The following story was submitted by a 47 year old member of the U.S. Air Force. If there are any other members of the military out there who would like to share their stories we would love to hear them. This disturbing story should cause us all to stop and think about what they are doing to our boys and girls in the military: I am 47 years old and am active duty Air Force. I got the H1N1 vaccine because it is mandatory for all active duty military personnel, as is the yearly flu vaccine. To give some background: I am very (or was) very healthy. Before my symptoms started to develop, I was running 3-4 times a week, lifting weights twice a week and I have played racquetball for the past 23 years (the past three years playing 1-2 times a week). I ran a marathon last September, and consider myself in excellent condition. I even scored 100% on my military physical fitness test last September. I now find it difficult to do every day things, like walking, driving, drying off from a shower, dressing and undressing, etc. I don’t sleep at night because I toss and turn in my sleep because of joint pain. If I stay in one position too long, the pain gets too bad. Then to roll over, the pain is terrible to move to a different position, which wakes me up.
I got the annual flu vaccine (intranasal – MedImmune, Inc.) on 16 Oct 09, and the H1N1 vaccine (Novartis Pharmaceuticals) on 13 Nov 2009, and started having joint pain around Thanksgiving day. Now it’s the worst pain of my life. I also starting taking Provigil on 13 Nov 09 for a sleeping disorder I was diagnosed with last September. I went to the doctor on 11 Dec 09 for severe pain in both shoulders, both elbows, both hips, both knees, both wrists, with a lump on the inside of my left wrist. I had 6 vials of blood drawn and x-rays taken of my shoulders and left wrist, and my doctor prescribed Ultram for the pain. The blood work and x-rays came back normal.
I went back to the doctor on 28 Dec 09, and she told me to stop the provigil for 30 days, as joint pain is one of several side effects I had from it. I stopped the provigil on 28 Dec 09 and my minor side effects went away after about 4 days, but my joint pain has not stopped, it has drastically increased. Two weeks ago I developed pain in both thumb knuckles, and now I am getting pain and losing strength in my hands. I now have pain in both bicep muscles. I also have jaw and neck pain and have had a headache for the last 3 weeks that won't go away. I also have times when I find it difficult to concentrate. I can no longer play racquetball or lift weights, and have a difficult time running longer than 20 minutes. I fight through the pain just to run that long. I was planning on running another marathon this coming March, but that’s pretty much out of the picture now.
To top it all off, I have had a severe case of the flu this past week (remember, I got both immunizations last Oct and Nov). I went to the ER on 23 Jan to test for pneumonia, and my heart rate was slower than normal. My average resting heart rate is 56, but it was 48. I had a follow-up with my doctor on 25 Jan. I told her my concerns about the possibilities of contracting an auto-immune disease from the H1N1 vaccine, and have several symptoms relating to Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hypothyroidism. My doctor is sending me to a rheumatologist and a cardiac specialist for testing.
After all the research I have done the past few weeks on the dangers of the H1N1 vaccine, I wish I would have known about them beforehand. I would have fought to not get the vaccine. Has anyone else had these types of side effects, or has anyone been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease?
I had the H1N1 vaccine on Dec 15 and started having symptoms about two weeks later that were mild. On Jan 9th I ended up in the ER with a BP of 180/119 and a HR in the 120’s. I had shortness of breath and chest pain.
A few days later my symptoms continued to get worse. Now I have been previously diagnosed with Lupus. But I had come out of a flare up only two months prior and was feeling great and fully recovered when I got the vaccine. My history is a flare up only once every two to five years. It is very UNLIKELY to get two flare ups back to back.
With that being said…I started to get severe headaches everyday. My joints are swelling and painful. My fingers, toes, lips, and even spots on my head will tingle and feel numb. My nail beds are while. My heart rate is still very rapid and I still have shortness of breath with any exertion other than basic walking. My left eye has gone blurry even though I just previously had an eye exam. I have gained weight I think by retaining fluid. I have more symptoms than I normally have in my previously flare and they are worse in intensity.
I regret getting the vaccine. “I had a delayed onset also”. I feel this vaccine launched a major auto immune attack on my body worse than I have ever experienced. Going grocery shopping the other day I thought I was going to collapse from chest pain and shortness of breath both of which I have not had previously.
There are more symptoms but too many to remember especially when trying to constantly battle a headache. I hope it runs it course and goes away, but my fear is the possible long term damage it is going to do to my body in the process. My Echo already showed mild effusion and holter monitor shows ongoing sinus tachycardia. My nail beds continue to stay white as they have never done before and the pain in my legs seems to get worse instead of better.
Anyone with any rheumatology disorder or actually anyone at all I would not recommend this shot.
This has cost me huge physically and financially. I am hoping that the government steps up to the plate and really looks into this. I reported my case by filing a report. I hope others that experience these types of problems will also.
PS: I am also a registered nurse that works in a hospital.
For the person in the Air Force if your really want to know if this vaccine launched an autoimmune attack in your body check out this website and I do believe it will answer your questions. Yes, you may have had an autoimmune disease, but it usually takes something to trigger it. I believe this vaccine is what triggered it for you (I am sorry to say) and a miserable flare up for me. I am praying there are no long term effects they find in years to come. I am thankful my daughter did not get it. I only got because I work in the hospital and it was encouraged as we deal with the sick patients. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Your story touched my heart. Here is the website I think you will be interested in:
http://vaccinations.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_swine_flu_shot_contains_dangerous_toxins
I got my H1NI sometime in Oct of 2009. One month later I started to have pain like a burning feeling in my sternum I had shortness of breath. I got the vaccine on my right arm and my right arm goes numb my finger, wrist and my shoulder has joint pain and my knees are starting to feel pain. oh im 24 years old and also considered my self as a healthy person now I have a hard time getting a good nights sleep.
I too had the H1N1 shot in Oct. Ten years ago they tested me for Lupas. Came back neg. I have had low white blood count for years. Still my doctor gave the shot to me. It has been 5 months now and I have just gone through TMJ (joint problems of the jaw.) Just this past week I now have Facet Disease,in my discs.Degenerative disc disease. I suffer with constant pain and fear the worst. Otherwise I was a healthy person. Wish I had never gotten this shot. I believe with having white blood count being low,brought on my joint pains!
I got my H1N1 in November 2009. I have never had any joint pain until after the H1N1 shot. I have since had Joint pain in different joints at different times since including wrist,elbows,shoulders, hips, knees,ankles, feet, hands. It seams to move around from area to area and wakes me up at night. This is March now and it is occuring a little less often.
I had the shot on 22Dec and symptoms of joint discomfort started about two weeks later. Today my two wrists have swellings on top and on the sides one knuckle is swollen and my shoulder is extremely painful. I can’t sleep at night because of the pain that moves around all of my joints. I’m scared!
I was administered the H1N1 vaccine in January of 2010. Shortly, thereafter (within 3 minutes) I became short of breath w/ chest tightness. I nearly passed out and was sent to the ER. At the ER, the doctor gave me a shot of ativan and I still had shortness of breath and an albuterol nebulizer. I still felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. It was obvious there was no protocol to follow for someone with a reaction to the H1N1 vaccine. I knew this ER doctor didn’t know how to treat me and discharged me and I left. I made a follow up with my primary care doctor and he mentioned that I had an allergic reaction to the H1N1 vaccine and asked if I was given a shot called, SoluMedrol in the ER and I said, “no”. He gave me a shot of SoluMedrol and I felt much better but, the shortness of breath and chest tightness came back within 2 days. Again, he gave me a short of SoluMedrol, and let me know that it would take about 3 months for the vaccine to exit out of my body, to drink lots of water, take an antihistamine and to think good thoughts. Again, I came back with shortness of breath to his office and he put me on a prednisone taper and that didn’t really help so, I asked to see an allergist to get tested for allergies. Supposedly, I am allergic to juniper and cottonwood and the allergist and asthma doc told me that maybe I was already short of breath because of the juniper blooming season and also had a reaction to the H1N1 vaccine. She is currently treating me with asthma medications and I am still having shortness of breath and chest tightness and what feels like spasms in my chest. My heart checked out very well. It is very frustrating and I am hoping that it is really related to the juniper season and that the H1N1 vaccine will not affect me like it has others. I am waiting. This is the second month after taking the H1N1 vaccine. I’ve reported the reaction in the VAERS system: http://vaers.hhs.gov/index
And am looking at the Compensation Program as well listed on the website.
I developed constant pain in my lower extremities
four weeks after the flu shot and can’t sleep at night
I hurt all the time more or less the symptoms are there. The vaccine was mandatory in my institution.