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The pain I am experiencing is preventing me from reaaching my arms above my head; putting my jacket on and off; twisting or turning. The pain is wincing at times. I cannot sleep on that arm.
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Same story as everyone else. I got a flu shot in early November, and a month later I have pain from my upper arm which extends into my shoulder. My arm looks completely normal. Will this go away by itself? I'll go to a doctor if I need to, but I can't imagine what they could do other than prescribe something for pain. Any ideas?
December 7, 2009 - 9:17amThis Comment
Flu shots can cause many issues especially if the shot is administered too high up in shoulder. The shot should be administered in the deltoid muscle and not any higher up on the shoulder (for example into the bone). If it is, this will cause severe pain in the arms, neck and so forth. I also had a lot of pain last year from getting the flu shot but this year it was administered properly and I have not had any issues.
Have you went to your doctor about the pain? You should probably make an appointment to make sure you did not have any allergic reaction or if indeed, the shot was just administered improperly and the pain will just cease as time goes on. Please keep us updated.
November 21, 2009 - 10:48amThis Comment
I got a flu shot a month ago and am still experiencing pain, loss of mobility and tingling sensations in my arm. I thought it was in my head but it is clearly getting in the way of my life. I practice yoga and keep thinking I can "stretch it out" but it's not working!
November 21, 2009 - 9:00amThis Comment
Hi Diane
Thanks for your comments, maybe you are right, my doctor didn't know where is was finding the information but i just used it as a comment to give some clues to her. She wasn't able to find any reason for my pain.
I don't know really where in my arm it was. I was looking in other direction... i read that maybe that is
November 12, 2009 - 8:48amthe reason. I just know that the people in this blog describes perfectly my symptons
This Comment
Hi it's the first time that i had a flu shot. I am having the same effects as many people is describing here.
November 10, 2009 - 3:36pmI went to the doctor last week, X-way and nothing else. My doctor was very surprised, never had any
case like me, nothing visible in my arm that shows the pain i can feel.. I told her about internet and the list of people suffering the same effects as me... she just told me not to believe what is written in internet!!!!!. Then i thought, so what is best? reading posts talking about the same as i'm feeling or a doctor that has no clue about my problem??? At least the posts i read here help me to understand the
evolution and give me some hope that this will be gone in maybe few months....
Has someone taken actions to the person that caused you the problem? i'm thinking on it
This Comment
Marian,
Your doctor's advice is actually good advice in general -- it's hard to know what to believe on the internet, because there are many many websites where facts are wrong or misinterpreted. There are all kinds of sites where people are trying to sell you on a particular product or "cure" for some ailment or another. Your doctor wasn't sure where exactly you were finding your information, and she is the one with your chart in her hand and your arm right in front of her.
Even on our EmpowHer threads about this problem, we don't know for sure WHAT is causing it. We have another thread where people have gotten the shingles shortly after getting a seasonal flu shot, but the CDC has not found any connection between the two, so we are left to wonder -- is it a coincidence? Or more than that? We don't know the answer. What we DO know for sure is that many people are having similar symptoms, and a forum in which they can exchange information is a useful tool.
Hang in there, Marian. And can I ask where in your arm you had your shot? The "recommended" place is apparently about three finger-widths beneath the top of the shoulder. Was yours lower, or higher?
November 12, 2009 - 8:25amThis Comment
i had injection 3 weeks ago, pain so bad i cannot use my arm at all. getting mri day after tomorrow. x-ray showed inflamation. meds not helping,i need to know if its ever going to get better? drs sure dont know.
November 9, 2009 - 6:13amThis Comment
Please let me know what your MRI results are. I have been experiencing pain as well and this has been since November. I cannot lift my arm to move it forward without pain. It is also painful slipping a coat on. Very frustrating and I was ready to make an appt. with a doctor. I am hoping the pain will just go away.
January 20, 2010 - 7:58pmThis Comment
Anon,
Have you had your MRI yet? Did it show anything?
In what we've seen with other women writing about their experiences, some do get better over a few weeks. Others are dealing with it longer than that. Partly it depends on what exactly is causing your pain, and that's what your doctor is working to find out. I'd love it if you'd come back and update us with details from the MRI and with your conversation with your doc.
November 12, 2009 - 8:19amThis Comment
My flu shot was administered over one month ago and I've been suffering with upper arm/shoulder pain ever since. I'm very concerned that this is permanent!
November 8, 2009 - 1:40pmThis Comment