.

i guess my worry is that getting these shots will get my immune system all worked up again - am i just being a crazy person though? has anyone else ever had to get a vaccine shot after being diagnosed? how did it go? anything i should be worried about, or was it fine for you?
Posted 2/5/2015 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
I've had annual influenza shots since being diagnosed, as well as a pertussis booster when I was pregnant. The pertussis booster is because the pertussis vaccine is known to "wear off" over time, and pertussis is particularly harmful for infants.

I've had zero ill affects, and I even got the flu mist this year instead of the shot. The flu mist is a live attenuated vaccine, so is contraindicated for people on immune suppressing drugs (such as imuran, 6MP, remicade, humira, prednisone, etc).

Honestly, with the current measles outbreak, I'd be running in to get shot up if I were you (I'm assuming you didn't have the MMR vaccine, either). I actually think I'm going to either get an MMR vaccine or have my titers checked, because I am not sure if I got my second dose of MMR as a kid or not.
Posted 2/5/2015 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
My doctors have told me dead virus vaccines are OK and to stay away from live virus vaccines.
Posted 2/5/2015 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
You should only worry about live virus vaccines if you are taking immunosuppressants, which "I got uc" is. I don't know what you are taking, handful of rain, because your signature isn't on the post.

You should absolutely get vaccinated, especially if you have UC. A lot of the issues with some of these viruses is the risk of post viral bacterial infection, like with influenza leading to bacterial pneumonia or sinusitis. If you have UC you do not want a bacterial infection because then you will need antibiotics and that will likely send your IBD for a beautiful ride through flare-land.

I had to get an MMR booster at age 30 because people in my age cohort did not receive lifelong immunity with our childhood vaccines. I found this out when a 30 year old in my neighborhood died from measles.
Posted 2/5/2015 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor recommends that i get vaccines
Posted 2/5/2015 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
never an issue for me.
What I do before any immunisation is take an antihistamine and Tylenol before.

You travel, you risk.

Make sure you have the correct health insurance as well.

q
Posted 2/5/2015 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear you were so neglected like that as a child. As others have said, as long as its not a live vaccine you should be ok. Just make sure to ask the doctor who prescribes the vaccinations, they will know what you can and cannot take.
Posted 2/6/2015 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
actually measles is one of the few vaccines that i did get! thanks mom, haha!
i was on prednisone at one point, but have not been on it for almost 2 years now. only asacol now. so...sounds like i should be good to go. thanks everyone!
Posted 2/6/2015 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, if you're only on Asacol, you should be okay to get all vaccines (live or dead). For those of us on Imuran, 6MP, Remicade, Humira, etc., we can only get dead vaccines.
Posted 2/7/2015 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
Prior to remicade, I got updated tetanus, TB and flu shots because it was required and a year ago, I got the Hep A and pneumonia vaccines. No issues.

I've also had the Hep B vaccine but many year prior to dx. I was in college and remember getting very ill after injection #2 out of 3. It's given over a several month period.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply