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Vaccinations with LS.

Posted , 6 users are following.

norma54754
norma54754

For several years I have had an annual flu vaccine and a few months ago I had a shingles vaccine.

I have recieved a letter from my doctor stating that I should make an appointment for this year's flu vaccination as it is now due.

Since the LS diagnosis and it's association with the immune system I feel apprehensive about further vaccinations incase they may have a detrimental effect on my immune system.

At the moment I am holding back from making the appointment.

The last thing I want to do is over stimulate my immune system.

Does anyone else have any views on my concern.

1 like, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • caroline16811
    caroline16811 norma54754

    Posted

    Hi Norma,

    Only to say that I have had LS for few years and flu vaccine and it has never affected mine in any way. I know we are all different but if you are in good health apart from LS I'd say go for it .

    • norma54754
      norma54754 caroline16811

      Posted

      Hi caroline...That was my attitude and I hadn't really thought about it until developing autoimmune disorders.

      I do now question whether having a vaccine that stimulates an immune response is the thing to do when autoimmune disorders are already present.

      Although an autoimmune disorder is not an infectious disease it makes me feel not as healthy as I would like to be and I now have my doubts about the need for the flu vaccination unless a medical necessity.

      Thanks for your opinion.  

    • caroline16811
      caroline16811 norma54754

      Posted

      I see, well If you are really concerned then leave it Norma, we have enough to worry about with this dreaded condition without adding to it. Better for you to have peace of mind ..... All the best
    • norma54754
      norma54754 caroline16811

      Posted

      Thanks caroline, I think you have nailed it...peace of mind....if in doubt..!
  • patricia28253
    patricia28253 norma54754

    Posted

    Thanks for this topic.... never even thought about this so will definitely be following up on the various replies.   I am so lucky as my GP has taken up the challenge of researching what he can do to help me and at present I am coping well.  He surprisingly suggested that, if I am really struggling with the irritability/itchiness, it would not hurt to take an antihistimine and it works!  I take a 10mg Phenergan at night.  (Not all the time obviously)  Of course, it also makes me sleep like a baby but hey that makes me feel better too.   Good luck to all.
    • norma54754
      norma54754 patricia28253

      Posted

      Yes patricia, I have come across the use of antihistimines a few times.

      Apparently they suppress an inflammatory immune reaction and cause sleepiness.

      If it works and doesn't harm then thats good.

    • judy02533
      judy02533 patricia28253

      Posted

      I take a benedryl capsule almost nightly..only need one.  It helps me sleeps much better.  My daug. told me years ago that her doctor told her to take  them because she was so restless at night.  He told her it would not hurt in any way. So I have taken them off and on for a few years.  I started taking again when I was diagnosed with LS.
    • suzanne00
      suzanne00 judy02533

      Posted

      For those taking antihistamines, I was distressed to find out not long ago, that many of them, like benedryl and phenergan, are anticholinergics which are coming to be strongly associated with the development of dementia in older adults. You can check this out by googling dementia and anticholinergics. I have taken a lot of anticholinergics in my life and am almost 60. I wish that I had known this information sooner (though I think that they are just discovering it). It seems that a lot of pharmaceuticals just aren't very good for us, I'm sad to say. Hope that this information is something that you can talk over with your doctor. Best to you.  ---Suzanne
    • judy02533
      judy02533 suzanne00

      Posted

      Suzanne, thank you for sending this info.  I am going to check into it.  I certainly don't want dementia in addition to LS.  If it's not one thing it's another...
  • suedm
    suedm norma54754

    Posted

    I have asthma, last year i did have the flu jab as i have for several years- all without a problem until last season. The wrong strain of vaccine was given to  the UK  population. I had THE mother and father of 'flu bugs and wouldnt want to repeat that exercise. I was ill for what felt like months - no energy or motivation even after the acute phase of a couple of weeks was over. I put on a huge amount of weight as i was uable to walk across the room without becoming extremely breathless, even now i have loss the ablitiy to climb hills with ease! The weigh has remained and i will say yes please as soon as the new fluy vaccine is offered, with luck it will be the RIGHT strain this year!
    • norma54754
      norma54754 suedm

      Posted

      Oh dear, I think you have a lot of problems to contend with sue.

      If you are vulnerable with asthma or any lung condition then I think a flu vaccine is adviceable.

      Even if the flu virus doesn't make you feel bad enough a secondary broncial bacteria infection will.

      My problems at the present time are skin disorders, otherwise I feel in good health and not convinced I need a flue vaccination.

      If I give the flue jab a miss then get a dose of flu this winter then I will be the first in line next time round.

      Hope you get your jab and it is successful in protecting you this winter.

      As I live in the North West of England we don't get enough vit.D from the sun in the winter months.

      I will increase my vit.D intake and see how it goes as I do believe vit.D plays a big part in supporting the immune system.

    • suedm
      suedm norma54754

      Posted

      Hi Norma - Goodness i didnt mean to sound as if i had the world on  my shoulders- just that i try and keep flu and other bugs at bay - Everyone has a story to tell  it is just the way i tell it i expect! Actually i have been reading up on the gene mutation my sister informs me i have- and it COULD be a reason for my auto immune issues .

      The answer appears to be to increase the B vitamins as much as possible and NOT take tablet form of folic acid but instead up the greens. This will also keep cardio vascular problems, chronic inflammation, auto immune conditions and dementia far less likely The articles i have read - mainly academic so it takes AGES to  get the info into my brain- seem to indicate that homocysteine levels should be very low - it is a bad enzyme and eating plenty of the above will help its  excretion, thus lessening the chances of major incidences. Sadly testing for these levels is expensive and techologically difficult -the blood has to be tested within 30 mins or the results are nul and void - So one has to be near a lab that can freeze the samples, so mass testing is not really an option at the moment

    • norma54754
      norma54754 suedm

      Posted

      ....and sue, aging is stacked against us. The older we get the less well we function!

      Our enzymes weaken along with everything else.

      Not very useful eating healthy food if we don't digest very well.

      A lot of credit is given to enzymes in raw food that we eat but it doesn't account for much and the majority is made in our bodies.

      Sometimes an appropriate supplimented enzyme can be beneficial. 

      I feel like I could read forever and never get to the bottom of things.

      Then of cause there is the decreasing capacity to remember what I have read...lol.

      I think if you have an inherited health issue then more than likely medical help is needed but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to help ourselves even if all it does is reduce the strength of any necessary prescribed drugs.

      Eating your greens always gets a good recommendation and I do eat a variety of those.

      The only thing about that though is the association of high oxalate foods like green veggies to LS.

      Some LS sufferers believe they improve with a low oxylate diet.

      Not sure about that myself but I think one way around that is to eat calcium food with oxylate foods so the calcium binds to oxylates and nuetralises oxylate acid.

      I think moderation is the best policy because if we go overboard in something then we we go out of balance somewhere else.

      Will we ever find the secret of the black magic box....keep searching there is always something new to uncover.

       

    • norma54754
      norma54754 suedm

      Posted

      sue...I really do not know why the post is held back to be moderated! ....

      I can only think it is the word 0xylate as I've been blocked before when using that word...I have spelled 0xylate with number 0 instead of letter o to see if this post gets through.

    • suedm
      suedm norma54754

      Posted

      send me a private message, hit the envelope below my avitar - i think that is what the icon is  called!
    • norma54754
      norma54754 suedm

      Posted

      Oh the dearie me....it is now getting too silly for words...

      I have sent you a private message sue and even that has been held back.

      Honestly it is so ridiculous it's making me laugh....lol.

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