My Swine flu jab

Hello Shebob - it's interesting to see someone posting on what seems to be quite a controversial subject at the moment....to have or not to have the swine flu jab. I think you've been very brave to have it and I suspect as you suffer from asthma and COPD it was not a difficult decision for you. I understand that some people like yourself do get a slight side effect such as very mild flu symptoms but apparently this will only last a couple of days and I do hope that you will feel back to normal (:lol soon! Meanwhile, do hope that you get good results from your blood test. MrsO

Hi Shebob

Glad to hear all went well with the swine flu jab. I am having it done tomorrow. Unlike you I do not have any other conditions but I work in a hospital and at the moment I seem to pick anything up that it going and my GP thought I should have it. Was a bit concerned as whether to have the jab or not so it is good to hear yours went wll.

Regards

Linda

Hi all

It is strange how different the countries in Europe act about the swine flue jabs. I had mine some weeks ago without trouble. In Sweden, the vaccine is not sufficient at the moment so many persons are waiting to get theirs. I saw on TV yesterday that in France very many will not get any jabs - they were so much against it.

Ragnar

Hi everyone, been pretty quiet lately although I've been following all threads with interest. I had my jab last tuesday..my right arm was pretty sore for a few days but ok now. I was told I might get a few flu like symptoms but nothing so far. I have to got back to my doctor in 3 weeks for the second one...anyone else have to have 2? :?

Thought I was doing ok ..cutting down on the pred very gradually but esr back up again :x back to the drawing board...again!

chins up everyone .. Pat.

Hi All,

I had my 'flu jab a few weeks ago, and the swine 'flu one almost two weeks ago.

Nothing to report with the first and a bit of a tender swelling with the 'swine',

apart from that no other symptoms. ( Flu wise I mean ! )

My pred. is now down to 7mg but I haven't had a blood test for a while. Not sure if it's the colder weather making me more aware of the pains, or the fact that I have gone back to work on a gradual / trial basis.

I was thinking of going back to see my GP regarding the way I should reduce when I get down to 5mg. so perhaps I should ask for some tests to be done while I'm there.

At the moment I'm coming down by 1mg every 4 weeks, but after reading postings on here, I think the time staying on each dose below 5mg should be for longer. I'll let you know what he says.

All the best to everyone,

DD

Nannypat,

just noticed that you said your right arm was sore after your jab.

At my surgery, everyone had the 'normal' 'flu jab in their right arm, and the swine one in their left.

I don't know if this was practised throughout the country, but perhaps you haven't had the swine one yet ? and that's why you have to go back in a few weeks

Just a thought, regards, DD

Well I had my swine flu jab friday other than a sore arm no problems. I had the injection in my left arm. About a month ago I had the ordinary flu jab also in the left arm. Dont think it really matters what arm you have it in, they just asked if I was left or right handed.

In my view it is best to get it done we have enough to cope with without getting the flu as well.

I have never managed to get down to below 5mg every time I do I am poorly again I have been on 5mg since beg October and not too bad still get aches and pains went shopping the other day and could only manage 1 1/2 hours quite depressing I used to be able to shop for hours. Not sure when to try ad go below 5mg thought I would leave it un til January. A question though should you be pain free before you reduce or not?

This forum is brilliant it seems when I am questioning something in my head the answer appears in so many ways.

Thank you all and keep well everyone.

Linda

Hi Linda,

the nurse at my surgery told me that it shouldn't be put in the same arm, hence the system they used.

I agree with you that it's wise to have it done, we have enough problems as it is don't we ?

I too used to enjoy shopping, in the good old days !! Now I would get depressed as it's difficult to find anything I like that fits !!, apart from not being able to be on my feet for too long.

Your question about being pain free, I have never been pain free since this all started for me, the steroids just make the pain more or less bearable.

I'm sure someone else will be along soon with some advice on reducing, I am yet to get to the elusive 5mg !!!!

It is so nice to be able to come on here and find that you're not the only one experiencing some weird symptom or another.

Best to all, DD

Hello Linda

Re being pain-free before reducing, I feel this is very much a personal \"try it and see\" action as all our symptoms are so different. For instance, I would say that I have never been \"pain-free\" as such throughout my 4 years of PMR/GCA. However, each time when trying to reduce below 5 over the last couple of years, I have known immediately when the pain is beyond manageable (ie being unable to walk for more than 10 minutes without fairly severe increase of pain) and then subsequent blood tests have usually shown increased ESR/CRP markers necessitating yet another increase in the steroids. At one stage the Rheumatologist had me on 5mgs for 5 months. Only when I followed Ragnar's advice of tapering the reduction incredibly slowly, taking about 5 weeks to taper from 5 to 4, by taking 5 for 3 days, 4.5 for 1 day and repeating; then 5 for 2 days and 4.5 for 1 day and again repeating, and continuing in this fashion of even further tapering over the next few weeks until I arrived at 4. It worked and I have successfully now also reduced to 3mgs by the same routine but taking as much as 7 weeks to make the 1mg reduction. Once I've taken this long to reach the reduced dose I then stay on it for about 2 months (so it's over 3 months in all from start of tapering) Painstaking I know but if it works by somehow tricking the body into making it boost the adrenal glands to start making their natural steroids, then it's got to be worth the effort.

Oh how I sympathise with you about shopping trips though, Linda - my friend and I used to be able to shop for England in Kingston! Now because of a sciatic nerve problem and not just the PMR we seem to spend a lot more time in the restaurants and coffee shops, then I have to walk through the pain to walk off the calories!

Hope this terrible wet weather isn't aggravating everyone's symptoms too much and if we have any posters in the Cumbria area, then we are all thinking of you and wishing you well.

MrsO

Within the next two weeks a website update will take place. The person who does the updating has vanished to the Canaries for two weeks. The update is 'Steroids and What They Do'.

However, (and I know its not listed in the myriad of side-effects), I often wonder if steroids are addictive and can fool your body into thinking the pmr has returned and up you go again. I find that if I am taking a drop - I plan the next week very carefully, ensure it is a leisurely week and ride out the symptons for about 5-6 days, if they then subside, well that's that drop for the next three months. If the symptoms do return, then its old pmr and not withdrawal. and up we go back to where we are comfortable and then wait.

But mind that's just me - no medical knowledge, no degrees, no brain some days. And living on Overdraft time.

who forgot to log in again!!!!!!!! or the site, did not automatically log me in and I can't remember logging out either.

Nannypat,

Hello again, while awake in bed between the hours of 2 & 5 thinking about everything and nothing ( as you do ) I remembered that I was given a leaflet after my swine flu jab. I did read it at the time, but my head is like a sieve lately.

I have searched out the leaflet this morning and it states that there are 2 different brands of vaccine- Pandemrix and Celvapan. People who have the Celvapan vaccine will need two doses three weeks apart.

Looks like you got the more expensive version, lucky you !!

I think I have well and truly got Mrs K's C.R.A.F.T. disease, can you catch it over the 'net ?! Yet another PMR side effect.

I know this might sound mad to some of you, but when I have a surplus of bread, and no more room in the freezer, I'll put a loaf somewhere cool like in the drum of the tumble dryer. My mother uses the washing machine ( was a top tip from her ).

In over 30 years of doing this I have never forgotten to check the drum before using it for its proper use, 'til yesterday.

There was a very subtle noise from the utility room, when I checked there was crumbled Hovis mixed with white towels.

Can you imagine the mess, and the smell ? UGH.

The fuse had gone on the tumble drier and the circuit fuse for half the sockets in the house. With no spare 30amp fuse, there was a quick panic. It had to be the part of the house with the central heating , fridge, freezer, etc, and at 4pm on a Sunday, what timing !

After running an extension lead from the living room to the kitchen for the fridgefreezer, I checked on the freezer in the garage, that wasn't working, so it was plan B. Pinch the cooker 30amp fuse and swap them on the panel. So it was beans and poached eggs from the micrwave on toast for dinner last night. I'm off to get some spare fuses in a minute.

I won't forget ( fingers crossed ) to check the drums after that, at least it wasn't a cat, or a child !!

Thinking of changing my name to Mrs. R. Corbett after that lot.

Hope it made you smile, best to all, DD

Hi Everybody, I guess the last three posts really say it all about this site; sharing good practical advice and then making us laugh. I do wonder why all life's crises come at the weekend! It's the worst time to finish up in hospital or go to A and E, need a doctor, or a dentist. Even plumbers etc tho' willing to come out and work, not surprisingly, charge the earth for messing with their weekend. Husband has been in hospital twice recently at weekends and then had a tooth abscess for the 3rd weekend. Found a brilliant emergency dental clinic (NHS) tho' where an appt. was made within 2 hours on the Sunday morning. Phone number to find local emergency help was on our dentist's answerphone. Just a bit of useful info. in case anyone ever needs it.

I do know I get too impatient at coming down off the steroids and have to keep reminding myself that life would be pretty dire without them! It's just the thought of putting something into your body that seems to effect absolutely all parts ... I like being more in control of my body and general health I suppose, so I find myself really resenting them. Anyway I'm trying to come down to 7.5 at the moment and then will stabilise, all being well, to cope with Christmas. My energy levels are not great these days and I wish I didn't find myself feeling quite so Scrooge-ish about Christmas and looking forward to it more. It seems awful to complain about the weather when we have had nothing like the rain that has hit Cumbria but it doesn't help, either psychologically or physically, does it? This posting is testing my spelling if nothing else!!!!!!

Thanks everybody for contributing, keep warm and dry, Green Granny

DD - Well Mrs K's C.R.A.F.T disease is most definitely contagious. Here I was reading and chuckling away at your antics on Sunday when suddenly the cat came up on my lap and I wondered if she'd brought an odd smell in with her, suddenly realising it was a burning smell! I raced down the stairs two at a time (I wish!!!) and found that I had left the heat on high under one of the Christmas puddings, the saucepan had boiled over and not only burnt the inside of the pan but had melted one of the control knobs on the hob. I've scoured the pan, re-covered the pudding and hope it won't taste burnt (have to make sure everyone has had plenty of wine so they won't notice!). Oh, and I've ordered a new knob so that when hubby comes home and has a moan about it I can tell him it's all under control (wish I was!). He'll probably start calling me Alfred now!

Green Granny - as you can imagine, like you, I'm also feeling a bit \"Scrooge-ish after that experience especially having spent so long mixing up all the ingredients - I don't know if it's the PMR, the steroids, or Anno Domini but it took me a couple of hours to make the Christmas cake and another couple of hours last night to do the pudding mix, double the time it would have taken me a few years ago. Think I need to go and lie down in a darkened room now and recover!

Best wishes to everyone.

MrsO

Hi everyone. my doctor advised me agaist having the flu jab or swine flu jab.maybe because I am only in my 50's but I have now got a relly bad chest infection and all the trimmings of a very heavy cold,so I'm glad that others have been advised to get it. i am now down to 25mg but think its more because of the weather and illness is making me feel so bad at the moment the only good thing is my husband is loving this as I have no voice so I cant even moan so much.

Hello Guest and so sorry to hear you have a chest infection - as if PMR isn't enough to cope with! It seems that whilst on the higher doses of steroid it is more easy to pick up infections but let's hope you've got some good antibiotics and they work fast to get you better so you can disturb your husband's peace again. Meanwhile, moan all you like on this site as we all understand.

I have been taking Manuka Honey UMF 10+ daily for some years - expensive but good for the immune system and maybe you could try this now to see if it will help speed your recovery. Get well soon.

MrsO