Sjogrens World Forums

Anyone have the pneumonia shot?

I had it and it through me in the worst pain flare I have had.  I have no idea how long this lasts but longer than me I am thinking.

Thanks

I have not had a pneumonia shot but I did have a flare with the first flu vaccine that I got at my doctor's office. The next year, I got the flu shot at a local pharmacy and I did not have a reaction.  I looked into it and found out that at most pharmacies, they are single dose vaccines and they have fewer preservatives. So, I make sure to get single dose flu shots now. Maybe that's what's going on with you?? I just wanted to throw that out there for you.

I hope you feel better soon!!! Flares are not fun at all.

Hi  :)

I had one last year and have to admit I was OK with it. Just had a flu shot last Saturday and my arm has been aching ever since!  (It doesn't usually)

Hope your flare dies down soon.

Take care - Scottie  :)

I've had a pneumonia shot and it didn't bother me.  My recent flu shot has my arm sore tho.

Thank you all,
I must just not be meant for the pneumonia shot.  I think they said it put me in systemic inflammation.

Flu shots always make me not feel good for a day but nothing like whatever this is.

Thanks Deb.  I know I will need to get the darn flu shot and will go with the pharmacy and a single dose.  I hope your arms all feel fine soon.

This shot luckily I won't live long enough to have again!

There is a difference between the flu shot and the pneumonia shot. As far as I know the flu shot has 2 types...the original type is one strength and in the past years they have made another flue shot that is stronger.

The pneumonia shot is only one type as far as I know. We get the one and then they usually try to give one some years later...as in 10 years later or so. It really depends on the patients health status and what the doctor thinks you should have. I would be willing to bet that there are some people who never get around to getting the second pneumonia shot.

Also, Every year the flu shot is different. The researchers work with the types of flu that they expect to be a problem and the flu shot is made up of several types of flu virus as needed for the coming year. I think this is why we can have more aches and pains from year to year. Depends on how many flu virus we have been afflicted with over the years as sometimes we have already built up some resistance to certain viruses. I may have ethos wrong but hopefully I remembered this correctly. Irish

Thanks Irish,

I always wondered why some flu shots were worse than others.  It makes sense.  They had trouble with the flu in April according to my doctor.  She still wanted me to wait until October before the flu shot.  That is when I have always had them.  With travel so easy you really never know what you are going to be exposed to.

I was told that in reality the stronger flu shot is not stronger in a way that is going to really make the flu less intense should you get it and it wasn't going to really stop you from getting the flu any more than the regular flu shot.  I don't know if this is true or not but I will always go for the less intense shot on anything.

Stay well this winter and I hope we all can.

I think that the stronger flu shot is stronger and more apt to prevent flu because it builds a response in our body that fights off the flu. My immunologist wants his patients to have the stronger one as being sick with flu is really hard on most of his patients. Irish

Hi Irish,

All I know is that my doctor said that the flu shot would not help if I took the stronger shot.  Maybe it is because I have such trouble with things not reacting correcting with me.  It is frustrating.  Since I took the lighter shot last year I will probably stay with it this year.  I also have been told that I can do nothing new at this point in time.  I am glad you can take the stronger shot.  I always feel bad after taking a flu shot.

I hate decisions!

Thank you for this topic. I had a letter from my Dr surgery saying I should have a pneumonia jab and wasn't sure how it would react. Also I have never had the flu jab but feel I should. I am flaring at present so won't do anything yet. Thank you again.

I usually feel bad after my flu shot also. Every years is different. Sometimes I ache and have a headache and other years my arms gets red and painful. I always figure a little of this is really normal and means that the body is building up the defense against the flu. Irish

I had my flu shot a week ago and didn't even get a sore arm - guess I was lucky.  I have had both pneumonia shots and the only side effect was a slightly sore arm.

Katie1111

inveir had a flu shot  (and I never got the flu since more that 20 years, so before sjogren)because I am afraid that this could  "disturb"  my difficult immunologic system but I see that most of you have the shot so I really do not know what to do.
when I say I never had any flu in years I mean that I had some very bad cold feeling horrible for days or gastro disorders but never had fever

blugardenia, I am not telling you to get the flu shot. We are all different. I just wanted you to know that back in 2006 I was diagnosed with my myasthenia, hashimotos, had already been diagnosesd with Sjogrens and Bullous pemphigoid. He 2006 I also had blood work on my immune system. My t-cells were severely low....almost lower than a HIV patient. My doc watched me closely for the pneumonia that the HIV patients get that is parasitic in nature. I did not have any HIV or aids issues...It was all related to autoimmune,

I had had an enormous amount of infections..MRSA, Hemophilus, Mycobacterium kansasii and taken a ton of antibiotics since I was about 28 years old. I have taken the flu shot since in the 1980s and have never had any issues. My immunologist wants me to get it ever year. No one should be pushed into getting it. I will tell yoyo I was scared to death because of listening to all the bad stuff that goes around. I have had some sore arms but that is it. Do what you think you need to. Irish

Hi Confused,

I"m sorry that you are in pain. I don't recall the pneumonia shot causing a flare. This year I was fine with the flu shot as well.

I have learned that sometimes I attribute pain to something like a shot when something else is going on, e.g., the stress of getting the shot, being worn out, etc.

What have you found to help when you have a flare? Is any of it proving useful now?

Since I started the flu shot I have not had the flu nor have I had a cold. I started the flu shot about 10 years before I started the IVIG infusions and before I was even diagnosed with Sjogrens. We are all different so who knows what the answer is. I plan to get my flu shot next week when I go for my infusion. I don't like to get it too early as I want the flu shot to last into the spring. Some say that is not a problem but I know when I was working as a nurse the doctors always wanted us to wait until late Oct or early Nov.  Another opinion I suppose.Irish

I can?t ever remember feeling much of anything after a vaccination, but after the pneumonia vaccination not only my arm but my left upper body was incredibly sore for about a week. I wanted to cut my arm off those first few days. However I?d rather deal with that pain than get pneumonia especially since I would also end up with bronchitis which would last months after pneumonia subsided.

I have noticed a slight amount of discomfort right around the new flu shot given to people over 65. They put 4 times the amount of the three different strains of antigens in it so as to provoke a good response. Again I?ll take that discomfort over a bad case of the flu.