Tetanus shot made my Arthritis Pain UNBEARABLE. Is this normal?

I have had moderate to severe joint pain since April, and was recently diagnosed with Parvovirus B19. Apparently the virus can cause severe Arthralgia that lasts upto 9 months.

On good days my pain level is at a 3. On bad days it will go upto a 6/7. Yesterday I stepped on a metal wire and it got stuck in my foot. The urgent care center recommended I get a tetanus shot, since I have not had one in over 10 years. I asked what the side effects were, and they said my arm would be a little sore.

Well, " a little sore" does not quite describe it. My arm was in excruciating pain all night and still really bad today. I can't even lift it more that a couple inches. Also,  all my joints on my left side ( side I got the shot) were in excruiating pain 8-9. I just sat in bed and cried last night. I took 3 tylenol arthritis's and an extra Meloxicam that I have for joint pain and it did nothing, My arthritis continues to be really bad today. I called the urgent care and asked if I could come back in to get some medication to help until the pain stops. They said they could not do that, and that the tetanus shot would not aggrivate arthritis.

Let me know if anyone else has experienced worsened arthritis symptoms after a vaccination or shot. I wanted to get the flu shot soon, but I am scared now. Can the Flu shot make me hurt this bad as well? Let me know If I should tell the doctor and ask for additional pain medication. Or if the doctor will just tell me " No". Thanks

[txsilver]

I have not heard of this from anyone else in this forum.  I think something maybe wrong and you should see a doctor.  Some pain can be expected, knots in muscles are normal, but the amount of pain you are describing is not normal.  
I get a flu shot every year and have not had a bad reaction to it.  I think you should find out what is going on with the pain you are experiencing now and then see about the flu shot.  Please let us know what you find out.

[meubanks09]

I took your advice, and went to the doctor. Of course my regular doctor did not have any openings, so I went to the local Immediate Care Center. The doctor there said the reaction I was expieriencing to the Tetanus shot was not typical. She said there was nothing to worry about , since my reaction was " delayed" and not immediate. The only life threatening reaction would occur immediately after the injection. The pain and fatigue did not start until nearly 8 -10 hours later

She thinks that due to the  Parvo Virus, my body may have been extra sensetive to the side effects of the shot. Or the shot could have triggered a flare up with the Arthritis. However, my joints are still able to move, it's more musvle sorenes around my joints.

She wants me to follow up with my PCP. She did a physical examination and indicated I had a lot of tender points. I did not realize places in my back, neck and arms were tender until she pushed on them. She suspects Fibromyalgia. I think it is strange that I would have Arthritis from Parvovirus, and then just develope Fibromyalgia too, after getting a tetanus shot. I am so confused now...

She just gave me some Tylenol 3, and told me to Ice my arms and I should feel better after a couple days.

Very Strange....

[meubanks09]

She also advised that I do not get the Flu shot, until after this Parvovirus has run it's course and my body is back to normal.

[txsilver]

Great info!  I am sure it felt good to get some answers.  Fibromyalgia is a possibility.  I am always suspicious of it as a dx before tests are run.  FMS is a diagnosis of exclusion, once they rule out everything else then it becomes valid.  I hope you do not have FMS, that your tender spots are due to the other conditions.  Hang in there and keep us posted!

[tegan15]

I too got the tetanus vaccine, because I cut myself cutting up frozen fish. Although I didn't realize until I saw blood (my fingers got too frozen from holding the frozen fish too long). I called the on call nurse, and got stitches on my cut, and she noticed I hadn't had my tetanus vaccine in over 10 years. So she asked if I wanted it. She told me that my arm would just get sore. So I agreed to get it. Now I am kind of regretting it. My arm is in so much pain, I can't even lift it up more than a couple of inches. Also, to top it off, I think I may have some type of arthritis, and I think the vaccine just amplified it. At first, my arm was just a little bit sore, but the next day, the pain got worse. (I got the vaccine around 8 pm) and after I woke up the next day, it had gotten much worse. Now, its almost been 2 days since my vaccine, and the pain is still there. I have an appointment on friday, but I am not going to wait that long if the pain still persists. I am glad to see that I'm not the only one finding the tetanus vaccine side effects to cause so much pain.