1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

Any side effects from present flu shot with PMR?

Posted by lindaadel @lindaadel, Oct 17, 2023

I am wondering if I should get the present flu shot as I think all these shots especially the Covid shot which I had five may have brought on the PMR I really don’t know. The bottom line am I better off not getting the flu shot we getting the flu shot I really don’t know whatever you whatever your thoughts are I’d love to hear them!!!

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1sunny | @1sunny | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @ste44 "I had the flu shot for older folks. My arm was sore, otherwise I wqs okay...." + (show)
@ste44

I had the flu shot for older folks. My arm was sore, otherwise I wqs okay. Some weeks later I had the covid booster. I was tired and sore for a couple of days.

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Same experience. Recovered to prior state after a couple of days. I feel that Covid led to my PMR (timing is right) and decided to risk shots to not get another virus, be it flu, Covid, or RSV.

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1 reply
mark77 | @mark77 | Nov 1, 2023
In reply to @teddyz "I got the flu and Covid shots on the same day a few weeks ago. I'm..." + (show)
@teddyz

I got the flu and Covid shots on the same day a few weeks ago. I'm currently on 6 mg Prednisone and didn't have any PMR side effects. Just the normal sore arm for a day.

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am mild immunocompromised but got the RSV and had no adverse SE, but did develop PMR two weeks to the day after first covid shot in 2020, have had all subsequent covid shots until this year, then got covid and sick for three weeks even with paxlovid, temps of 103 and the cough chills and soaking night sweats. shouldnt have waited to get the covid shot.

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davebaker | @davebaker | Nov 2, 2023

Flu shot has been ok for me since getting PMR 26 months ago. Rheumy said they have enough data now to say I would have ended up with PMR eventually but Covid shot expedited it.

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joybannister | @joybannister | Nov 4, 2023
In reply to @1sunny "Same experience. Recovered to prior state after a couple of days. I feel that Covid led..." + (show)
@1sunny

Same experience. Recovered to prior state after a couple of days. I feel that Covid led to my PMR (timing is right) and decided to risk shots to not get another virus, be it flu, Covid, or RSV.

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Had the flu shot yesterday morning and all good. My arm isn’t even too sore.

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1 reply
froehlich22 | @froehlich22 | Nov 5, 2023
In reply to @joan7 "Will never get a Covid Booster with all the negative side affects that I'm hearing about...." + (show)
@joan7

Will never get a Covid Booster with all the negative side affects that I'm hearing about. Just had Covid on September 28th and saw my Pulmonologist in Philadelphia UPenn a few days ago. Hesitant to get any vaccines. He said I had Covid Pneumonia.....weathered the storm and now feeling better.

Originally on 60 mg of Prednisone for PMR and have been weaned down to 15 mgs but my Sedementation Rate is climbing. At 60 Sed Rate was 7, at 40 Set Rate 13, at 20 Sed Rate 32, and now at 15 mgs as of yesterday have not had blood work done yet.....my doctor says she does not go by the numbers Sed Rate, but looks at how the patient feels. Any thoughts about the numbers going up and how much it really matters?

Just got approval for Kevzara but waiting for my liver values to go down even more than they have already. I believe someone mentioned this medication earlier to me, and that it was controlling their PMR quite well. Anyone out there, let me know what pros and cons they have experienced with Kevzara medication? Still optimistic in spite of my numbers. Had a great day and night yesterday; made Healthy Eggplant Parmesan (no bread crumbs or frying; everything baked) at 2 am and it came out great!

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I just started on Kevzara-have had two doses and have not really noticed any improvement yet.

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1 reply
joan7 | @joan7 | Nov 5, 2023
In reply to @froehlich22 "I just started on Kevzara-have had two doses and have not really noticed any improvement yet." + (show)
@froehlich22

I just started on Kevzara-have had two doses and have not really noticed any improvement yet.

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Thank you so much for your update.

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sunshine4u | @sunshine4u | Nov 6, 2023

After seeing comments about not getting flu shots with PMR, I asked my rheumatologist and she said as far as she knew there was no correlation and recommended I get it because prednisone weakens our immune system. Better to be protected.

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1 reply
katejaha | @katejaha | Nov 13, 2023
In reply to @saltyg "I should add we think the reason the PMR flare up is just showing a week..." + (show)
@saltyg

I should add we think the reason the PMR flare up is just showing a week and a half later is because the day after the vaccinations, I started a Medrol pack, for a different reason, but that probably mask the flare up.

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I had a senior dose flu shot last week with no side affects. I am also a week into weaning down to 5 mg prednisone with only a slight aching at night which has gotten better each day, but as I have read everyone is different. No one reacts the same.

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megz | @megz | Nov 13, 2023
In reply to @sunshine4u "After seeing comments about not getting flu shots with PMR, I asked my rheumatologist and she..." + (show)
@sunshine4u

After seeing comments about not getting flu shots with PMR, I asked my rheumatologist and she said as far as she knew there was no correlation and recommended I get it because prednisone weakens our immune system. Better to be protected.

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My understanding is that prednisone dampens the immune response to vaccines we take, meaning we don't develop as many (if any) antibodies after the vaccine as we would if not taking prednisone. So protection is not guaranteed and we should be as careful to avoid getting the flu as if we had not had the vaccine.

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joaneed | @joaneed | Nov 14, 2023
In reply to @joybannister "Had the flu shot yesterday morning and all good. My arm isn’t even too sore." + (show)
@joybannister

Had the flu shot yesterday morning and all good. My arm isn’t even too sore.

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I had my flu shot a week ago I am on 5 mg of prednisone. My PMR in my left arm started up again.

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