My Swine flu jab

Hello dear Guest, Sorry about the cold and chest infection, horrid for you with everything else! Do use this site to moan - it's really useful because everyone understands and has felt the same. I think steroids can effect our moods so easily as well. I know I have days when I just feel I'm getting somewhere and feel positive, full of good resolutions for a bit more exercise, etc. then the next day I can feel really down in the dumps again and wonder whether I shall ever be free of PMR. But we are all coming down in our steroids eventually, just needs patience. I wish!

Take care, keep in touch and hope you are feeling better soon, Green granny

Hi Guest

Sorry you are feeling poorly,it seems every doctor is different I am 58 and have had Polymyalga for 18 months my doctor has given me every jab flu and swine flu.

Take care and hope you are feeling better soon.

Linda

Hello to all My Doctor hasnt said I need any flu jabs I am 61 and have had proper flu (not man flu !!) twice in the last 10 years so wondered if she would suggest it She said her swine flu one hurt !! My Brother in law is a Doctor in Italy (Ear nose and throat ) and hasnt had it but if he worked in their National Health he would have had to have it Everyones opinions seems to differ on this matter On the subject of Manuka honey my cousin who is 65 ish has had a problem with her chest all her life and has spent her entire life with bronchitus every winter She has been taking Manuka honey for the last few winters and no bronchitus !! but she does take a very strong one If you go into somewhere like Holland and Barrett it can take ages to compare them all !! Had my blood results on Monday and both ESR and CRP were up so no reduction and trying to hang in on 4mg at the moment Has anyone rather than the normal aches we get with PMR had pulled muscles ???? I have had one in one side of my ribs that comes and goes and also behind one knee This one behind my knee has suddenly got much worse and yesterday I had trouble bending it My Doctor said I could get muscle wastage with steroids and I do find now my normal exercise can cause problems I think I need to swim so will have to work up the enthusiasm for that (not the same in the winter !! ) I do agree with the mood swings I was so fed up after seeing the Doctor as it always seems to be a few steps forward and then a few back and you never know how you will wake up feeling I did tell myself to stop wingeing as I am lucky not having other health problems Best wishes to all ( More research now trying to find what muscle is directly behind my knee and what to do about it !! )

Hello to all, and Mrs G, yes, like you, I have also pulled a muscle - it happened 2-3 months ago when I went over badly on an ankle, since when I have had severe sciatica (probably caused by aggravating my long-term problem of a slippage of the lower spine). This pulled muscle causes me pain in the top of the leg area similar to PMR pain and right down the leg, so it can get a little confusing but as long as the other leg is ok then I know it is muscular and not PMR. As it is a known fact that the steroids can adversely affect the muscles, then this is a constant worry, but I am keeping up my daily walk (paddling like a duck of late!) in the hope that this will offset the risk. I think your idea of getting into the pool is a good one but I worry that the water will not be warm enough for me as I am not a swimmer and not yet at the stage where I could join the aquarobics class and move hard enough to work up some heat!

Back on to the subject of Manuka honey, that's \"proof of the pudding\" hearing about the success your cousin has experienced with it. Also, I have heard of people having great relief from their hay fever when taking locally produced honeycomb in the 3 months prior to the hay fever season so I do think it's a bit of a wonder food.

As for the flu viruses, like you I have also experienced a severe one about 6 years ago. I once heard that if you suffered from flu you were then immune to it for the next 5 to 7 years, but that theory seems to have gone out of the window if the medics are now vaccinating people every year saying that every annual flu virus is different. However, when I look back over my history of real flu illnesses, they have never occurred within less than 10 years or so of each other. Like you, I haven't received either flu vaccinations and am crossing fingers and relying on a daily diet full of fruit and steamed veggies, and Manuka honey!

Good luck to everyone.

MrsO

For what it is worth, my GP told me yesterday that Royal College of Physicians recommendations on categories of at risk patients that should be offered vaccination in the 'immune compromised' group includes those on a dose of 20mg or more of prednisolone. I am now down to 11 mg, but she has kindly agreed I can be included as it is not so long since I was on higher doses.

My sister, who is a homeopath, has recommended that I try Rhus Vox, which is readily available from Boots, to try and help the pain. She's not convinced it will help in PMR, but I'm giving it a try. Will let you all know if there is any improvement.

Keep on keeping on.

For what it is worth, my GP told me yesterday that Royal College of Physicians recommendations on categories of at risk patients that should be offered vaccination in the 'immune compromised' group includes those on a dose of 20mg or more of prednisolone. I am now down to 11 mg, but she has kindly agreed I can be included as it is not so long since I was on higher doses.

My sister, who is a homeopath, has recommended that I try Rhus Vox, which is readily available from Boots, to try and help the pain. She's not convinced it will help in PMR, but I'm giving it a try. Will let you all know if there is any improvement.

Keep on keeping on.

Hello Jayeeh - thank you for passing on that useful information from your GP that immune compromised people on 20mg+ of Prednisolone are advised to have the flu vaccination and I'm sure that will help a lot of readers on this site to make an informed opinion if they are feeling uncertain.

If it is Rhus Tox you are considering taking, have you checked with your GP first that it is compatible with Prednisolone? I say this because when I was first on Prednisolone, I asked a Pharmacist his opinion on taking Rosehip tablets, and he was very firmly of the opinion that I should not take any such supplement whilst taking steroids.

MrsO [/u]

Thanks Mrs O.

Will check with pharmacist next week.