Flu jab before or after cardioversion

[Reena09]

I am due to have DC cardioversion in 10 days. Any thoughts on whether I should have flu jab this week or post cardioversion. I wouldn’t want the side effects of the flu jab to bring on AF and makes the CV meaningless. Thoughts very much appreciated. Thank you

[Pita]

I am going in hospital next month to have a biopsy done with a GA, we think it is cancer, anyway I am due to have the Flu jab, but i think I will wait til after, as I always get some sort of side affects from it and don't want this to affect me before surgery.

[Desanthony in reply to Pita]

My brother in law had to have his flu jab before they would do his gullet cancer operation. Always best to ask your consultant at the hospital what to do. My brother-in-law had chemo after surgery so they wanted to make sure that he was as safe as possible from flu as the chemo would leave him low and open to infection so his wife had to have it too. Maybe this is only if you are having chemo after but always check with the hospital.

[Dangerousdriver]

I personally would wait. Not worth it if you get some side effects from the jab as I often get. Good luck with it!

[Reena09 in reply to Dangerousdriver]

But on the flip side, if I had the cardioversion followed by the flu jab, it may bring on then the AF again and then there was no point having the CV if that makes sense..

[Dangerousdriver in reply to Reena09]

That’s a possibility, but on balance I’d still rather not have it now. How old are you if you don’t mind me asking? Don’t have to be precise, just a decade will suffice 😎

[Reena09 in reply to Dangerousdriver]

Early 70s

[Dangerousdriver in reply to Reena09]

Young then! Well, if you have them yearly and do not get any reaction or cold/flu symptoms after having it then I’d say that’s a call you could make. Maybe speak with the cardiologist and see what his thought is.

[BobD Volunteer]

Since I have never ever had any reaction to a flu jab (why would you) I would say get it done .

[Reena09 in reply to BobD]

Before or after CV?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Reena09]

asap

[Reena09 in reply to BobD]

I presume you say ASAP incase I have any symptoms so still enough time before CV?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Reena09]

Since you can't catch flu from a jab (it is a dead virus) the worst you should have is a slightly sore arm for a day or so. I have never had any other symptoms from a flu vaccination and been having them since I was diagnosed with AF in 2004/5.

[CDreamer]

In a word - yes. Agree with Bob

[Visitingcat]

I had my cardioversion this time last year, I already had an appointment booked for a flu jab two days after it. I cancelled the jab because colds and flu always triggered afib in me and I thought maybe the jab would.

I didn’t rush to get another appointment, kept putting it off.

Went for a break halfway through October involving going on park and ride buses ( you could not pay me to get on a bus at the moment ) and came home with the worst bug I’d had for years, coughing with a whooping cough sound for weeks, it went into my sinuses before it finished, I missed a family celebration and had to cancel a much needed tooth extraction. It was ghastly. Around 10 weeks of illness. My husband got mild cold symptoms for a week.....

I’ve no idea if the flu jab would have saved me from it.

Weirdly I did not get afib from the bug, it may have been the amiodarone I was on, it certainly did nothing else for me.

If I was having a cardioversion now and had a flu jab booked I still would hesitate over weather to have it though.....