Dear Doctor:
I sure hope you can help me answer a few questions for my mother.
I was watching an Atlanta TV news station, they reported a male was paralized from the neck down and was on breathing machines. Because when he received a flu shot it effected nerves in his body. Only 1 in 1 million chance of this.
My mother received a flu shot and within approx. 10 days she started with a rash on her neck and face which soon traveled down her chest and back. (only on one side of her body) She was in terrible pain. I took her to the emergency room. The doctor there said she had shingles. After 1 month she is still having pain in her neck area. Along with extreme stiffness.
I was concerned about this, is it connected to the flu shot? or is there anything we need to do?
I sure hope you can help.
Thanks
Follow Ups:
Re: Shingles / Flu Shot
Posted by Mari Hall on December 12, 1998 at 10:41:03:
In Reply to: Shingles / Flu Shot posted by Lisa on December 11, 1998 at 17:38:09:
Well, of course, and the -real- medical community will -never- admit it. They are in the business to sell shots and that's what they do best. My diagnosis (by a neurologist and MD, after spending a fortune) was "allergic reaction to tetanus toxoid", which we -knew- from the beginning. But nobody will do anything about this because there is a "table" of symptoms and the time frame in which you will have them. If you don't fit the time frame you couldn't have a reaction. My philosophy is -never- let anyone put a needle into you -just say no- never meant more. I wrote in large capital letters on my admission papers -no vaccines, no medications except by written permission of patient- and they gave me the shot in the operating room, when I was out. And the saddest thing is the page I wrote on disappeared. Good luck with your mother.
Re: Shingles / Flu Shot
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 12, 1998 at 11:29:04:
In Reply to: Shingles / Flu Shot posted by Lisa on December 11, 1998 at 17:38:09:
Dear Lisa,
Probably related.
However, if you read about "shingles" it only effects one "dermatome" at a time. Any good anatomy atlas will show you a picture of a dematome. Your description does not follow the usual pattern.
Another thing: if this IS an abberant form of "shingles" your mother's immunity has to be compromised and THAT is probably how the immunization triggered this.
AIDS has done all of us a favor by stimulating extensive research into the immune system. We now know a LOT more about what people can do to improve their own immunity-----------something your mother needs to do.
Finally, the preface of my book (by Robert Anderson, MD--past president of the Americam Holistic medical Association) has the best approach to treatment of shingles that I have seen. It was published in the Journal of the Americam Medical Association about 20 years ago. It is the only thing to have been shown to work reliably & is safe and inexpensive. Why do few practicing physicians know about it?
Walt