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I was happy to receive the flu shot this year, as I feel like it's "doing my part" to stop the spread of the influenza virus. Plus, any inoculation that can either prevent, or lessen the symptoms, of flu is motivation to me!
I've received the flu shot annually, for the past 10 years. I have the typical soreness at site, possibly a little tired that evening. But that's it.
This year...my shoulder muscle (at the site of the injection) is still painful, so much that I can't move my arm forward at shoulder-level, or lift my arm up over my head, without a sharp pain in that one muscle. If my arm is still, it does not hurt. It is affecting my sleep, as I am confined to sleeping on only my right side (it is my left arm that hurts).
Are there any other reports of this flu shot symptom? Did I just not move my arm enough after the shot (kind of "favored it"), or is there something else wrong??
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Hi Everyone - I wanted to let you know that I've asked for some expert information on this topic and am waiting for a response that I can share with you.
Also wanted to mention again that the woman who first posted this topic had a pain-free shot this year, and wrote to us about that experience. I think she shared a lot of very helpful information. In case you missed it, I'm pasting her comments below.
Thanks everyone for all of your contributions to this discussion and the way you're helping each other with this information.
Take good care,
Pat
NO PAIN in arm or shoulder after flu shot this year!
FROM: Free2Bme
I posted the original question, regarding my awful experience last year (2008) with the flu shot I received, and this question/ASK received many responses!
Actually...it ended up hurting for 3-5 months, and was painful enough to disrupt my sleep, prohibit some movement when trying to pick up my 1 year old son, and caused me to wonder if something was damaged in my arm. I did not want to seem like a whiny patient, or to exaggerate my symptoms or anything (or to get on the anti-flu-vaccine bandwagon).
Anyways, I thought it was only fair to share with you all: I had another flu shot this season (yesterday)...and I have NO PAIN IN MY ARM! yeah! I spoke with the nurse about my experience last year, and she said she heard many people complain about this very same thing. In fact, she had the same situation and was in some shoulder pain for 6 months following her flu shot. I showed her the exact location where I had my flu shot in 2008 (it was that painful...I remembered the location if you can believe it, as the shot even hurt when it went in), and she said, "Oh my! That is WAY too far up your shoulder! The needle may have hit something that needed time to heal!".
The nurse told me the proper location for the flu shot in the arm: 3 finger-widths below the shoulder (and, this is approximately 2 finger-widths below my 2008 shot location).
She was WONDERFUL, and the shot was barely noticeable! The shot was like they should be...a little prick, some coldness, then soreness for 24 hours that is mild.
My arm does not hurt at all today...not the site of the injection, not the muscle or anything.
If you are thinking about getting a flu shot, and are worried about what you've been reading regarding the pain people have experienced...please talk with the nurse beforehand! I let her know I was not "high-maintenance" and just worried. If she had not reacted in the way I needed (if she was nonchalant, for instance), I would have declined the shot. Instead, she was reassuring, showed me where the injection would be...and that made all the difference!
It really does pay to advocate for yourself, and I hope others have a better experience this time, as well as knowing the exact location where the injection should be given.
November 25, 2009 - 5:17pmThis Comment
Thanks, Pat! That was very helpful. It's good to know the pain will eventually go away, and I will make sure next year for my seasonal flu vaccine and when I finally get my H1N1 vaccination that they do it in the proper place on my arm or maybe get it on my glutes. I will never stop getting my vaccinations because the flu is far worse than several weeks of arm pain. I can handle this!
December 4, 2009 - 11:04amThis Comment
My Dr. felt at first it was all muscular but now he feels it may be a nerve thing..The shot may have been given incorrectly..This is so rare that my Dr. is puzzled by it. I am hoping the MRI scheduled next week yields some answers. I did not go to the Dr. for 4 weeks until the pain was so bad I could not take it any longer. I am having trouble using my right arm for lifting things ect. I too cannot sleep on my right side and my pain is worse at night.. I have been advised by the Dr. not to lift anything heavy until we get all of the testing done. If it turns out to be a nerve damage situation I will most likely opt for chiropractic treatments. I feel it would be the best option. I am so very thankful I have excellent health insurance. I will post as soon as I know more. I feel like at this point we could begin a support group. What does everyone think about that?
November 24, 2009 - 8:46pmThis Comment
I wrote a while ago. My pain is still present but it gets better/worse depending on what I am doing.
November 24, 2009 - 7:16pmIt hurts when I use it or try to sleep on it. It is definately better and improving daily.
It has now been about 8 weeks since my flu shot. I am convinced that the shot is what has caused the pain but I don't have a medical reason for it. I hope everyone is improving and eventually we all recover completely from this. I never did go to the Doctor so I don't know what he would have suggested.
I took motrin and babied it as much as I could. The first week after the shot I was fine. Then the second week it starting hurting and the pain just kept getting worse for a few weeks and then it has been getting better for the past week or two. Good Luck to all of you!! Has anyone had a Doctor explain to them what could be causing this pain that we have all had?????
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Pat: Thank you so much for posting. Its encouraging to me to know someone cares. I have been in touch with my Dr. and I am scheduled to have an X-ray of my arm tomorrow and I am also being scheduled for an MRI. The Dr. told me this is an extremely rare situation I am in after recieving a flu shot but he does however believe it is caused by the shot because I had no symptoms or pain until the shot.I have pain that begins at the injection site that radiates to my shoulder and neck area. I have now been prescribed pain pills to take until we get the tests done and hopefully get some answers.I will post as soon as I know anything and thank you so much again. I hope noone else is in as much of a pickle as I am right now.
November 23, 2009 - 7:35pmThis Comment
Hi Anon - I'm so, so sorry to read your update. I was hoping your pain was finally subsiding, and that things were better. It sounds like your doctor is taking a lot of steps to relieve your immediate pain and to be absolutely sure what's causing the problem and how to treat it. I'm glad you persisted and followed up on this, and also that you wrote back. Good luck with all of the tests, and I look forward to hearing back from you when you get more information. And, I too hope no one else is in the same situation.
November 24, 2009 - 5:12pmWarm regards,
Pat
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I am hoping that anyone who has found answers or recieved succsesful treatment will post. I am not experiencing severe pain again.It woke me up last night. Bad throbbing pain in my arm at the site of the injection and radiating into my shoulder and neck. I found some relief with a pain and pill and heating pad and was able to at least sleep some.There has to be answer out there somewhere.Please post if you have one. Thanks!
November 23, 2009 - 8:05amThis Comment
Hello Anon - If I'm following your posts correctly you had your injection on Oct 2 and have had problems since. You saw your doctor a week later and he prescribed a pain patch, and you also saw your chiropractor who suggested you may have nerve damage. This would seem to indicate that it's getting close to two months since you had the vaccine and you're still in pain and looking for answers. I can understand why that would be very frustrating.
November 23, 2009 - 5:21pmReviewing some of the earlier posts shows that many people had pain for a shorter period of time. Since your pain has continued for so long, and from your description it seems to be getting worse, you may want to go back to your doctor and make it clear that you need more than a pain patch to deal with your situation.
It is difficult for those reading your posts to determine exactly what's wrong. A physical exam, a review of all of your symptoms and perhaps even some tests, will be more helpful in pinpointing the cause of your pain and solutions. I hope you will seek medical advice right away and share with us what you learn and what happens. Best wishes to you.
Pat
This Comment
I already posted on this topic. Please read it mine is the one that states I recieved the flu shot on 10-2-09..I have found one thing that is bringing me some relief..The shot was given in my right arm and I use and sleep on my right side. The pain was so bad the other night I slept on my left side and the next day I had a significant decrease in the pain..I have slept on my left side since and I am still continuing to improve little by little. So, maybe someone else could benifit from trying this. I still have so many unanswered questions about why this flu shot has effected me like it has. I will never get another one I do know that for sure. I hope to see some new posts on this topic.
November 19, 2009 - 2:06pmThis Comment
What type of information or "new posts" would you like to read about? We have had many, many discussions related to this topic, including women who have experienced pain with the shot, and others who have not (and did in the past). Let us know what information you are looking for!
November 19, 2009 - 2:52pmThis Comment