Vaccinations

[Stegosaurus53]

Can vaccinations (the usual, recommended ones in the uk) have a negative effect on PMR symptoms? I have recently had several, prior to a holiday in Morocco, and experienced a flare-up soon after. Is it a coincidence?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Could well be coincidence- I had several when I was on about 7mg Pred a few years ago - no adverse reaction.

If you can, just double check with surgery, the practice nurse is probably best contact for injections.

[Stegosaurus53 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you, Dorset Lady. The practice nurse was/is aware of my PMR and current dose of pred, so I guess it is a coincidence, as you suggest.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Stegosaurus53]

There’s no harm in speaking with her, and asking if she can check for you if the paperwork highlights any problems. You may find taking paracetamol for a couple of days helps.

[Stegosaurus53 in reply to DorsetLady]

Good suggestion - I will make contact, thanks.

[SnazzyD]

Well my opinion is why not? Vaccines are meant to kick start the immune system by putting it into a mild inflammatory state so that it takes notice of the particles of organism presented to it so it makes antibodies. Some people’s immune system reacts more than others to the substances used and some vaccines are more reactive than others. You may have had what some people get as normal and that’s the muscle aches and fatigue that can be quite bad in some people.

As a nurse I had annual training to give them, but it really wasn’t very detailed and reactions other than anaphylaxis were not covered aside from what’s in the leaflet. I didn’t know the PMR link to the old shingles vaccination until I came on this site.

[ClarkB in reply to SnazzyD]

I had a letter from my surgery about the importance of having a shingles vaccination. When I went in and asked about it with having PMR, I was told that I had to arrange a telephone consultation with a GP. As there were no slots left to receive a call, I have to phone in a week’s time to see if one is available. I am non the wiser and naturally don’t want to get shingles to add to my portfolio of conditions!

[SnazzyD in reply to ClarkB]

If you are in the U.K., GP’s don’t normally have mandatory training about vaccines and unless they have a personal interest, specifically looked it up or come across it in a patient, they won’t know much. Vaccines are more a nurse thing usually. I worked in quite a few surgeries and I often had to get a special prescription for a vaccine I was about to give which usually entailed me telling them what the problems might be in a particular patient.

The shingles vaccine doesn’t guarantee you won’t get it (from your own body) and some leaflets say you may contract shingles flare up from it. However, it is meant to be the best that can be offered to try to make an outbreak less likely to be protracted and debilitating. I always tried to get patients to read the leaflet themselves and some patients appreciated taking it away to decide. You could ask if the nurse could leave the leaflet at reception, we often did that. It is possible to find it online but you need to know the make first.

[ClarkB in reply to SnazzyD]

Thankyou for the info. Am not good at making my own decisions! I had chicken pox as a child and thought it made you immune to shingles, but have since heard differently. Am in UK

[SnazzyD in reply to ClarkB]

Ah, it doesn’t quite work like that. After chicken pox the virus goes dormant in your nerves. It can stay like that forever with no problems or for some reason like being very run down it can be reactivated. The reactivation occurs along nerves which is why it can be so flippin painful. So, you can’t catch shingles from anybody if you’ve already had chicken pox because you’ve already got it. If you’ve never had chicken pox you could possibly catch it from someone with shingles if you come in contact with the fluid in the little blisters.

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

[ClarkB in reply to SnazzyD]

Thankyou for the explanation! I do appreciate it. I am inclined not to have the jab just now, (although there’s only a limited time) as I am feeling under the weather. I am having pain from the PMR, (could it be reduction? on 2.5 mg) PMR itself or is it the osteoporosis! I had diverticulitis too, and had weird feelings from time to time after hospital, but since being on steroids they’ve been more frequent. It’s a problem of working out what is causing what! I don’t want to make things worse with a shingles jab, yet don’t want to miss the opportunity.

I imagine it helps that as you were a nurse, you understand more of what’s going on. I’m a complete dumbo when it comes to anything medical or anatomical. Have always been a bit squeamish too.

[SnazzyD in reply to ClarkB]

Osteoporosis doesn’t really hurt unless you get a fracture. Poor adrenal function and/or withdrawal can cause aches and pains but you have to decide if it is PMR pain that you had before and that’s the challenge. Anything that is added into the mix confuses the issue so you have to weigh up the benefit against worst case scenario.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

They form another "insult" to the immune system which has already broken down and is unable to recognise your body as self which is what underlies all autoimmune illness. You should also not have live vaccines when on pred. The combination may simply have been too much. I always have the flu vaccine and it never causes a problem, I've not had several at one time though.

[Soraya_PMR]

I doubt it’s coincidence. I bet that mix put your poor body in a proper spin!

[SheffieldJane]

The official line is that we are fine with non live vaccines. I honestly think anything that is prodding the immune system is going to have an impact. Together with the stress of preparing for a holiday, however much you want one. I adored Morocco, we stayed in a Riad in Marrakech, they even gave us traditional robes and a fez and there was a Hammam with a lady to scrub you down. Magical, have a lovely time. I hope you were able to get on top of the flare quickly. I don’t remember having vaccines for that trip oops!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

The live/dead thing is whether you could develop the disease from the vaccine: live vaccines can actually cause a mild version of the disease and if your immune system is suppressed by higher dose pred or other immunosuppressants you COULD develop a more serious version of the illness. Non-live vaccines are just showing the body the overcoat the virus wears so it will recognise it when it appears with a body inside it and be able to react faster, they cannot cause the actual illness.

It doesn't mean that the presence of the vaccine may poke the immune system enough to cause a flare.

[York54]

I think the rule is no live vaccines whilst on pred. X

[animalactivist]

Yes my pmr started up shortly after having a flu jab

[Robinsnest72]

I had a shingles vaccination and three weeks after came down with PMR Hard to convince me there is no connection as I was perfectly healthy prior to that

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Robinsnest72]

It is a listed adverse effect ...