i absolutely cannot take vaccinations, at least the usual flu ones. For years I could take the Flu vaccination if it was without mercury, but this year, at my son's urging, I sought out a pediatrician who would give the flu vaccination without mercury. I got sick anyway, and looking at the various toxins which crowd into various brands of flu vaccine, I can see why.
But GirlfromNorway, I may be a special case (or maybe not). I have Porphyria as well as having an earlier MS diagnosis, and people with Porphyria are more likely to have reactions to toxins such as these, because of difficulty in the detox pathway.
I remember having my first Polio vaccination and getting double vision for a few hours, which meant I could not go to my teaching job, but then this went away quickly.
The reaction to the flu shots is largely spasticity, stiffness and pain and incoordination--difficulty doing thing with my hands and feet, and difficulty thinking clearly, which puts me then into an emotional tizzy of frustration. I have not had the double vision with the flu shot that I had from the polio shot, but I recovered quicker from the polio shot. It takes me several days at least to get my bearings after a flu shot.
It has always seemed on the MS forums that some people react as I do to these things, and others do not. Which underscores to me that MS arrives and grows through different pathways...we are not all the same. Some of us have co-morbid diseases, some do not. Some have significant chemical sensitivity, others do not have so much, or even no apparent chemical sensitivity.

Needless to say, I suffered from doctor disbelief and brush-offs when young...throughout my whole youth. And was late in getting any diagnosis. First MS, later Porphyria. I now also have Polycythemia Vera, but that is not closely related to the neuro-impacting MS and Porphyria.

I believe you are not supposed to get the Shingles vaccine if you have MS because it's a live virus (unlike many other vaccines). Or maybe it's because I'm on Tysabri that I can't have live vaccines. The only reason I thought about getting one is because I got shingles 2 years ago!

Here's a link to what the NMSS has to say about vaccinations:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/liv...ons/index.aspx

And here's a quote:

The information about the shingles vaccine -- Zostavax -- isn't as clear-cut as it is for some other vaccines. In general, MS specialist neurologists do not recommend any live-virus vaccine for people with MS because live-virus vaccines can precipitate an increase in disease activity. However, Zostavax is somewhat unique because most people have had chicken pox earlier in their lives and therefore already have the virus in their bodies. If a person has had chicken pox or tests positive for the antibodies, this would likely be a safe and beneficial vaccine to take. However, each person needs to discuss the potential benefits and risks of this vaccine with her or his healthcare provider. In terms of the possible risks for a person with MS whose close family member receives this or any other live virus vaccine, MS specialists are not in agreement. This is another decision the person with MS needs to discuss with her or his physician.

This shingles vaccine does not give very good results.

Estimates are only 50% benefit.

Also the H1N1 vaccine has since 2009 been studied in Finland, Sweden, and now England as a potential cause of Narcolepsy in children.

You can find several articles on Google using the keyword
"vaccine narcolepsy".

What were you very first MS symptom(s)?


Then how LNG after that did you get the dx for ms?


Thanks!

Not that but Chronic Fatigue which led to a boatload of other neurological issues including digestive issues, severe memory loss, 50 Pt's of IQ, encephalopathy, nerve damage, siezures, etc. I'm permanently disabled and have been bedridden for years at a time. DO NOT EVER GET FLU SHOTS OR VACCINATIONS IF YOU CAN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE INSOMNIA OR AUTOIMMUNE ISSUES. After I got sick I joined support groups and it was common for people to get seriously sick after flu shots. I mentioned it to my pharmacist and she gave me a form to report it and they wanted $250. 10 years later I have to take a lot of stimulants to get out of bed. Ive seen tons of doctors and nothing worked but EMDR to reduce stress. I find solutions on forums like this. Good luck.

I’ve not had issues getting the pneumococcal vaccine, however tetanus shot did give me with an eye twitch and some extra uncontrolled muscle movements in my hands for about a year afterwards. Mostly I try to be practical when it comes to vaccines, if the potential for catching disease is high, and disease is greater suffering than the vaccine side-effects, then I get the vaccine. I skip the flu shot, as my risk group even with MS is lower than potential side-effects. Pneumococcal however I’m at a higher risk due to both the MS and scarring on the bronchial tubes with additional risk from chronic sinusitis. All roads pretty much run straight towards pneumonia for me and nearly died from it twice before the vaccine came out. Not willing to risk a third time.