# I had my flu shot and now I have the flu.



## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

I called Walgreens to tell them I'd gotten the flu despite having their shot, which I got in Sept and should have lots of coverage. I have a mild concussion too, so, I'm out of riding for another six months. Sigh. When does this ever get better?


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

DH got the shot and also got this lousy flu. The virus mutated after the serum was mass produced. Happens. Drink plenty of fluid, even if it keeps coming up. Tylonel or aspirin will thin your blood out and help with pain. Also, Aspercreme helps a lot with aches and pains. Have everybody in your household constantly wash their hands and anything your have touched. Bleach will kill this virus and can be used wherever you may have lost your lunch. It will take one good week before you feel normal. DD also got this flu, and both of them looked at food for several days like it was poison. Prayers sent. Get well soon. =D


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Flu shots are always just an educated guess about which strain will be the most prominent. Usually it ranges from about 30-80% accuracy depending on the year.

This year, it's only between 30-40% accurate. 

Feel better!


----------



## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Around here, getting the flu shot means you are getting the flu.
I ahve never had a flu shot and I have never gotten the flu.


----------



## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Sorry you aren't well. The only time I ever got the flu was after receiving the flu shot. Decided to just let my immune system do it's thing and I'm also not in a high risk group. Hope you feel better soon!


----------



## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

Use to be a clerk in a grocery store.

Lost count of how many people came in saying they had the flu and shouldn't as they had had the vaccine. made me realize the vaccines isnt all its cracked up to be.

Never have had the flu vaccine nor will I. In the past 17 years I have been sick maybe 5 times and nothing bad enough that I needed to go to the dr.


----------



## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

They did say the flu mutated and the vaccine won't protect against all viruses. They are predicted it's going to be very bad this year. 

On the bright side, Tamaflu is a miracle drug but you have to take it within 24 hours of your symptoms. It took my from bed ridden to itching to leave the house about half a day.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Influenza A, which is the predominant strain this year, is primarily respiratory,(fever, aches, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose) not GI. If you have GI symptoms, it is not the "flu". There is also a GI bug going around, as usually does in the winter.

You do not get the flu from the vaccine, since it is not a "live" vaccine. You can still get the flu, but will mots likely get a lesser version than you would in unvaccinated. yes, this year the vaccine is less than 50% effective….but that is better than nothing, and yes, Tamiflu is a wonderful thing. It can be used prophylactically if you KNOW you were exposed to someone who tests positive, or you can start it as soon as you get symptoms and it will lessen your sickness.

The flu this year is no joke. As a nurse I can say that at any given point in time the last couple of weeks, we have no less than 14 patients in the ER waiting for EVERY empty bed in our small(ish) hospital. Since we have so many flu patients, we also now have less beds, since they all have to be on isolation in private rooms.

Good hand washing is your best defense, as usual.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

ive had a flu vaccine every year since they become commonly available. haven't had flu for more than 10 years.


----------



## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

franknbeans said:


> Influenza A, which is the predominant strain this year, is primarily respiratory,(fever, aches, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose) not GI. If you have GI symptoms, it is not the "flu". There is also a GI bug going around, as usually does in the winter.
> 
> You do not get the flu from the vaccine, since it is not a "live" vaccine. You can still get the flu, but will mots likely get a lesser version than you would in unvaccinated. yes, this year the vaccine is less than 50% effective….but that is better than nothing, and yes, Tamiflu is a wonderful thing. It can be used prophylactically if you KNOW you were exposed to someone who tests positive, or you can start it as soon as you get symptoms and it will lessen your sickness.
> 
> ...


Thanks for clarifying the flu symptoms, franknbeans. I was reading on another thread about members being sick with the flu, not being able to keep anything down, etc, and thought what they were describing was some form of norovirus. 

And like Tiny (below) I've gotten the flu shot every year since they became available, not going to say more because I don't want to jinx myself. I did query my Dr about the bout of flu and pneumonia I had 40 years ago, and if having it once offered immunity: He stated that I might have some residual immunity to the particular strain of flu that made me sick, but since there are so many strains out there, no guarantees.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Ebonyisforme (Oct 23, 2013)

Out of riding for 6 months because of a minor concussion?? When I got my concussion, it was bad enough I forgot everyone and everything and the doctor suggested 2 weeks! I kind of got a bit impatient and rode a week before I was supposed to...


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Also excellent for reducing the risk of picking up cold and flu viruses is supplementing with Vitamin C, zinc and lysine - Blackmores do a combined one called Lyp-sine, which is officially for coldsore prevention and treatment, but a GP who read the small print in medical texts put me onto this nearly a decade ago: Use one a day prophylactically, then up the dose to twice a day should you feel a tickle in your throat etc.

Also, one place the flu virus commonly enters is the moist tissues around the eye: People rub at their eyes, often without even noticing, and virus particles on the fingers gain entry into the body proper...

So-called antibacterial hand cleansers actually increase the risk of picking up infections over traditional thorough washing with soap and warm water, due to killing off much of the normal, beneficial skin flora which is one of our defenses against nasties. However, the chemical industry won't tell you that...


----------



## Canterklutz (Jul 20, 2012)

SueC said:


> Also excellent for reducing the risk of picking up cold and flu viruses is supplementing with* Vitamin C*, zinc and lysine


DO NOT supplement extra Vitamin C in your diet. It has been proven that Vitamin C does not prevent colds and excess amounts can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold like symptoms. Most Vitamin C supplements contain well over 10X the amount RDA.


----------



## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Zexious said:


> Flu shots are always just an educated guess about which strain will be the most prominent. Usually it ranges from about 30-80% accuracy depending on the year.
> 
> This year, it's only between 30-40% accurate.
> 
> Feel better!


Zex is exactly right in that of all the strains that exist they will try to determine those that may pose the greatest threat. It's not an exact science, but I get one every year to be on the safe side. I also find that even when I do get sick it is rarely as severe as those who don't get the shot.


----------



## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

I heard that the flu vaccine this year does not protect against the influenza A virus...I think. Lol. 

I only got vaccinated for the flu once when I was in 8th grade or so, and it was the nasal mist. I figure if I'm going to get it, I'm going to get it, since the vaccination only ups your immunity and does not prevent the flu. Also, there are so many strains that are not covered, I just don't see a point. 

I admit it. I'm very wary of doctors and medicine. I work at a grocery store handling money and go to college sitting at virus-covered desks. I figure I've built plenty of natural resistance by coming in contact. I also very rarely get sick as it is. I went through all the tar when I was younger, from bouts of strep throat to coccidiosis (okay, that's bacterial, but you know..) to scarlet fever. I had recurring strep throat my sophomore year of high school when I lost a bunch of weight and stopped eating. I overcame that without losing my tonsils. 

I'm all for getting vaccinated for stuff that is very serious and the vaccination works very well. Seems to me that people that have the flu shot are the ones that get the flu, and they get it bad too! Anyway, me personally, I'm not going to go through an injection just to get some immunity that may or may not protect me against the influenza I come in contact with. And now that I've said that...I think I'm due for a tetanus shot.......


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Canterklutz said:


> DO NOT supplement extra Vitamin C in your diet. It has been proven that Vitamin C does not prevent colds and excess amounts can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold like symptoms. Most Vitamin C supplements contain well over 10X the amount RDA.


In fact, this area is still being researched! Vitamin C is certainly useful if people's dietary intake is too low, or the demand is up above what the diet is providing. It can be difficult to get sufficient Vitamin C consistently if you don't grow your own fruit and vegetables or buy from a good farmer's market. Most Westerners eat insufficient F&V anyway, and the stuff you buy in supermarkets is often too far past harvest to be at peak vitamin levels. There are a lot of studies showing just this, and the Vitamin C supplementation research does show that the RDA varies depending on individuals and situations. Scientific studies into nutrition are difficult to do conclusively due to the problems with eliminating variables in nutrition studies, and because of lots of underlying complexities which are often ignored...

About RDAs: The jury is still out on them as well (just like the debate on "permissible" levels of toxic chemicals). There is a world of difference between clinical and sub-clinical deficiency symptoms.

It is clearly best to get your required vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and so on from your actual diet, rather than from supplementation. However, this is not always practical to achieve either, e.g. if we don't supplement horses in our part of Australia with selenium, they tend to get problems like azoturia (we have very low trace element levels in our ancient soils).

The biggest issue with excessive Vitamin C supplementation is that you can get rebound scurvy when you stop - because the body starts to get used to tossing it out. That's one good reason why people shouldn't go overboard on amounts. The RDA of Vitamin C is still a matter of debate (and is situation specific and shows individual variations). Personally I've never had any of the symptoms CK mentions above from using Lyp-sine as directed by my GP, nor have I had rebound scurvy. ;-) You really would have to overdo it dramatically for that to happen. (And some people obviously do, but it's a more common problem with fat-soluble vitamins which are stored in the body, especially Vitamin A.)


----------



## horsedream568 (Nov 29, 2013)

WhenI was a baby, my older sisters and my mom went and got the flu shot. My dad refused. My sisters and mom were allsick for almost two weeks. But my dad was fine and didn't get it. After that no one in my family gets flu shot! Not to mention I hate shots! 

Anyway, I hope you feel better!


----------



## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I'm staying so far from this thread. 
Starting now.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

That's why I never get the flu shot. I hear this over and over again. Feel better.


----------

