Vaccine Related GBS/CIDP

I will back Brandy on the flu shots. For me, I will let the facts speak for themselves. I worked in a hospital, so it was almost mandentory that we get the flu shot. I got my yearly flu shot in November, 1997. In March, 1998 I was showing the very early signs of CIDP. Not knowing what I had yet, I got another flu shot in November, 1998. Within a weeks time, I was literally knocked off my feet. The neurologist who diagnosed me said “never get the flu shot again”. My family doctor would not approve a flu shot, as well as a walk-in-clinic.

That’s enough to convince me, plus I listen to my inner feeling. I will not get a flu shot. One thing I will never know, would I have had a much milder case of CIDP, had I not gotten that shot in 1998?

although it is an individual’s choice, i say no to flu shots. take care. be well.

gene gbs 8-99
in numbers there is strength

The only tme I had the flu shot was after GBS and I was fine. I also hadn’t, at that time, much knowledge.

I would not take the flu shot now. Firstly because of GBS. Secondly, because I think it contains quite a lot of hogwash.

Going on memory (which isn’t the best) what goes into next years flu shot is decided this year – so it’s a ‘best guess’ job.

Considering that the flu virus mutates I have yet to understand how the vaccine was EXACTLY the same from one year to the next, only recently.

True influenza is apparently relatively rare. ‘Chest infection’ does not equal influenza.

I recall one year (it could have been 2004 or 2005) when the vaccine (which contained 3 strains) did not contain the strain that actually hit. So you could have had the vaccine – and got influenza.

I consider it a personal choice but think it needs to be based on truth and knowledge.

Would I take the flu vaccine? No – based on my circumstances.

The trigger for my bout with GBS was an upper respiratory infection. Flu? But based on doctors advise and information on the old site regarding manufacture’s info sheet I would not take a flu shoot. However, it is not only Flu vaccines that have a connection with GBS.

I was at my doc’s for a scheduled check-up last week. He was reviewing my chart and announcing the different things I was due for when he said, “You haven’t had a Tetanus shot in quite a while.” It didn’t raise any alarm with me like if he had said flu shot. He then looked at me, smiled and said, “But I won’t give one to [U]you[/U]!” Only then did it dawn on me. It’s a good thing my doc was more on the ball than me!

Joe

Hi and good to hear from everyone on this topic. :p

Because our immune systems are already compromised, we have to be very careful about what we put into our bodies. Vaccines are available for just about everything you can imagine. We may be “mandated” to have the avian flu shot if it becomes available, even if we have experienced reactions in the past. Think I’ll quarantine myself and hide in the hills. There is a new shot for shingles for mature adults, one for ovarian cancer in women, and another for chicken pox for children…and the list goes on and on. 😡

Some states are now taking the mercury out of the childhood shots, however, they are just sent overseas to other countries. Besides, the mercury, there are many other additives, such as, formadehyde and aluminum that may trigger the immune system. My advice is just beware of what you allow someone to put inside of you.

Here is my story if interested: (Link deleted by administration)

I am one of the many who got a flu shot Nov. 29, 2005 and by Dec 12, 2005 I started the long process of trying to find out what I had. i was diagnosed by a local neurologist on Dec 28, 2005, who had seen a dozen cases in his career and he did a lumber puncture to confirm and started treatments that day. 6 months later I am finally back to work full time, and I got loads of information because I had to fill a federal worker’s comp claim for it. One note I got from the neurologist says that 2/3 of the GBS cases stems from either having an upper respitory infection or a stomach virus when a vaccine is also interjected. It doesn’t have to be the flu shot (mine was) but from what I’m reading flu, tetnus, and MMR shots are main problems. I was surprised but the hospital I was in hardly anyone got the flu shot which I thought was mandatory for health care workers. I do know that atleast 50 workers will NEVER get a flu shot after they saw the state I was in and what they thought caused my GBS.

Just before I got my first attack of CIDP I had been using ia new insecticide in my kitchen. Then I had a tetanus (DPT actually) shot for snipping my hand with the scissors (clumsyness not on purpose.) Within a couple of day after the snipping problem I came up with numbness (not complete) on my hands, foot tops. It gradually grew to be almost all over my body. Then it faded somewhat. Then, a year later I got punctured by a rusty nail. The numbness came back with new vigor. I think the cause was a combination of the insecticide and the shot. My final diagnosis was idiopathic CIDP.

After chemo and radiation CIDP swooped upon me again. Harder. Then along with my recent stroke the CIDP has renewed vigor and I am swimming against the current. I have to be carfull when I wash my hair because my scalp does not notify me if the water is cold or hot. But now I have muscle weakness, not just numbness. Last fall I had to sign a statement that I hav never been suspected to have even suspected GBS. I didn’t know about that then.

Yes, my numbess and my strength are much worse. I’ll just skip the shot and not hang out with large groups of people
My best.

Just before I got my first attack of CIDP I had been using insecticide in my kitchen. Then I had a tetanus (DPT actually) shot for snipping my hand with the scissors (clumsyness not on purpose.) Within a couple of day after the snipping problem I came up with numbness (not complete) on my hands, foot tops. It gradually grew to be almost all over my body. Then it faded somewhat. Then, a year later I got punctured by a rusty nail. The numbness came back with new vigor. I think the cause was a combination of the insecticide and the shot. My final diagnosis was idiopathic CIDP.

After chemo and radiation CIDP swooped upon me again. Harder. Then along with my recent stroke the CIDP has renewed vigor and I am swimming against the current. I have to be carfull when I wash my hair because my scalp does not notify me if the water is cold or hot. But now I have muscle weakness, not just numbness. Last fall I had to sign a statement that I hav never been suspected to have even suspected GBS. I didn’t know about that then.

Yes, my numbess and my streng are much worse. I’ll just
skip the shot and not hang out in large groups of people
My best.

I believe my bout of GBS was started with vaccines too. I had hepatitis B and flu vaccine on the same day-was working as a stud nurse. About a month later, I got a bad cold. I believe all three of these things set my immune system into overload. Hepatitis B is suspected to cause neurological problems in some people, and flu vaccines can cause GBS, even though according to our government, there’s no hard proof 🙁 . I reported my reaction to VAERS and I even sent my med records to an attorney in the vaccine compensation program, and he sent them back saying he cant represent me, with no reason. All other lawyers I called arent taking on any new cases so I can forget recovery of lost wages, and medical bills. 😡 You are right about all these new vaccines that are coming out. I find it interesting that most women achieve hep B immunity after two doses, but they make you get a third anyway! Neuro told me this because if I decide to go back to nursing school, he is getting me out of the 3rd and final dose.

My son is heading off to college in the Fall. The college is in Massachusetts and Massachusetts requires meningococcal vaccine, although there is a waiver process. I read that a very small percentage of those who get this vaccine have subsequently developed GBS (although of course no direct causal relationship was ever shown).

My question is this. My father developed GBS during WWII and although he did not succumb to it, he did develop nerve-related problems in his mid-80’s that eventually resulted in an odd form of dementia (he became unable to put his thoughts into words).

Considering the family history of GBS, it seems prudent to me to have my son waive the vaccine (although nothing I have read indicates that having a blood relative who developed GBS necessarily increases one’s risk of developing it).

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance.
—
bc

I can’t tell you how many docs said to me, “oh but that would be so rare!”
after I developed gbs following a tdap vaccine. It may be rare, but it happened to me. Let’s face it, those vaccines are full of stuff you don’t even want to think about. (mercury, formaldehyde, etc. ) I would encourage you to find out what is in the vaccine and make your best judgement.
I think you may be able to opt out for personal reasons depending on your state.

Yes, I understand that the safety of vaccinations is open to debate, in general, but what I am more interested in finding out is whether or not the likelihood of an individual developing GBS is increased if (say) their grandfather had it.
—
bc

The meningitis vaccine, “menactra”, has been linked to a few cases of GBS over last fall/winter. This is not the only vaccine for meningitis though, there are others with diff names. There is no proof that shows GBS is inherited. However, there’s alot they dont know yet about GBS. I am a nursing student working toward my BSN/RN, and in my personal opinion, I would waive this vaccine. You have to weigh the benefits with the risks. Ask the school how many students got meningitis there in the last 5 years? However that is just my thoughts. I am recovering from gBS, and I believe vaccines helped bring it on. I was super active and a very healthy 32 yo before this happened. I hope I have helped. Good luck to your son in his studies. 🙂

I had my first symptoms 5 weeks after my first flu shot in probably seven or eight years. Just dumb luck my wife was having outpatient surgery so while waiting I walked down the hall to the flu shot clinic. Not such a bright idea on my part! I ended up getting the flu anyways and then was diagnosed 2 days before christmas 2005 with gbs. I’m done with all vaccines if at all possible. I was one of the lucky ones and had a moderate case and now make every day worthwhile-If I have the energy today by golly I’m gonna get something accomplished!

Flu shot, yeah me too. I got the shot 11/04, was paralyzed by 12/04. Now
18mths. later I am still on disability. I have been having major relaspes about
every four months. This year of course I didn’t get the flu shot, but ended up
with a BAD case of the flu, then was paralyzed again. I am having a pretty bad relaspe now and the twice a week IVIG dosen’t seem to be helping. Any
ideas out there for quelling my symptoms??

Sorry to hear that, banana. Is your doc saying you have GBS, or CIDP?? GBS shouldn’t relapse into full paralysis. Talk to your neuro.

The diagnoses was recurrent GBS, and it wasen’t full paralysis. Now my neuro says it’s CIDP.

I was reading in my mom’s nursing school books, which are from like the early 90s I think, and it said that GBS can come from other things that just an upper respiratory infection or a virus, but just an intermuscular injection. It didn’t really go into detail about why, but it said that just getting one, no matter what kind, can onset GBS, and honestly I think that is how I got it. I got the Depo Provera shot on a Tuesday and I developed signs of GBS that following Thursday night and was diagnosed a week and a half later…….food for though

I really don’t know how it comes on either, I had the flu shot and I think I got food poisoning also . about 4 weeks later I was going down hill fast within 2 weeks of that I was unable to move. then they said I had GBS but after two and a havf years later they say I have CIDP. I feel like last year I was stronger than I am now. It also seems that the IVIG treatments do not last as long. I was going 6 to 8 weeks in between treatments but now I get one around every 4 weeks. I tried to get disability but I am working so they said NO. I guess you have to stop working and lose everything before they will give it to you.:confused: :confused:

Hi,

I had a tetanus shot and lst hepatitis B shot in Aug of 2004. Then I had the second Hep. B in Oct 04. I came down with this strange intestinal flue after Thanksgiving and then had symtoms of metallic taste, achy muscles in mid Dec. and then numbness/tingling in hands and feet and within 3 days of that I couldn’t walk and was hospitalized. I think the vaccines were too much for my immune system. I am asthmatic and highly allergic to things and have been ever since I was a child. I wonder how many of the GBSers have had previous illnesses that compromised their immune system and then the shots just put us over the edge. I don’t think it is one thing that gives you GBS but a combination of things that finally does your immune system in. I know my 2nd cousin thinks it was a Tetanus Shot that triggered his GBS which was 18 years ago and now he has CIPD.

Caroline
Michigan

My college freshman bound daughter received the menactra immunization last June ’05. 31 days later she began to feel weakness in her legs which progressed to her arms and crept up to her chest and stopped there. We thought she had lyme disease and was on antibiotic. She seemed to improve after 3 weeks and we brought her to college. Within 5 days we had to pick her up and she missed her 1st semester of college. We spent the next several weeks going from doctor to doctor because the lyme test were all coming up negeative. When the announcement by the CDC and FDA came out on Sept. 30, 2005 of 5 teens coming down with GBS after receiving the menactra vaccination for meningitist, we felt we finally had a clue as to what was making her weak and unable to walk normally. Unfortunately the neurologist seemed to blow us off. This was now almost 3 months since she first became sick. Upon our insistance, he did perform the spinal tap, emg and nerve conductivity tests. They came up negative. We think that she had a mild case of GBS and because it was months later the tests did not come up positive. Several of her doctors said that it sounded like GBS but no one was willing to treat her or make a direct connection to the menactra vaccination. During her recovery, she experienced a lot of physical and emotional pain. We, her parents had to embrace the likelihood of GBS and help her recover. After months of celebrex, physical therapy, counseling and a lot of family support and prayer, she began college in January of ’06. She is doing very well, but sometimes feels fatique and strange sensations, especially in her legs. If I had to do it over again, I would still have chosen the menactra vaccination because meningitis can be deadly. But the real problem is the lack of knowledge that the medical community has of GBS, especially those cases that are mild. It seems that they only recognize the 20% who need ventilators.

Here’s a good one.

I had the flu shot once, after GBS

Tetanus is particularly prevalent in soil, especially soil to which manure has been added.

My Dad was a gardener.
My Dad developed lock jaw – fortunately my brother ralised that something was amiss and got him to a doctor, and all was well

I used to keep my tetanus injections up to date.

I had a load of manure delivered last year and I dug it into a garden bed.

I haven’t had a tentanus injection is quite a few years and nor has my daughter, nor will we have it again as a precautionary measure.

My doctor told me, firstly, that his family do not have the flu shot,and

I am capable of fighting the flu, and
IF you get lockjaw, fight it then. (I know lockjaw is scary, but so are the ‘just in case’ vaccines.)

and that takes no account of the fact that last years (or this years?) flu shot was a waste of time.

I have not reacted to a vaccination
I did not get GBS following a vaccine

and I will not have a flu or teanus shot ‘just in case’

Personally, I am more scared of cat scratches. I treat those. and garden scratches. with a good dollop of antiseptic.

[QUOTE=Brandy]My husband Frank was one of so many to get GBS/CIDP from the “Flu Vaccine”

I know we have quite a few of our old members who developed GBS/CIDP from other vaccines too.[/QUOTE]

I was advised buy my neuro not to get any vaccines at all. Now the problem is what do i do if I step on something rusty and it punctures thru the skin. Do I get a tetnus shot even though I was told not to.