Bad flu shot

tyvin, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2010

When ever a person is giving me an injection; if they aren't where I believe they should be in terms of position of the injection site I stop them. I had a nurse try to give me IM ABx that was for deep muscle in the deltoid.

Same goes with the flu shots (which I don't get). If the position of the needle is not firmly on the middle of the outside of the deltoid where the largest mass of muscle is don't let it happen.

After reading the responses from the "Bad Flu Shots" it appears that it is position and not the serum itself IMO that has caused the bad reactions.

So what exactly do you think happened? Was it the shot itself that prompted the old injury to come back or was it ever healed from before? Or do you think the serum had something to do with it?

coolpeach · Nov 13, 2010

Got my flu shot in mid Oct, and the medication burned like crazy going in (which has never happened before). I get my flu shot every year with no problem. By later that day my arm was visibly hot, red and swollen. I work nights, and by the end of the next shift I felt as if I were getting strep throat. I could barely swallow my own spit, and I felt feverish and unwell. I went home after work and went to bed. When I work up I had been having cold sweats (freezing to death, but covered in sweat). I went to jump in the shower, and I was covered in hives about the size of the end of your thumb all over me. I went to the Dr (my sons ped because it was Sat, and my Dr was unavailable) who said it was an allergic reaction possibly to the flu shot.

As soon as the hives were gone later in the day I had a burning shingles like nerve pain on different areas of my back, neck, and hips. The Dr could see nothing in these areas, but fading hives. The pain continued throughout the week, but nothing was there. By the end of the weekend everywhere that I had the shingles like pain had a bright red sunburn like rash with tiny pimple like bumps in it. This was on several large places on my back, hips, neck, going into my hair like at the back of my neck. By the end of the weekend it was also going onto my scalp, and down my upper arms. I went to my regular Dr who said it was an allergic reaction probably to the flu shot, and gave me a shot of steroids, and a Medrol dose pack. She told me to come back in two days.

When I went back in to days I was running a temp around 102 so she took me off the steroids, and put me on antibiotic. She was thinking the steroids had lowered my immune system, and I was catching something. I took the antibiotics for a few days, and my fever went away.

Then on my next shift at work around early morning the rash moved to my lower arms, and hands. My hospital had me go to our ER who said it was an allergic reaction possibly to the flu shot, and put me on a steroid cream, and new antihistamine. Over the weekend the rash moved to my sides, stomach, and outside of breasts. That Tuesday I went to Dr. the hospital told me to follow up with. He said allergic reaction possibly to flu shot, and put me on more Prednisone (said the two days I took before wasn't' enough), something for nerve pain, and a new antihistamine.

I have now noticed that the area that I actually got the shot on has numbness. I can feel pressure that your touching it, but I can pinch the tar out of it with my fingers nails, and it doesn't hurt at all. The rash was getting better for a day,and then I noticed that under that numb area I had a hard knot like when you get a tetorifice shot, and I put warm compresses on it, and massaged it out. The next morning and progress I had made with the rash was wasted, and it was back with a vengeance. On the bright side the knot in that arm is gone, but the numbness is still there. I am hoping if I keep taking the steroids, using the cream, and taking the antihistamines it will be gone by next week.

I have NEVER had a reaction to the reg flu shot. I did get a swine flu shot when I was 7 years old, but did not have a reaction to it. A lot of people do not remember it but back in 1976 they had a big swine flu scare, and thought it would be another pandemic. We lined up at the recreation center in our city with my aunt, uncles, and cousins, and waited in line for hours for that shot. They gave it with a gun that made a loud pop. There were a lot of reactions to it, and that's when they made the connection between it, and GBS. The big word was that more people died from the vaccine that year then the swine flu so they discontinued it, and we all forgot about it.

I know that when you get something the first time you can go reaction free, but then your body makes antibodies and the next time you will have a reaction. Not sure if maybe that set me up for it now. Anyway, I was perfectly fine before I got the shot, and have been sick from the day I got it. Keeping my fingers crossed its almost over.

OttawaRPN · Nov 13, 2010

A nurse practitioner injected me not on the outer part of my upper arm, but the inside of my arm very high on the shoulder.

What the heck? Inside, as in near the clavicle??

tyvin, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2010

Oh coolpeach what a horrible thing to happen. I hope everything works out. The rashes that appeared; were they bilateral? Just asking.

coolpeach · Nov 13, 2010

Yes, but the flu shot side is worse than the other side.

grannyrn65 · Nov 13, 2010

AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh poor flu shot. It is being blamed by everyone for all types of symptoms that have little to do with the shot itself.

GrannyRN65

systoly · Nov 13, 2010

I've had a few sub Q anticoagulants in my time. Some people are really good at it and some make it burn like fire, but I never resolved to take a risk on thrombosis.

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2010

I read with interest the article on "Bad Flu Shots"
Last year I had a flu shot which I am convinced was either a bad flu serum or a bad injection.
A nurse practitioner injected me not on the outer part of my upper arm, but the inside of my arm very high on the shoulder.
Granjan

I don't intent to be insulting with my comment..but do you mean you expected the shot to be given in the "flabby part" of the upper arm - like the back side of the arm (that's what I pictured when I read this)? The shot should be given in the deltoid muscle, a triangular area up near the shoulder. Sorry, I looked at your profile but can't tell if you are a nurse.

http://s4.hubimg.com/u/448339_f260.jpg

OttawaRPN · Nov 13, 2010

AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh poor flu shot. It is being blamed by everyone for all types of symptoms that have little to do with the shot itself.
GrannyRN65

Really? I'm pretty sure the way Coolpeach explained it, her reaction has everything do to with the shot itself. Either that, or a pretty freakin' wild coincidence.

grannyrn65 · Nov 13, 2010

Really? I'm pretty sure the way Coolpeach explained it, her reaction has everything do to with the shot itself. Either that, or a pretty freakin' wild coincidence.

Actually, it is not a coincidence. The nurse who gave the injection did give it in the wrong area. But has nothing to do with a possible injury to the rotor cuff. And the last time I check, shingles was related to a chicken pox vaccination, not the flu one. The hives could be related the the egg based fluid the injection is incubated in, so she should avoid any vaccinations incubated in a similar fashion. But to be safe, she should see an allergist. I have said this before, I don't know how nurses, given the amount of education they receive, can use hearsay on panic, blaming any symptoms the suffer, on the flu vaccination. I have spent a large portion of time, travailing overseas. As a result, I've received an untold number of vaccinations. I also have suffered sore arms and localized reactions. Not once have either I or my physician ever blamed it on the numerous vaccines I've received. Do you honestly believe that a live flu vaccine can cause the flu? The flu vaccine or any other live vaccine, can not give someone the flu or any other disease. Try checking out the Canadian website for communicable disease or our CDC.

GrannyRN65

coolpeach · Nov 13, 2010

I never said that MY shot was given in the wrong location ...that was the OP. I also did not diagnose myself, but went to the Dr who diagnosed me. When my arm was red, swollen, and hot I knew that was a common reaction and didn't worry about it. When my throat got terribly sore I actually thought I was getting strep throat until it went away after 6 hours with no treatment. Then when I broke out in hives I went to the Dr. Now as far as what in the shot I was allergic to ..Its anyone's call. It could be a the vaccine, a preservative, a chemical used to deactivate the virus, a filler. There is no way to tell. I do know that I have never had a reaction before, and as a matter of fact I have never had an allergic reaction to anything other than seasonal allergies to ragweed, and pollen sort of sniffles stuff. I get the flu shot every year, and have for years. So its either something that is different in the vaccine this year of something I have just developed an allergy to.