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Old 02-20-2019, 08:37 AM #291
Thaitraveler Thaitraveler is offline
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I read all the posts in this thread and while currently experiencing a rollercoaster of anxiety and weird symptoms decided to sign up and share my story. Some comments already helped me a lot but I'm really looking for some comforting words that everything will be okay.

A month ago I was lightly bitten in the knee by a street dog in rural Thailand. As I was traveling and the wounds were only small I didn't really pay much attention to it.
6 days later I found out that the area the attack occurred is endemic for rabies. I kinda panicked and quickly started vaccination at a local public hospital. 5 doses on day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28.
I was not prescribed immunoglobulin. Later that day I decided to visit a private hospital for the immunoglobulin. I opted for the purified equine version for budgetary reasons.
Since then I have had awful bouts of nausea and general malaise and weakness and all kind of weird other short lived symptoms such as a rash and swollen lymph nodes in the groin. It mostly comes a day or two or three after the vaccine injection and gets a bit better 3 days later. Never any fever though. I also had a near pass out on one of the good days after drinking a beer. Everything suddenly became black with heavy sweating and heart palpitations. Passed after about 15 minutes lying down though.

Exactly a week ago I had my 4th injection and as expected the same symptoms of tiredness, malaise and nausea happened but it faded after only two days and thought the worst was over.
Then yesterday I started feeling an annoying light pain in the bitten knee and I get myoclonal spasms when I relax the leg. Mostly in the affected leg but occasionally also in the other leg and in my abdomen.

So now I'm started to freak out again. Did I wait too long with the PEP? Could it be paralytic rabies? Or is my anxiety just causing these symptoms in conjunction with a bad vaccine reaction? Apart from the heavy feeling in my arms and legs I also have quite a bit of muscle pain in both shoulders and my right leg and buttocks.

I started vaccinations 3 weeks ago, am I correct that by now my antibodies should be sufficient to fight of any rabies in my body, should I be infected? I asked and called around for a RFFIT titer test just to make sure, but the quickest option is a day travel to a lab and then waiting 17 days for the result. That's kinda useless if I am actually starting to show rabies symptoms.

I am prescribed Lorazepam to deal with the anxiety, and it works fairly well, but don't want to take it too often for obvious reasons.
Someone please ease my mind!
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Old 02-20-2019, 10:05 PM #292
Batbite24 Batbite24 is offline
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Default Hello there, Thaitraveler

As you have read this entire thread, you know the roller coaster of symptoms and emotions you are experiencing are very understandable. It's an awful place to be in. Hopefully you attended to even that light bite with lots of soap and water right away. Six days out from the bite isn't ideal for treatment, but keep in mind, even here in the United States, an unvaccinated dog is held in quarantine for 10 days observation before the bitten person goes for rabies treatment (if the dog shows positive within that 10 days) so your time frame window isn't too bad. I was three days out from my bat bite before I began PEP. I know it's small comfort, but you've done everything correctly, you've done everything possible, and now your only option is to sit tight and see how everything plays out. Remember too, that incident in the Middle East where a group of severely bitten people received Imovax 14 days after exposure and survived. So glad you found us on this site. For me the support here was far more honest and assuring in a different way than what the doctors had to offer. It's hard, you run yourself around in circles mentally and emotionally, only to arrive at the same conclusion
every time, "I've done all I can, there's no more to be done." On top of the anxiety, there are the unpleasant physical side effects. For all of us here except two who were repeatedly vaccinated, the symptoms did subside, things got much better, and in spite of a few lingering effects, life is so good and we're glad to be here. Don't be surprised if new neurological symptoms crop up over time. The seizures and partial paralysis didn't present for me until two and three months post vax. Hopefully you will find a good neurologist and a good infectious disease specialist to guide you through this. Mine ran some basic tests, but erred on the side of caution and didn't go all invasive risking more side effects. The best thing they did was reassure me the test results were normal, and things would improve. When the neurologist told me it might take two years or more for the neurological side effects to subside, that was hard to take, but she was right. Two years out and as I said in my last post, some sleep associated myoclonus, and I have to be careful not to physically over-do.

Last edited by Batbite24; 02-20-2019 at 10:43 PM. Reason: Additional information/spelling
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Old 02-21-2019, 01:05 AM #293
Thaitraveler Thaitraveler is offline
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Thank you for your uplifting words. Right now I'm still in the stage where there is the doubt I'm getting rabies. The tremors sure doesn't help that. But since I've had no headaches or fever and appear to not have actual muscle weakness (just feels that way), I have to keep telling myself that the vaccine did or is doing I ts primary job. I'm sure after a few more weeks of this feeling and not getting rabies or worse I can come to terms with this and can deal with the neuro symptoms as they present, like everyone of you guys do or did. I just need to get through this fear stage first.
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Old 02-21-2019, 08:31 AM #294
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And that is the root of the worst of it, the nagging, underlying fear of vaccine failure. So many of the neurological symptoms are also the symptoms of rabies, it really works on you and causes tremendous anxiety. Yes, as time passes and rabies doesn't develop, you slowly get a grip on yourself again, but it is oh, so hard. Then it's a matter of dealing with how the vaccine reaction affects your day to day functioning, the physical pain, fatigue, and sometimes bizarre neuro symptoms. Unless someone has lived through this, they really can't understand. I'm thankful to have come as far as I have, life is good, and I wish and hope the same for you.
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Old 02-23-2019, 07:48 AM #295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Batbite24 View Post
And that is the root of the worst of it, the nagging, underlying fear of vaccine failure. So many of the neurological symptoms are also the symptoms of rabies, it really works on you and causes tremendous anxiety. Yes, as time passes and rabies doesn't develop, you slowly get a grip on yourself again, but it is oh, so hard. Then it's a matter of dealing with how the vaccine reaction affects your day to day functioning, the physical pain, fatigue, and sometimes bizarre neuro symptoms. Unless someone has lived through this, they really can't understand. I'm thankful to have come as far as I have, life is good, and I wish and hope the same for you.
Again thank you for your uplifting words. The past few days the anxiety has been a lot less and that definitely improved my overall wellbeing. But I do still encounter bouts of nausea and a persisting pain in my stomach and joints. I also sleep really bad. A few days from now is my 5th and final vaccine shot (no longer recommended by WHO unless one is immuno compromised, but I'd better take it anyway so not have lingering doubts later on), so we'll see how I react to that.

Keeping the spirit up though!! All the best to you Batbite and the others who suffer post vaccination.
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Old 02-28-2019, 04:39 PM #296
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Please check in once in awhile to let us know how you are doing. Although total strangers, we do care, and each person's story helps the next one that finds this forum.
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Old 10-05-2019, 07:31 AM #297
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Default Hello

So Ive read through the earlier entries and its comforting but the most tragic part is reading the last one on Thaitraveller he was six days late and now he has no updates . I was bitten by a stray dog in Delhi didnt even bleed and I was drunk it was on my hand so I didnt really bother since it didnt actually bleed but 5 days later I took the vaccine and Immunoglobulin . After my third shot I started having a numb feeling on left arm and left feet ( at this point I thought I was gonna die ) its been 10 days and its not getting worst and its not getting any better . Might be the rabies acting on my system or could be post vaccine side effect either way reading through all these threads gave me the confidence to face anything that'll come my way . BTW i sign up just to post
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Old 10-05-2019, 08:48 AM #298
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Default Hello Tobius

Glad this thread has been of some reassurance to you. I too, am wondering what happened to Thai Traveler. The experience of being bitten by the bat and the ensuing difficulties with the vaccine reaction have been so life altering that I still check in on this forum every day unless I am away from home, just to see if someone new has found this thread. I also intend to check in and post every Christmas Eve, the anniversary of getting bitten, just to let people know I'm still here, and OK. Actually, I'm now doing very well, and hope the same for you.
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Old 10-05-2019, 02:33 PM #299
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Batbite24 View Post
Glad this thread has been of some reassurance to you. I too, am wondering what happened to Thai Traveler. The experience of being bitten by the bat and the ensuing difficulties with the vaccine reaction have been so life altering that I still check in on this forum every day unless I am away from home, just to see if someone new has found this thread. I also intend to check in and post every Christmas Eve, the anniversary of getting bitten, just to let people know I'm still here, and OK. Actually, I'm now doing very well, and hope the same for you.
Thanks buddy Rught now its almost 1 pm and my left leg is inflamed knee down and my left back kinda hurt I had these symptoms only after my third shot and anxiety seems to push these symptoms thinking about it is making it seem worst. Havent seen a doctor yet but maybe I'll see one .
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Old 10-06-2019, 02:44 PM #300
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With those symptoms, I would check in with a doctor. Try to get in touch with a good infectious disease doctor and a good neurologist. Perhaps ask for a referral from whomever is administering the shots to you. Finding good doctors who know their stuff can be tricky. I was fortunate. Only frustration was having infectious disease doc tell me my neurological symptoms were "stress." Thank goodness for the neurologist who admitted my symptoms were classic vaccine reactions and might take 2-21/2 years to clear. I'll keep checking in, let me know how you're progressing.
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