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Every fall, members of my fibromyalgia Facebook group begin asking the same questions:
“What do you guys think of flu shots? Do you think they’re safe for those of us with fibromyalgia?”
“Will getting the flu shot make me feel worse?”
“My doctor is recommending that I get the flu shot this year. Has anyone had a bad reaction?”
This year, I wanted to take the confusion out of this decision, so I reached out to 10 physicians who treat or research fibromyalgia to find out how they approach this issue with their patients.
Today I’m posting their responses. However, you’ll notice only four out of 10 physicians actually shared their opinion. The other six physicians I reached out to either declined to answer the question or didn’t respond at all.
It seems even some physicians are uncomfortable broaching the controversial topic of vaccines.
And the physicians who did respond are just as divided on the issue as fibro patients themselves.
Below, I’ve included the responses of the four physicians who were brave enough to respond.
You’ll notice there is a clear demarcation between physicians who practice mostly conventional or allopathic medicine versus those who are more integrative in their approach to treating fibromyalgia.
There’s also a difference in opinion among physicians who have actually been diagnosed with fibromyalgia themselves vs. physicians who treat fibro.
Even though I failed to get a conclusive answer on whether fibromyalgia patients should get flu shots, I do think there’s great value in reading these physicians’ differing opinions on the issue.
Following the physicians’ responses, I’ve included what the research says about fibromyalgia patients getting the flu shot as well as information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the results of an informal patient survey.
Hopefully, all of this information, when taken together, will help you to make an informed choice if you’ve been debating whether or not to get a flu shot this year.
Ask the doctors: Should fibromyalgia patients get the flu shot?
Dr. Ravindra Ganesh, Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic
(Note: In 2019, the Mayo Clinic published a comprehensive guide to fibromyalgia, which provides a great overview of the condition – what it is, effective treatments and management strategies. It’s perfect for someone who is newly diagnosed or wants to expand their knowledge beyond drug therapy.)
“Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) suffer from a complex and debilitating disease characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment, unrefreshing sleep and exercise intolerance. In many cases, the onset of FM is preceded by a major emotional or physical stressor, including medical illnesses caused by infections.
“Recently, an association between vaccines and a newly described syndrome known as Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA) was proposed. There is, however, neither a biologically plausible mechanism nor a causal relationship established between immunization and the development of FM, according to a National Academy of Medicine report.
“As patients with fibromyalgia are more likely to experience significant malaise and a flare in their symptoms if they were to contract influenza, many patients suffering from FM are concerned about the possibility of developing worsening symptoms (flares) with immunizations.
“In a 2015 study, patients with fibromyalgia were shown to develop an immune response to the influenza vaccine without any significant increase in fibromyalgia symptom burden. Side effects may be more common in patients with FM, but these are expected to be short-lived. From my standpoint, it would be recommended that these patients receive the influenza vaccine.”
REFERENCES:
Watad, A., Quaresma, M., Bragazzi, N.L. et al. The autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA)/Shoenfeld’s syndrome: descriptive analysis of 300 patients from the international ASIA syndrome registry. Clin Rheumatol 37, 483–493 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-017-3748-9
Institute of Medicine. In: Stratton K., Ford A., Rusch E., Clayton E.W., eds. Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2012.
Ablin J.N., Aloush V., Brill A., et al. Influenza vaccination is safe and effective in patients suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome. Reumatismo. 2015 Sep;67(2):57-61. DOI: 10.4081/reumatismo.2015.823.
*****
Dr. Martin Rutherford, Doctor of Chiropractic and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, PowerHealthTalk.com
(Note: Dr. Rutherford lives with fibromyalgia himself and has an amazing YouTube channel where he periodically discusses issues related to fibro. I consider his video “Fibromyalgia Cutting through the B.S.” to be one of the best fibromyalgia videos online.
“I would suggest that anyone suffering with fibromyalgia, or any autoimmune condition for that matter, avoid taking the flu shot. There are many things that can trigger an exacerbation in a fibromyalgia case, and something as simple as a shot could be one, not to mention the potential triggers that could be caused by the ingredients in that shot.
“We have had multiple fibromyalgia and other autoimmune patients over the years have reactions to taking the flu shot from mild irritations to major flare ups that lasted months.
“My recommendation for all of my patients is to work on boosting up their immune system as much as possible through diet, hydration, exercise, sleep and supplementation as needed rather than relying on a flu shot that has been shown to be marginally effective at best.”
*****
Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, board certified internist, author of numerous books including “The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution” and creator of the S.H.I.N.E protocol for fibromyalgia
(Note: Dr. Teitelbaum was diagnosed with fibromyalgia during medical school, so like Dr. Rutherford, he has a unique understanding of what it’s like to live with fibro. “The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution” was the first book I read after my own fibromyalgia diagnosis, and I still consider it to be one of the best fibro books available today. I will be reviewing the newly updated version of his book “From Fatigued to Fantastic” soon here on FedUpwithFatigue.com.)
“Although it is okay to get the flu vaccine, in general I don’t recommend it. Overall, people seem to have about as much trouble from the vaccine as they do from the flu. But if somebody feels like getting it, especially if they have not had problems with the flu vaccine in the past, it is not unreasonable.
“More important? Optimizing nutritional support with vitamin D, zinc and vitamin C along with taking measures to improve sleep and hydration. I discuss this in more length in my just-released fourth edition of ‘From Fatigued to Fantastic.’
“Personally, I am not planning to get the flu vaccine myself. Once we have more information on the safety and efficacy of any upcoming COVID-19 vaccines, I would be happy to give my opinion on that as well.”
*****
Dr. Fred Wolfe, clinical professor of medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, and researcher with Forward – The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases
(Note: Dr. Wolfe has been researching fibromyalgia for decades! He’s a true pioneer and actually helped develop the diagnostic criteria that physicians use to diagnose fibromyalgia. He’s retired from active clinical practice, but still continues his work as a teacher and researcher.)
“Everyone should get a flu immunization. Flu shots do not affect anyone with fibromyalgia differently from those without fibromyalgia, nor are side effects increased.”
What does the science say?
I was only able to find one study on PubMed that addressed fibromyalgia and flu shots. This small Israeli study involving 19 patients found the “influenza vaccination was both safe and effective in [fibromyalgia] patients. Neither severe adverse reactions nor significant worsening of [fibromyalgia] symptoms were recorded following vaccination and serological evidence of sero-conversion was observed, similar to healthy controls. In view of these results, [fibromyalgia] patients should be encouraged to undergo influenza vaccination according to standard [World Health Organization] recommendations.”
There is also some limited research pertaining to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), the sister condition to fibromyalgia.
A small Canadian study involving 40 CFS patients found “influenza immunization is safe, not associated with any excess early reactions and stimulates an immunizing response comparable with that of healthy volunteers.”
A Netherlands study concluded “the humoral and cellular immune responses upon influenza vaccination were comparable in CFS patients and healthy controls. Putative aberrations in immune responses in CFS patients were not evident for immunity towards influenza. Standard seasonal influenza vaccination is thus justified and, when indicated, should be recommended for patients suffering from CFS.”
What does the CDC say?
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends an annual flu shot for anyone ages 6 months old and older especially those who fall into the following high-risk groups:
- Adults ages 65 and older
- Adults with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease/stroke, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cancer and chronic kidney disease
- Pregnant women
- Young children ages 5 and under
- Children with neurologic conditions
The CDC has published additional information this year related to getting a flu shot amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The best months to get a flu shot are September and October, according to the CDC.
What do patients say?
As I was working on this article, I decided to poll the members of my Facebook group about their experiences with the flu shot. Obviously, this is not a scientific study but it does give some idea about how other fibromyalgia patients are handling this issue.
Out of 549 fibromyalgia patients who responded:
- 55% have gotten the flu shot and did not experience any increase in their fibromyalgia symptoms.
- 34% do not get the flu shot.
- 11% have gotten the flu shot and experienced an increase in their fibromyalgia symptoms.
Limiting exposure to mercury
If you ask someone why they don’t get the flu shot, sometimes they’ll say they avoid it because of the mercury that’s used as a preservative in the vaccine.
According to the CDC, “thimerosal is an ethyl mercury-based preservative used in [flu vaccine] vials that contain more than one dose of a vaccine to prevent germs, bacteria and/or fungi from contaminating the vaccine.”
The CDC maintains, “Thimerosal use in vaccines and other medical products has a record of being very safe. Data from many studies show no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines.”
For those who are concerned, there is a way to get flu shot without being exposed to mercury.
“Most single-dose vials and pre-filled syringes of flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine do not contain a preservative because they are intended to be used once,” reads the CDC website.
How well does the flu shot work?
The effectiveness of the flu shot varies from year to year. The CDC has not posted effectiveness rates for the current season, but rates from previous years provide a guide for how well flu vaccines work.
Now it’s your turn: If you have fibromyalgia, do you plan to get a flu shot this year? The flu shot does not prevent COVID-19. That being said, are you more likely to get a flu shot this year due to the ongoing pandemic? Sound off in the comments below!
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I’m Donna, a longtime newspaper reporter, health writer and chronic illness thriver! Fed Up with Fatigue provides weekly news, research, treatments and more to help you live better with fibromyalgia and/or Lyme.
Since I just found this board, a bit about myself first:
I’ve had Degenerative Disk Disease since rupturing my 2 bottom disks in Jan. ’92; then, thinking I was “10′ feet tall & bullet-proof,” I continued to work at a job where I was on my feet 10 to 12 hours a night & the definition of “a day off” was that I didn’t know WHERE I’d be called to fill-in. (I averaged about 1 actual night off a month) Due to being in really great shape when I was injured, I lasted at that for 8 months before I spiraled down to the point where I could see that I was getting dangerous. (My response to pain is that I get REALLY angry at it…) Long story short, once I allowed my doctor to take me off work, it was over 3 years before I could get a release to return to work. By then, the owner of the company I had been working for had died; &, the company no longer existed. It took until early ’95 to find even a “light duty” job in my field. In Oct. ’96, while “back-pushing a damaged rolling gate, I went down on those same lumbar disks; plus, got a pretty bad concussion when the back of my head whacked the concrete, knocking me out for unknown amount of time. After the 1st injury, I had also been diagnosed with Chronic Myofasial Pain Syndrome. None the less, I had written a book, done several radio interviews related to it, as well as quite a bit of personal lobbying of legislators. After I went down that 2nd time, all of that came to screeching halt! I suddenly went from “having a large roll-o-dex in my brain” to having to hold my finger on a number in the phone book to dial it; and, if I hadn’t written down who I was calling & why, I was in BIG trouble… It scared the living crap out of me; &, had me concerned that I’d wound up with a TBI from the concussion!!! One doctor I saw did suggest Fibromyalgia; but, that was back in the early days, when it was still lumped in with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ~ when it wasn’t just written off as psychosomatic or malingering. It wasn’t until another doctor also suggested it that I researched it a bit further; &, found more information on Traumatic Fibromyalgia, as well as a post of “You Might Be A Fibromyagia Patient If:” I literally “laughed till I cried.” Partially because it was sooooo funny; but, also, out of relief that what I’d been experiencing messed so well with most of what I read in it!!! It gave me hope that there might be some other explanation for what I’d been experiencing other than a TBI; &, there might be some way to get (at least some of) my brain back. I have found, over the years, that it’s “walking a tight rope” to try to balance getting anything done physically versus being relatively clear headed, which has been pretty hard after having been such a “Type A” personality prior to all of this crap. Now, I mostly chalk it up to my body getting its revenge for all the years when my attitude was “When I want my body’s opinion, I’ll GIVE it one!!!”
I ran across this forum as the result of being curious if the (way too) many Tetanus shots I’d had prior to “waking up” might’ve laid the ground-work for my Fibromyalgia. Now, I simply soak any open wounds with a diluted calcium hypochlorite solution, even when I’ve stepped on rusty nails; gotten cut by rusty sheet metal, or gotten a bit torn up as the result of breaking up a dog fight…
With that out of the way, on to the topic of vaccines:
During the course of having to deal with doctors, I’ve lost all respect I ever had for 99.999% of them. There are a few who are “outside of the mainstream” that I have a pretty high opinion of; but, they’re definitely the exception to the rule; &, I don’t have any direct access to them, other than watching their videos. For the most part, I’M MY OWN “DOCTOR” NOW!!! I did go in for an X-Ray when I broke my wrist a few years ago, just to make sure I set it right & to get my insurance to cover a splint; but, other than that, my PCP’s only “job” is to sign anything I need to get signed (such as to update my parking placard, or to “prescribe” my mobility dog.) If he; or, any other doctor tried to pressure me to take ANY kind of a shot, I’d tell him “where he could shove his shot” ~ in no uncertain terms!!! If I come down with the flu, I have MMS (ref:mmsinfodotorg) in my cabinet at all times; &, as long as I catch it early, I can get rid of it in 10 to 15 minutes. If I wait around (usually due to not having SimplyLimeaid on hand to dilute it with (I HATE the taste of MMS without it; but, I find it tolerable with it), it might take a day or two & a bad case of “the runs” to be totally rid of it… As for the “Covid” FRANKENSHOTS: NOT A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE IN HELL!!! If anyone’s “on the fence,” DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH & NOT on sites which are funded by Big-Pharma!!! The VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) site lists @17,000 deaths just since they were rolled out under a fraudulent Emergence Use Authorization, on the pretext that there was no treatment or prevention available. Pure Fear-porn, for purposes of greed & control! A Harvard study has shown that only about 1% of all adverse events ever even makes it onto the VAERS site. A CMS spreadsheet shows 50,000 deaths directly related to those shots, which still seems rather low to me. The non-fatal (but life destroying) adverse events are also through the roof, on both of these government web sites. I refuse to even call them a vaccine; since, they’re an experimental gene therapy, with all sorts of really nasty stuff in them, such as: SM-102 & graphine oxide, just to name a couple off the top of my head… The countries with the highest percentages of folks who’ve taken these shots have the highest numbers of hospitalizations & deaths from the variants. On the other hand, the countries with the lowest percentages also have the lowest number of hospitalization & death rates ~ almost always “fully vaccinated” people… Look into the differences between how India versus Israel have dealt with the the Wu-Flu. (Hint: India has a 98% eradication rate nationwide; a 100% eradication rate in a province of over 241M people… It was NOT done with shots; or, with the Remdesivir -> ventilator -> death protocols which we use here & Israel mimiced!) Banned dot video has had a LOT of world-class doctors & researchers on for long-format interviews. Dr. Bryan Ardis has done some excellent interviews on Stew Peters’ Rumble dot com show, as well as on Pete Santilli’s “Just The Interviews” channel there. There are a lot of good sources out there, who are mostly getting censored for going against the “approved narrative.”
I get out in public fairly regularly; &, wouldn’t wear a face diaper, even if I could!!! I keep my D3, Zinc, & C levels up in the range which would put me in the “high normal” range, washing the Zinc down with tonic water (the quinine in it acts as transporter into the cells ~ important at almost 68.) With as many folks around now who’ve either been conned or coerced into taking the “the shots,” I’m also making sure I keep my A level up in the high normal range; since, Vit A fills up the receptor sites which the spike proteins they’re shedding target. I’ve also stocked up on several tubes of Ivermectin, “just in case.” (BTW, it’s bio-identical to the tablets & dosed by weight with the wheel that’s on the plunger. The main thing is to keep it cool, to preserve the integrity of the mix. It doesn’t even taste bad!)
Hopefully, this post helps save some lives.
Since there doesn’t seem to be an edit feature here, my apologies for the typos in my post. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, my keyboard tends to stick, & I’ve been pushing myself WAY too hard lately, trying to prep for soaring prices & supply chain disruptions which are, very likely, on the horizon… On top of all of that, the weather cooling down so much always tends to jack with my body, which tends to push me into a flare. LOL, that might (at least in part) be due to my always trying to get as much done as possible before it gets too cold to do anything much beyond hiding under a warm blanket… ;p
My Doctors think my fibromyalgia was caused by an allergic reaction to a flu vaccine. That year there were a significant number of reactions reported. I’ve suffered with allergies my entire life, so we were not surprised when I had a reaction to the vaccine. What was more worrying was that the reaction never improved. Over the following year my symptoms got worse and seemed to resist all treatments.
After visiting many specialists a rheumatoid consultant diagnosed fibro, but could not explain why I had high levels of inflammation markers in my blood test over 12 months after my allergic reaction.
I’ve tried the annual flu vaccine a couple of times as I have asthma as well, but the months of pain from a flare up provoked by the flu shot are worse than getting the flu for me.
This year, with all of the Covid precautions, catching flu is remote, so I’m skipping the flu vaccination. I am worried about the Covid vaccination. My life is limited by fibro but I can still manage to look after my wife and her mental health problems and myself. Any adverse effects from a reaction to the Covid vaccine could push things over the edge.
Hi Maxx, I actually have a fibro friend who used to work w/ a doctor who believed fibromyalgia was caused by flu shot reactions. He has a protocol to help patients heal from that. I’m happy to reach out to her and get the doctor’s name for you if it might help. Just respond back here or shoot me an email at donna @ fedupwithfatigue.com.
I get my flu shot every year and every year it triggers a flare that will last 3-6 months. I still get it because as annoying as the flares are getting the actual flu is devastating. I’ve had the flu several times, I work in healthcare so it’s an occupational hazard, and it can take a very long time to recover. It is so much worse than a fibro flare and it will probably trigger one anyway so you end up dealing with both.
Thank you fibro warriors. I got my flu shot last Tuesday and have felt like death ever since. Before this year the last one I had was the year of swine flu. Got the shot, got the flu because I got the shot the same day I was exposed. This year because of COVID my doctor insisted that I get it. I have asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure basically the deadly triangle for COVID. Like others all I had was a slight discomfort in my arm Tues-Wed. By Wed night I hurt everywhere and couldn’t keep my eyes open. It will be a week in a few hours and it hasn’t let up at all. I’ve been sleeping 12-16 hours a day. I am miserable. But some of your comments made me think, which is worse this pain and fatigue or two to three weeks of the flu. I guess I’ll have my answer once I recover.
Thank you for the article
I used to get a flu shot every season when I was working in community pharmacies & continued for a few years after I had to stop working. The very first year that I didn’t get it, guess what my husband and I got?! Having Influenza was hellish. I get my shot every year now. I think it’s very important this year because of Covid. I’m asthmatic and the possibility of getting the flu with Covid is very scary.
I have had Fibro for almost 20 years now and for many years never had the Flu vaccines for fear it might put me into a major flare.
Now in addition to Fibro I also have Stage IV Lung Cancer and the Lung Cancer community strongly suggested that everyone have the vaccine, especially this year because of Covid.
I had mine on Tuesday and later that evening had a lot of tenderness in that arm. Enough discomfort that could comfortable lay and that side while trying to sleep.
Then on Wednesday I started expereincing significant right leg pain (I’m also six week our form have had a total right hip replacement and had been doing great). I was not in any pain, finished my PT and also was walking well without the eed for cane or crutch. until Wednesday evening. I was sitting at my desk and when I went to get up, I could barely bear any weight and had to immeidatley grab something for support I used my crutch and managed to get to my bedroom to try and lie dow and was in miser all night. Pain down my entire right legs, from my thigh to my feet. Felt almost like a giant muscle spasm. I had to keep my knee bent and had to lay that leg on a pillow and even then it was painful. I applied some Lidicaine patches and took a left over Vicodin I had from surgery and ended up finally falling asleep arouund 2am. Today I’m still in pain and now no longer able to walk with my cane or crutch. The only possible explaintion would seem to be that this is recation to the vaccine. No injury, no other new meds etc.
I honestly thought at one point I may have to go to the ER or urgent care, but then realized there is not likely anything they can do. It feels much like severe neuropathy and hurts to even touch that leg.
I’m so discouraged and HOPE this quickly resolves. I had come so far and was thrilled to finally be walking again and not having that daily hip pain. I have pretty significant DJD and also have had my left hip replaced, but never had this happen after that surgery. My incision is fully healing and this is no redness or any sign of anything wrong with the incision site. The pain is far more intense than the hip pain I had for months prior to surgery and it’s brutal to be in this pain after having had successful surgery.
After this I’m not sure I’ll ever try another Flu vaccine and will definitely have be very concerned about a Covid vaccines, which is something I certainly wont’ rush into, but something that will likely be much needed for LC patients as we are at a very high risk, if we get Covid>
ARGH !
Has anyone here had anything like this and how long did it last??
I quit getting the flu shots about 8 years ago. Every time I got one I was so sick and in bed a lot for at least 3 months It was worse than getting the flu. I then read an article that stated anyone with fibromyalgia should not get the flu shot….I might have had the flu once or twice mild since I quit taking the shots and my winters are better then when I had the shots.
My father about 38 years ago was partially paralyzed from getting the swine flu shot. His legs after therapy for 6 months got stronger but he never got full strength in his legs.
About 5 years ago I received the shingle shot and a few weeks later my legs on top got so week that I could not get up even one step without pulling my self up. I had to use a cane since I had very little strength in my legs. After about 6 months some of the strength came back but not completely. My doctor suggested I not get any more shots, immunizations or vaccines.
Last week during my 6 month pcp appointment my doctor advised me not to get any Covid-19 vaccines. She said she would not get it for awhile and advised me since I got sick from the flu shots and my legs went weak from the shingles shot that I need to just stay away from all of these.
My husband had knee replacement surgery last year. His recovery was rolling along Fabolous, finished physio feeling great and all of a sudden one day out of the blue he developed a severe pain outer side of his knee. He went back to a physiotherapist who treated him for about six sessions and then she told him she didn’t know why his meniscus wasn’t getting better lmao. Well when you have a total knee replacement your meniscus goes in the garbage can during your surgery. He quickly changed physiotherapist to a fabulous one that diagnosed him correctly first time and had him feeling better in a day. He’s been perfect ever since. It was all due to muscle strength and ITbands after such a major surgery.
I had my flu vaccine on Tuesday and was fine that night except for some discomfort in my left arm. Yesterday by late afternoon I was having miserable pain in my entire right leg. ironically I had total hip replacement surgery 6 weeks ago and it had healed and I was walking fine without a cane or crutch and was doing quite well. All night I was in miserable pain and could barely make it to the bathroom without using both crutches. This morning it is a little better but it’s still significant pain It’s no sign of any inflammation or any problem with my incision or the hip itself. The pain goes down my entire right leg, feelsije a giant spasm. Heat helped me finally get a little sleep and I have my leg on a pillow.
I’ve been a fibro patient for many years and for years did not have the flu vaccine I started having it about 2 years ago because I’m now also a cancer patient as well. But after this response I’ll think long and hard before I’ll get it again because I feel miserable.
I am experiencing a flare up currently after getting the flu vaccine a few days ago. While the pain is quite unpleasant, having the flu years ago was much worse.
The CDC fined the maker of the Quell device 4 million dollars and gave refunds to people but only for $55. The claims that it was clinically proven a nd had FDA approval are totally false. It is disturbing to see the device being recommended in the comments here. People with fibromyalgia can be so desperate for relief that they will try just about anything, and it is not at all helpful for this site to be advocating for something so clearly ineffective and with illegal marketing practices.
Here is a link about this from the government website for consumers: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/03/ftc-settles-pain-relief-device-case-4-million
Just b/c the CDC fined them doesn’t mean that the device itself doesn’t work. I’ve had fantastic results w/ Quell and so have many others w/ fibromyalgia. The company was fined b/c it hadn’t done the research yet to prove the device helped certain conditions. The company was NOT fined b/c the device isn’t effective. I will continue to use and recommend Quell. As w/ all treatments related to fibromyalgia, some treatments work for some people and not others. This lawsuit does not change that fact.
Hmmm….I got one and did end up having a flare (especially IC bladder pain). However, there were a few other possible reasons, too. Guess all of them together had me low for two weeks.
I’ve had fibro for around 10 years. I had a really bad case of the flu one winter in the mid-nineties, I’ve gptten the vaccine every year since with no major side effects. I do plan to get the Covid 19 vaccine after
it has been proven safe when in actual use in the general population.
I have had Fibromyalgia for about 13 years and have received a flu shot every year. I haven’t been able to find anyone to treat my Fibromyalgia in my area, so my GP does the best she can, so I only have her opinion. I didn’t even think twice about getting it. I have not gotten the flu and have not been sick because of it. As of today, I do plan to get the Coronavirus Vaccine, when I know the bugs have been worked out, so will definitely not be the first one in line. I will ask the opinion of my GP.
I never used to get the flu shot – until I actually got the flu, and that sucked so hard, that now I always get the flu shot. Yes, I have a few symptoms (fever of about 99, tired, sore on that side for about a day), but that’s about it, and it’s waaaaay better than being sick with the flu for 3 weeks-1 month. If anyone is wondering, I actually got the pneumonia shot as well a few years ago (I was advised to get it by my doctor, I was getting bronchitis/pneumonia almost every year). I had THE WORST reaction to that shot – fever of 101 for 2 days, couldn’t touch my arm or side, lying on the bed, crying. But it was a miracle vaccine – I haven’t had a cold morph to bronchitis/pneumonia since I got the vaccine – 6 years ago. Totally worth it, even with the post shot symptoms. (Yes, Fibro patient for decades, btw)
I have not had a flu shot since 1979 which was required when I was in the military. It made me very sick, very quickly, running fever, my arm swelled up, I was incoherent.
I have Fibro, do not want another flu shot. I take my supplements to keep my immune system strong.
I get a flu shot every year and have never had a bad reaction. I will have one again this year. My daughter had the flu last year and was sicker than she has ever been in her life. She’s 36. She did say however, that tamiflu was a “miracle drug” and really shortened the duration. She was also pregnant. What a time to be pregnant!
Donna, God bless you for all you do for us fibro warriors! I love you, I love my Quell device! Thank you so much for that, it really helps! I hope your days are better and you get the healing and comfort you so deserve. ❤️
Thank you so much, Anita! I love you guys, too. I’m so glad you’ve found some relief w/ the Quell device. It’s been an amazing tool for me, too.
I’ve had the flu vaccination for many years now on the recommendation of my G.P. He is very knowledgeable about the condition and particularly about how it affects me.
I’ve had fibro since I was born,. I had mild symptoms in childhood which gradually increased in the severity of the disease until I was forced to take early retirement through disability caused mainly by the fibro symptoms. that was age 50. I am now 63 and will again this year have the jab. In fact, I can hardly wait for my surgery to get the next batch of vaccines. If you’ve ever had flu you will not hesitate to get the flu jab. to say it is like fibro on a really bad day is an understatement. Flu usually lasts for around 10 days before you start to see even the slightest improvement. It is usually followed by post-viral depression. which can last for a few weeks to a few months. I can tell you if you think your symptoms will get much worse if you have the jab, then you have never had true flu. You would not hesitate. Why would anyone in their right mind be prepared to put themselves through true flu, I’m not talking about a heavy cold, or winter cold viruses, but true flu..
I have constant pain, stiffness, multiple allergies, bowel problems, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness plus other medical conditions, why would I put myself though more suffering unnecessarily. The reason people have a reaction is due to the effectiveness given the immune responses in fibro,, many people have allergies, etc. The vaccine is less effective in immune repressed people. Please get the jab, it may cause slight cold symptoms but very rarely does it cause a massive reaction. Your doctor will keep an eye on you for about 10 minutes after the jab in case of a severe allergic reaction.
Be safe, stay safe, get this flu jab and get the corona virus jab. without them both we are putting ourselves and others lives at risk.
Thanks for a great article. I just wanted to point out that the patient survey results are a little misleading. If you take the patients who didn’t get the shot out of the equation, one out of six, or about 17%, had an adverse reaction to the shot.
I got my flu shot yesterday, then went to get the serology COVID-19 test as I need it for international travel. I get the flu shot every year – I have never had any issue with it and I’ve had fibromyalgia for over 10 years. ESPECIALLY in the face of a pandemic, I think it is extremely important that everyone gets the flu shot. We know that influenza kills thousands every year….and COVID-19 has killed over 200,000 Americans. As far as I know, no one has died from getting a flu shot. I for one think the choice is pretty clear!!
I have suffered fibromyalgia for years more than I care to remember. I have been getting the flu shot for the same period of time and haven’t had any bad reactions yet I also haven’t had colds or flu either. I am all for getting it.
I got the flu shot once about 20 yrs ago and was sick as could be off work over 2 weeks I actually lost my job because I was out so long,I have not gotten nor do I plan to get it now I don’t feel they know enough about which virus is going to be coming,they certainly had no clue about the corona virus did they,I will continue to work on strengthing my immune system,wear my masks as needed,isolate if needed .
I was hoping to work til I turn 70 but my body is telling me that probably won’t be happening,stay safe everyone
I don’t have flue shots, as I get so sick it’s worse than the flue and puts me out of action for 10 – 14 days, then I feel like death warmed up.
Since 1993, I’ve only had the flu twice. I also got really sick with fibromyalgia in December 1993 and have, believe it or not, never gotten a flu shot. However, in 1998 I wanted to go back to graduate school and couldn’t fInd proof of my MMR vaccination as a small child. MMR is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Since the school wouldn’t allow me to attend without it, I went down to our local public health department and got it. By that time I’d had fibromyalgia for 5 years. I was very lucky in that I had NO ADVERSE REACTIONS at all from getting the MMR vaccine. I have also had to get the diphtheria and tetanus shot every 10 years. Aside from the fact that it makes everyone’s arm hurt like heck, and made a small red bump on my arm, luckily those symptoms went away too. However I realize the MMR vaccine and tetanus shot are different than the flu shot. Frankly I’ve built so much fear up in my mind after living with fibromyalgia for 27 years that I’m afraid to get the flu shot. But part of me wants to because I live with my 81 year old mother and I’m just a lot more scared I guess, of catching the flu because of COVID-19. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do.
No flu shot for me. Living with fibro for so many years is just like living with the flu in a lot of ways. I don’t get colds and haven’t gotten the flu ( or the vaccine) in 30 years, I think my immune system is fighting hard already!