hi to all, this is really important for me to know sooner then later. i thought that i had read that when you have PD,

[judam9]

that you were not supposed to get any vaccine. is this true ? the flu season is upon us.

i'm not sure if i read it or drempt it. please to give me an answer as soon as possible.

thanks, love judam9

[Hikoi]

Quite the contrary, we are one of the at risk groups advised to have the flu vaccine. Of course inevitably it is your decision.

[judam9]

thank you so very much for your prompt answer. i will call my doc tomorrow.

[Parkinson_Schmarkinson]

I think that there is a concern about taking flu vaccines when on Amantadine.

My Primary CAre doc agreed and when I got my flu shot he advised me to wait a week before starting Amantadine.

Best wishes

[wordworks2001 in reply to Parkinson_Schmarkinson]

I was on Amantadine for over two years a while back. I never had a cold or sore throat the entire time I was on it, nor did I take a flu vaccine during that time.

[parkie-Al]

As being a risk group , i had my flu jab in October.

so it is ok , see your GP and if you are not sure ask your PD Nurse

Al

[judam9]

thanks to you all, maybe i should just get a prescription for Amantadine. LOL.

guess i will get the flu shot, and hope that they picked the one for the right flu. this year. does it last thru spring if you get it now? that's usually when i'm down for 4 weeks.

what is Amantadine for?

[hilarypeta]

The only time i had a flu jab i got the flu for a week! They cannot vaccinate you against all flu vruses and i dont trust the pharmaceutical companies. I think we may in part have got this disease due to poor vaccines given our generation in the 50 s.

Better to stock up your anti oxidants...vit c, co enzyme q 10 , a good organic multi vit, to boost your immune system to deal with it. ..my opinion!

[judam9 in reply to hilarypeta]

that's how i feel about the pharmaceutical companies too. i don't trust them. they seem to be looking out for themselves more then us. and it seems they have a medication for every tiny thing that might be wrong. i'm going to the GP and how are you? fine , just fine. if they can't find something wrong it seems like they haven't tried. i take them, but not by choice. i had been gives a med for parkinsons, from the neurologist. and i was sicker then i wanted to be for quite sometime . kept falling over and nausea. so he upped it , and it got worse. , and then again, [and it was very expensive.] he finally put me on carb-levo dopa. and i felt like a human again, thanks for your feelings on the drug companies. i'm not alone/

[Susie01 in reply to hilarypeta]

I think one concern is that some vaccines contain murcury, which has been therorized to be a possible cause of PD. I was an RN and had to take the flu shot every year. Since being diagnosed, I have not taken it, just my personal opinion.

It is true that they do an "educated guess" of what strain of flu will come through, not always right about the strain...

[Court]

Hilary always talks a lot of sense. However, I do take meds for Parkinsons and don't have the courage to discontinue them. I think once you start with drugs it is difficult to wean yourself off them. I have had the flu jab and also the pneumonia jab. I sometimes get a cold after the jab and a sore arm, but otherwise no problems.

[Jash]

My doc says that the flu vaccine is multifaceted and protective for the flu that's already showing up in the US. It lasts about six months.

[grammieof3]

Amantadine is a parkinsons medicine i take it for destonia ( sure i spelled wrong) i just started taking it but but i have had a flu shot every year.

[fishinggirl in reply to grammieof3]

I take it and have flu shots every year. I tried the Shingles Vaccine this year without much luck. Shingles visited me for 2 weeks but not a bad case. Dr said the shot probably helped minimize the outbreak.

[Hikoi]

Amantadine was developed as a flu treatment and found to help in Parkinsons. It seems to enhance the effect of dopamine drugs and in some people it is effective in reducing dyskinesias. I hadnt thought about it in relation to flu vaccine, thats interesting.

Grammie03 some people find it looses its effectiveness over time but it works again if they have a short break from it. Hope you find it effective for your dystonia.

Reply to this

[wifeofparky]

Don't know about amantadine users but any one with a chronic disease should avoid infections and other illnesses. Vaccines, with the exception of Zostavax are DEAD viruses and only help boost the immune system.

[Mast]

Vaccines supposedly have mercury in them. There are a lot of web postings that this increases our risk for Parkinson/s and Alzheimer's. The same website encourage people to not vaccinate their children. I don't think it has ever been proven. However I do know a few people that died

from influenza.

[jernor]

My husband takes Amantadine and had just started the Neupro patch (45 days) and we decided to get the flu shot recommended for seniors (along with our GP) after seeing so many of our friends and relatives so ill with the latest flu bug. So far, so good!

[Espo]

I have been taking amantadine for six years,have received a flu shot every year, and have not suffered any side efects.

[judam9 in reply to Espo]

thank you very much

[PatV]

I think the risk of the flu for a pwp is GREATER than the side effects of the vaccine. According to the news the flu season is a month early and the strain is especially bad. I got mine as soon as I could. It won't protect you against everything. What does? But it does hit pwp's HARDER, according to my neuro.

[judam9]

you all have given wonderful answers, to which i am very grateful for. thank you for your knowledge and time. i can hardly wait to get to the doctors office. , and get my shot.

my son and his whole family got the flu shot in nov. 11 and they all were sick for thanksgiving. which kind of made up my mind against getting the flu shot. you may have well just saved a life, thanks again,

i have learned so much from all of you, about PD and the things that go with it. odd things. from dry eyes and seeing double , and losing weight. etc. thanks again.

[judam9]

i am just home from my flu shot. thanks to you all.

[hilarypeta in reply to judam9]

For another time...i went to naturpath yesterday,she gave me homeopathic pills....oscillococii? ..Against flu..Anyone heard of it?

[Maria29]

My neurologist, rheumatologist and primary care doctors all insist that I get the flu, pneumonia, and shingles vaccine. I have not had any problems except for a sore arm.

[judam9]

i don't know Maria 29, i did find out that the flu shot that they give to senior citizens is a little different fron the one that they give to younger people. i was going to get a shingles shot years ago, but the cost was $200.00 which seemed really steep to me. i did have a pneumonia shot a few years ago. [how many ??? ] but that to i first heard was every 3 years. then i heard every 5 , then they went to ten. so i don' t know what it is today. they don't seem to have an answer that is settled on. at least the last time i heard. which was a while back. i haven't asked. i know a woman that had the pneumonia shot, and she had pneumonia twice that year. probably a bad batch. i think that should be your decision .

[camper]

I was on amantadine for a few years and had the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine whilst I was on it and had no ill effects.

[judam9]

thank you camper. i did get the shot. it's usually springtime that i get hit and can hardly navigate for 4 weeks / so i'm hoping that this year it will pass me by.

[bawford]

I had the swine flu shot in 1976 and thought I was going to die. Ended up in the ER for dehydration, nothing stayed down or in. Never again for a flu shot / haven't had the flu either. Good information from all about Amantadine. (alergic to the pills, so dr prescribed liquid, medco had to send me 3 lg bottles per their rules. Tried one tiny dose. Alergic to it too. Stuck with the meds now.)