Flu jab - anyone have suspected autoimmune reac... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

141,243 members166,489 posts

Flu jab - anyone have suspected autoimmune reactions?

BigBrownBear profile image
42 Replies

Hi all,

Does anyone here believe they have had/know they have had a an episode of autoimmune thyroid disease precipitated by the flu jab?

Does anyone know if it is a known thing, that flu jabs can kick off an autoimmune reaction in thyroid patients?

I am looking into any events which may have possibly contributed to my latest changes in meds requirements.

All the very best 👍

Written by
BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
42 Replies
Chippysue profile image
Chippysue

yes yes yes

My story started 21 years ago in June after a tetanus booster which paralysed me with Guillain-Barré. Sadly talking about vaccine reactions doesn't go down very well on here. I will be happy to message you. It's a terrible situation that vaccine reaction discussions are censored pretty much everywhere, and you can guess why.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toChippysue

Lordy, ChippySue - I am so sorry to hear that.

I will look into the condition that hammered you 😟

I have accepted your private message request, it would be lovely to hear from you.

I think we have to consider all possible triggers even if its contentious or a personal pain in the neck (thyroid pun intended) when you want a flu jab but it makes you all duffed over.

TTFN,

Thanks for the post, its not something I've read before. Only read about the measles one and autism. There probably is a link, I believe anything they push onto us has nasty side effects.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply to

Hey Fibrofoggy.

Thanks for the reply! I think the flu jab or certain flu jabs may have some egg component as a carrier (I'm going to find out) 🤔

Yesterday for the first time I quit eating egg. I had been having increasing bouts of tummy trouble, and have been eating more egg due to cutting down on carbs.

I didnt have any trouble with my tum yesterday for the first time in ages.

So I suspect egg is a problem for me, and if there is an eggy substance in the flu vaccine ... Well, I reckon that wouldn't help!

Take care.

in reply toBigBrownBear

I was asked by my surgery nurse years ago if I was allergic to eggs,before giving me my flu jab.......thankfully no, so have always had it each Winter with no worrying after effect.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply to

I'm really glad you aren't allergic to eggies and the jab works for you ok!

Eggs are so useful and delicious - unless they make you ill 😄

in reply toBigBrownBear

I totally agree! .....I've had electricians in today sorting out my heating wiring and programmer so it will be eggs tonight for a quick easy meal 😊

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

Posts about vaccine effects do often go in some interesting directions... :)

To see a few of them, remember the search facility on this page. A quick look just now brought up loads of them.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toJazzw

Ahh - thanks Jazzw. I didn't think to search the page. *Derrr* 😄

Mammaelf profile image
Mammaelf

Yes! I had an awful reaction to a flu jab

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toMammaelf

Oh dear, I'm really sorry. I hope you're feeling a bit better now.

Wombletor profile image
Wombletor

I've had flu jabs for the past 5 years and never had an auto immune reaction. I have hashis and coeliac.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toWombletor

Hey Wombletor. That's good to hear ☺️ this maybe a total shot in the dark - just no stone unturned and all that.

I started to feel unwell (more unwell than usual ) after the flu jab in November, and it just worsened until now where I'm back with fluctuating thyroid levels.

Then again, could be coincidence.

Take care,

Wombletor profile image
Wombletor in reply toBigBrownBear

On forums you are most likely to read more negative stuff than positive.

With regards to your fluctuating thyroid levels, have you tried a GF diet? Even if you aren't coeliac it can improve thyroid symptoms.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toWombletor

Yes indeed, neither my partner nor myself eat gluten, and very little dairy except butter.

I also have fluoride free toothpaste as per Dr Barry Durrant Peatfield and limit brassicas/ goitrogens.

We did however buy a copper whistling kettle just before Christmas ... That has now been replaced with stainless steel as I wondered about potential increased levels of copper in conjunction with copper in the multivit we both take.

Basically looking at anything in that time frame (aside from stress 🙄)

that may have contributed.

Take care,

Wetsuiter profile image
Wetsuiter in reply toBigBrownBear

Did you know that multi vits are not recommended by many people on here?

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toWetsuiter

Hi Wetsuiter,

No, I didn't know that. I know that multivits may be considered unhelpful in food intolerance.

🙂

Wetsuiter profile image
Wetsuiter in reply toBigBrownBear

I think greygoose and SeasideSusie can explain properly, but it seems that multi are not worth the effort (or money) due to poor versions and /or inadequate doses of ingredients, as well as a mix of things that shouldnt be taken together, not to mention things that certain people should be avoiding altogether.

Better to test for deficiencies and buy good quality amounts of what you definitely need.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toWetsuiter

Thanks Wetsuiter,

I appreciate your thoughts on this. I discontinued the multivit along with the copper kettle, beginning to realise that overload of any sort was best avoided.

I think it's very good advice to get tested for deficiencies rather than throwing the kitchen sink at it.

Good one - a timely thought!

All the very best 😊

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply toBigBrownBear

Wetsuiter is correct.

Multivitamins tend to contain too little of anything to help with low levels or deficiencies.

They usually contain the least absorbable and wrong forms of the active incredients, eg folic acid instead of methylfolate, cyanocobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin.

They often contain things that should be tested for and only supplemented if found to be deficient, eg calcium, iron, Vit D, iodine.

If the Multi contains iron then that affects the absorption of everything else.

Best to test the core vitamins - Vit D, B12, folate, Ferritin and supplement at the appropriate dose if any levels are low.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toSeasideSusie

Thanks SeasideSusie,

This is all very good advice - I'm finally fixing it in my brain (which is apparently resistant to the concept testing for vitamin deficiencies) 🙄

I'm really grateful for all this fab input.

Cheers! 😃

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toBigBrownBear

Hypos usually have low zinc and high copper, so adding more copper is probably not a good idea. Or, at least get it tested before supplementing.

There is no reason for you to avoid brassicas/goitrogens - unless individual goitrogens upset you - but as a whole, it's doubtful you'd ever be able to eat enough of them to affect you in any way. What goitrogens do is impede the up-take of iodine by the thyroid. Iodine is one of the ingredients of thyroid hormone, so the less iodine the thyroid can access, the less hormone can be made. Which is why people who live entirely on cabbage soup develop goitres. A goitre is the swelling of the thyroid in an attempt to obtain more iodine.

However, if you are taking thyroid hormone replacement, your thyroid doesn't have to make thyroid hormone, so it doesn't need the iodine. Therefore, it doesn't matter how many goitrogens you eat. All you are doing by avoiding them, is restricting your intake of useful nutrients. So, eat what agrees with you (cabbage does give some people wind!) and leave the rest, but don't avoid things for some spurious reason such as a vague idea that goitrogens are bad for you. Because, as a group, they aren't. :)

I agree wholeheartedly that multis are a pretty rotten idea!

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply togreygoose

Hey Greygoose! 😃

That is possibly the best piece of brassica news I ever did receive, because I love cabbage. Thank you for clarifying the goitrogen situation.

I won't live on cabbage soup, but I will eat it most days in oneform or another if I can get it, haha.

Yes, the copper thing ... Interesting. I'm certainly aware of it now.

Thanks ever so 😊

BigBrownBear

Mammaelf profile image
Mammaelf in reply toWombletor

Very true. I had the flu jab for three years with no issues, then had a dreadful reaction last year. On the whole I think most contributors on this site are really very positive to be fair.

Treepie profile image
Treepie

In a tiny percentage of cases but that has to be set against the risk of not having the specific vaccination.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toTreepie

Sure thing Treepie, I hear you. That's why I got the vaccine. I'm a supporter of vaccinations by general principle, but I think I'm one of "them" lol 😄

"Alas, earwax," as Dumbledor says upon eating what he hopes is a toffee.

Marz profile image
Marz

A 5 Billion dollar business 😥

in reply toMarz

and growing :-P

Chippysue profile image
Chippysue in reply toMarz

and soon to be trillions

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toChippysue

The figure above is just for the flu one !

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear

I confess, I know little about the business machinery of such things. But I know pharmaceuticals in general are big business.

Take care 😊

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toBigBrownBear

Website for Childrens Health Defense is American but gives good information on how things work ..

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toMarz

Thanks for that Marz, I will take a look.

siddooo1 profile image
siddooo1

Hi

Are you allergic to any antibiotics? These are used in the production of flu vaccines, I suffered a really nasty reaction to one containing Gentamycin.

Kind regards

Sidd0001

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply tosiddooo1

Hi Siddoo,

Yes, I'm allergic to penicillin. But maybe that isnt used like gentamycin.

Fascinating - so much to learn and understand.

Take care,

Mammaelf profile image
Mammaelf in reply toBigBrownBear

Aw what a lovely, polite, positive person you are BigBrownBear 😊 x

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toMammaelf

Bless you Mammaelf, what a lovely thing to say x

Hi there, it's only me making an association not a scientifically proven cause but I first became ill with sub acute thyroiditis that resulted in permanent autoimmune hypothyroidism a few hours after having a rabies vaccine following a dog bite in the tropics. I found one case in the literature of a patient experiencing something similar after a flu vaccine. But in the end I'd still have the vaccine (hypothyroidism is a pain but probably not as bad as rabies). And although I'm sure that the vaccine was probably the final trigger for my immune system to attack my thyroid I had had a series of infections and another infection would probably have caused the same thyroid problems. Knowing that my thyroid autoimmune problems were probably triggered by a vaccine doesn't make any difference and I still am where I am and still need thyroid meds. If I needed a vaccine to protect me from something like severe flu or to travel I'd discuss it with my doctor but still probably take the vaccine.

The initial severe phase of my illness was really horrible but beta blockers, paracetamoland valium really helped mange the symptoms.

Michael

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply to

Hi Michael,

Thank you ever so much for sharing your personal experience with vaccine and thyroiditis, also for your noting the reference to flu vaccine causing an episode in literature.

I'm sorry you've had such a bucketload of stuff to endure; I think your approach is very balanced.

I hope you continue to thrive and explore these issues.

Take care,

BigBrownBear.

Tythrop profile image
Tythrop

Flu vaccine : I also wondered about this ref auto-immune things (I am high Anti TPO and subclinical hyop) had flu jab a bit late(Jan) and told reaction might take a week to wear off, then about 2 or 3 weeks later felt low grade flu symptoms which I know I get when thyro is playing-up.

BigBrownBear profile image
BigBrownBear in reply toTythrop

Hi Tythrop,

Thanks for sharing your experience with the flu vaccine ... How interesting that you began to feel fluey some time after you would expect to from any reaction too.

This thread of messages has been really helpful and supportive.

Take care 🙂

Snowowl46788 profile image
Snowowl46788

I had the flu vaccine, as soon as I had it I had a fever, night sweats, starting bleeding two days later and had a miscarriage. My thyroid felt sore for two months and it took 2 months to go back to normal. I have Hashimoto.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Flu jab and blood test

Hi all I’ve just had my flu jab and whilst sitting reading the leaflet it says that it can give...
Lindsayf profile image

Hashimoto's and the flu jab

Does anybody have any links to evidence regarding the safety of having the flu jab when you have an...
HypoHim profile image

Flu jabs and autoimmune diseases

Is it safe to have flu jab when you have autoimmune diseases? I always have had the flu jabs, but...
Mannequin18 profile image

Flu Jab

Has anyone with underactive thyroid and/or cardiomyopathy been advised to have a flu jab? I have...
teyris profile image

Flu Jab

Hi all, I am on 100 mcg Levothyroxine. I have never a flu jab before but does anyone know if there...
JanieJ profile image

Moderation team

See all
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.