Flu shot dropped my counts

I'm not sure; I'll have to ask her the next time I talk to her. I do know that sometimes she get an asthma attack or similar. She lives in Texas and has a lot of allergies.

strange that the drs administered teh nasal mist flu vaccine to my daughter based on the fact that her counts were good that day, but knowing she had itp and has had ivig before, which is when her counts dropped down to 9 a couple days later. Strangely the dr. is no longer wth that practice only 10 days later, so I have to wonder, did mess up? Hmm.

I am going to go and get my flu shot soon. I called my oncologist and they said it was ok. I will probably get the pneumonia shot too. I am pretty certain that my counts are low. I was at the dentist today and they told me that I had blood blisters in my mouth. REALLY? I have been trying to educate them to ITP for almost a year. Even I have my limits with patience and those that choose not to listen or care only for the dollar.

Jeffrey

I got my flu shot on Friday. I asked for just the regular injection. I also have Grave's disease as well and I was told years ago not to have the live vaccine. I did not read the specifics of the sheet, but I would assume itp would be similar since they are both autoimmune disorders. Was she able to get her counts back up? I was a little freaked out about a drop in my counts but so far so good.

Jeffrey, I find that hardly anyone really listens when you try to explain ITP. Even my family doctor doesn't understand it completely. I try to explain, but he doesn't like the fact that I am a woman (and a patient) and might know more than him on this illness. I am presently trying to find a new family doctor.

And, if your platelets are low right now, it would be a good idea to get both the flu shot and the pneumonia shot. It might bring the platelets down just a little bit, but they should go right back up. Good luck!

Dee Dee

My job has started with the flu talk. I took the flu the last couple of years because I was in Nursing school and to get my job. Now that I'm here I question whether I will go back to refusing to have the flu shot.

I tell people all the time the choice is yours to make what you do with your body and here I am can't make up my mind what to do. lol

I got the shot last week. I ran a low fever for 24 hours and no drops in counts. I was a little worried

V,

How are you doing now? Feeling ok?

Jeffrey

I'm feeling ok but my counts were 51 today, so it may have dropped my counts. How are you?

V,

I am fine and dazzling as ever! I think my counts are low but maybe a little better. I don't seem to be bruising as bad as I was and I have had very little blood in my mouth in the mornings and I did not see any blood blisters today.

I have been training hard and trying to get back into race shape again. I think the prednisone did a little more damage to me that I originally thought. Anyway I am using the P90X again (15th time doing it) and trying to bike and run as time allows.

I go back to my surgeon in a few days, and then to my GP for my physical, and then to my oncologist the week before Thanksgiving. I just paid off my knee surgery so here we go again! LOL My totals this year so far for the colonoscopy and the knee surgery have been around 203,000! I told the doc that for that kind of money you should wake up with half your clothes missing, 3 days you cant remember, and a sunburned butt! He laughed and agreed!

So I guess you can see I am doing pretty well!

Take care!

Jeffrey

Jeffrey,

That is great to hear! I wonder what my totals would be for this year. I'm guessing probably around yours with all of my rituxan, IVIGs, Promacta, Nplate and a night in icu. I am very grateful to have really good insurance, because I know some people on here are not as lucky.

It sounds like you are training hard. I'm back to my gym routine 4 days a week. Considering I felt like I couldn't move for most of the year, I'm pretty happy about it. Going to do a 5k with my family on thanksgiving (it's a family tradition) in Albuquerque. I also convinced my dad to go on the Breaking Bad tour around Albuquerque so I'm pretty excited ( I did grow up there, but still think it would be fun)!

Also, I'm happy with the Christian Gray choice. I heard on the radio that the script is so horrible that they will need to do several re-writes and will not begin shooting until Dec.....so sad

Got my flu shot finally 2 weeks ago, a bit late in the season. Sad.. 15 people have died in the San Francisco area of H1N1 this season. We get the flu later out here so its hitting us now.

The flu shot lowers my platelets some, this time I've gotten a few bruises. That is not a problem but what has been a real bother is that I had a rheumatoid arthritis flare up about a week after the vaccine. I will be talking to a doctor soon but almost certain thats what it is. I feel achy all over, with painful joints esp in my hands. It happened in 2011 after a flu vaccine. About a week after the vaccine, the joints in my hands, wrists, feet, ankles became inflamed. It took about a week to subside.

Anyone else have rheumatoid arthritis (another lovely autoimmune disorder) along with ITP? I HOPE NOT!! but just thought I'd ask.

Posey:

You'd be surprised how many people have other autoimmune disorders along with ITP. I have Lupus and RA. They tend to cluster, so if you have one, chances are greater that you'll acquire another one.

Many people have ONLY ITP, so for those of you who don't have another diagnosis, you may not ever get another one.

It is my strong opinion that the flu shot I received in Oct. 2013 caused my onset of ITP 2 weeks later. I have had them in the past but this one was differnt from the get go. I felt mild symptoms like I was coming down with a cold after getting it. I didn't pay that much attention as it is typical. However as time went on I had more and more fatigue and then the bruising and peticiae happened and then off to the PCP who ordered my bloodwork. Platelet of 0 landed me in the hospital for all the treatments we have talked about. I am with Sandi no more vaccines for me!!!!

I went to see my Hemo back on around November 11 and he had just had the flu shot. Said he had a bad reaction and was sick (he didn't look too good). So, he told me he had an allergic reaction to the flu shoot. It does happen to some of us--for others, it is very helpful. Just need to remember if you get bad reactions and to be careful.

Dee Dee

Thanks for your responses! I am beginning to see how I've had auto-immune issues all my life. Its making sense how the odd little ailments and allergies are connected.

Its been 2 weeks since I got the flu vaccine and my bruises have gone away, so my platelets have likely gone back up. The stiffness and pain in my joints has lessened also.

I mentioned that I had a rheumatoid arthritis flare in 2011 one week after getting the flu shot. Well I came down with shingles at the same time. Neither my doctor nor myself thought it was from the flu shot because I had felt fine for an entire week. Now I'm reading posts from many people who got shingles after the flu shot esp.in 2010.

loosely quoted from infectious disease specialist:

There could be a connection. But we have to be careful to note that the flu shot doesn't "give" you shingles in the simple sense: it doesn't contain the virus that causes chicken pox and shingles, and that virus is what gives you shingles. But, if a person who has had chicken pox (and so has the virus dormant in their nerve roots) gets a flu vaccine, their immune response to the shot could possibly be the trigger that causes the virus to come out of dormancy.

poseymint wrote: There could be a connection. But we have to be careful to note that the flu shot doesn't "give" you shingles in the simple sense: it doesn't contain the virus that causes chicken pox and shingles, and that virus is what gives you shingles. But, if a person who has had chicken pox (and so has the virus dormant in their nerve roots) gets a flu vaccine, their immune response to the shot could possibly be the trigger that causes the virus to come out of dormancy.

And this is always my fear about the flu shot. Not so much shingles, but other, even worse autoimmune responses.