Tetanus Shot after GBS
-
-
October 2, 2019 at 10:24 am
Hi! I had GBS in 2017 and only deal with residuals. I cut myself about 2 weeks ago with a dirty piece of metal and my finger got infected. I went to urgent care where they cleaned up the wound and gave me a tetanus shot, with antibiotics.
My finger is almost healed but I can’t help but be so nervous about the shot triggering GBS or worsening of the symptoms. Has anyone else had this particular shot after GBS?
Thanks!
-
October 2, 2019 at 2:21 pm
The following links may be of interest to those with GBS/CIDP and getting a Tetanus shot (DTaP):
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/73/3/348 -
November 11, 2019 at 3:44 pm
I had a severe case of GBS 5 years ago. About 2 years ago, I decided that I wanted to travel more extensively (retired now). I’ve have had the following immunisations since then: Yellow Fever, Pneumococcal, Td, Typhoid, and Shingles. I have talked to my primary doctor, Neurologist, Travel Clinic doctor, etc. GBS is so rare that there is no information available regarding any of these shots connected to GBS. I do not take the flu shot, which I understand had a history many years ago of being a trigger for GBS. Without any data to go on, I have chosen to get the above shots and travel…
-
December 12, 2019 at 5:12 pm
The flu shot triggered my CIDP 10 years ago so I will not get the flu shot anymore. I also have been afraid to get any other immunizations for fear that they might trigger my CIDP to become worse. I guess I am just being cautious as I don’t know why my body reacted to the flu vaccine the way it did and will probably never know. But not willing to take a chance it will do the same with other vaccines.
-
December 18, 2019 at 6:57 pm
I raised the vaccine question at a neurology followup today. I’m particularly interested in the shingrix (not so much the flu shot, which my doctors attributed the GBS to), since I’ve already had the first of two shots and think there’s a decent chance of my getting shingles without the vaccine. The neurologists seem to initially lean against taking vaccines, at least in the first few months or even year or two after contracting GBS. When pressed a little, my doctors agreed to consult with an immunologist before giving me a definitive recommendation. I don’t know what medical professionals think about this, but to me this is more of an immunology question than a neurology question.
-
