My husband who has recently been told he has type 2 diabetes, has been told by the local practise nurse that he can have a flu jab, he asked the nurse about me, and she was not sure.
I have Raynards and undiferential connective tissue disease, I am on medication for both.
Is it a good or bad idea when you take Azathioprine an imminousupresant.
You can ring your consultants secretary and ask or ask your GP but i would say deco. I have lung involvement so its a no brainer for me but when the bird flu scare came out they did my whole family to be sure so it does no harm. With immunosupresants you do not want an infection because it reduces your bodies ability to fight it off. Have a pneumonia jab too. They are a one off jab that now lasts a lifetime.
Take car and best wishes.
Thank you, I am seeing my consultant in a few weeks so will ask them too. Am I correct in thinking these are not 'live vaccines '? As I know we can't have them.
its not a live jab
I am on mycophenylate and have the flu jab every year.
Hi Swizzle 14
I have Raynauds and Scleroderma with lung and possibly heart involvement. I had 6 month of chemotherapy and is currently on Azathioprine, Felopine, Prednisdone and Lamsoprazol. I was advise by my consultant to have the flu and pneumonia jabs because I am taking the immune suppressants, which I did.
there is no reason why u can not have a flu jab its not a live jab I have had one for years and years and have loads of auto iumume things . You get flu you be dead so it out ways the benfits
Sounds like I better have it then! I had one about 3 years ago and have not been well since, I have had numbness in my left arm. I did wonder if it was the flu jab that caused it? Guess it was just one of those things. You never think of flu being a killer but then again it's not for a healthy person, but I'm not healthy! However much I try to kid myself
For years I'd had the flu jab with no apparent bad effects. But then 4 years ago, I had a huge flare immediately after my last flu jab. Part of that flare involved osteomyelitis taking off in my upper jaw, & requiring 5 months of high dose antibiotics to settle down.....But I was in my 50s and quite unwell at the time of that jab, as I had been managing infant onset lupus unrecognised and without systemic meds all my life. That last flu jab was shortly after my lupus re diagnosis, & 3 months after starting treatment on daily hydroxy.
Since that bad reaction to that last jab, every autumn I've asked my gp should I have the flu jab & she has said: better not, considering how you seem to have reacted in the recent past. She knows my individual version of lupus (my bloods results etc) and tends to be cautious. I have asked my rheumatology clinic & they also have said it's ok if I avoid the jab because of that seemingly bad reaction. All my drs have admitted the flu jab does sometimes seem to disagree with people.
But as of January last, I'm now on daily mycophenolate as well as hydroxy, so this autumn I'll be asking all my drs again whether I should risk the flu jab....I do feel concerned about this decision, swizzle, and can totally relate to your question & uncertainty. I really don't want my osteomyelitis to flare like that again!
cumbria.nhs.uk/Professional...
Here is a link to one health authority's shared care guidelines. I'm not sure which you are in but they are all very similar. You will see that the flu jab and pneumococcal vaccination is recommended if you're on Azathioprine. Your GP should confirm this for you (I see your practice nurse couldn't).
Hope this helps.
Shingles jab
Do I have Raynauds?
Working outdoors. Should I quit my Job?
I have only just joined up and have loadsa questions....
Feeling a little lost and confused 
