Concerned About Hepatitis Vaccine

[DanielD]

I have taken my first doese of the the Hepatits B Vaccine in September 2001 and the second in October 2001. Everything was ok until December 2001. Then I started feeling light-headed, and dizzy on a regular basis. This went on for several months. I decided to take the last dose in March 2002. After this I began experiencing heart palpitations. I would have episodes once and while, they would come and go. Sometimes they would last for several minutes (15-45 minutes) and other times much longer. The Heart Palpitations would always be between 90-100, occasionally they would rise over 100 but this would not last very long (5-10 minutes). Sometimes I would not have these episodes for several weeks. For the past year I have been having chest pains (upper right side of the chest), feels like a weight (pressure). I have also been feeling very tired/weak. I no longer get the feeling of light-headed or dizzy (very rare) but I did get an episode of heart palpitations this week (Heart Rate over 100). I have done many tests over the past two years; I have done various ECG tests, Holter, Stress Tests, Cardio Memo (A device that you carry for two weeks and you activate it when you have palpitations)and all these tests are normal. All my Blood works are always normal (Thyroid Test is normal) I don't know if these symptoms are related to the Hepatitis Vaccine but all these symptoms began during and after taking this vaccine. How can I determine if the vaccine has anything to do with these symptoms? What steps should I take from here.. Any help would be appreciated. Thank-You

[britgirl]

I saw programme here in the UK about a month ago. in which several people wwere explaining how they were suing the government about Hep B vaccines which had had terrible side effects. Some people will never be able to work again.

[GI.PA]

I found absolutely no data to suggest the linkage between palpitaitons and the Hep B vaccine.  From the American Medical Association web site (www.ama-assn.org) and the CDC website

"Serious side effects after administration of the hepatitis B vaccine are extremely rare. There have been some anecdotal reports of the association of hepatitis B vaccination with chronic illness such as autoimmune disorders. However, there have been no scientific data supporting these claims. Large-scale immunization exercises have been ongoing in many other countries and in the United States, and thus far there has been no association of hepatitis B vaccination with serious adverse events. No clear association has been demonstrated between hepatitis B vaccination and disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, transverse myelitis, optic neuritis, and seizures. Even then, such alleged associations are still being studied to further ensure the safety of the vaccine.  Considering the large number of doses of HBV vaccine administered and the very low numbers of serious adverse reactions, it is possible that adverse reactions reported after hepatitis B vaccination may represent coincidence rather than causation".

I would suggest that you keep in mind the vaccinations as a potential, rare cause but keep your mind open for other, more common causes to heart palpitations.  Keep persueing things with your cardiologist and keep pushing for an answer.

GI.PA

[layla]

Anyone taking anything for extreme headache pain that helps? I thought it was going away but guess not.  LL

[layla]

oh I forgot to mention I have a reaction to codeine products. LL

[lackalustre]

is the hepb vaccine more apt to cause side effects than the hepA vaccine??  i only need to get the hepA vaccine.  have had bad reactions to many  drugs and am putting it off for that reason.

[Tallblonde]

From the PR Newswire:

Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to Autoimmune Rheumatoid Diseases

The rise of autoimmunity following hepatitis B immunization in school children and adults has become a major public health concern. The data was released at the 62nd annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held Nov. 8-12, 1998 in San Diego, CA. In October, the Ministry of Health in France suspended routine hepatitis B immunization of school children while continuing hepatitis B immunization at birth. The reason for this decision was reportedly the increased risk of autoimmune diseases that has been associated with the vaccine when it is given starting at school age or later.

The data from France links hepatitis B immunization to both the development of newly-diagnosed cases of autoimmune rheumatoid diseases as well as the exacerbation of previously diagnosed cases that were in remission. This finding is supported by data from Canada published in September which linked immunization against hepatitis B to the development of autoimmune rheumatoid diseases in fire-fighters. John Classen, M.D. an immunologist at Classen Immunotherapies, published papers linking the immunization against hepatitis B and other diseases to the development of insulin dependent diabetes, an autoimmune disease. Dr. Classen's work found that immunization starting after two months of life was associated with an increased risk of autoimmunity compared to starting at birth. Data from a small study published by the US government appears to support his data and showed that when hepatitis B immunization was given starting after two months of life it was associated with an almost doubling of the risk of diabetes.

[Tallblonde]

I'm scheduled for my first Hep B vaccination this Friday.  Now I'm beginning to re-think that move.  There's still some question about whether or now I have some underlying auto-immune issues (my anti-smooth muscle antibodies and my anticardiolipin antibodies are both high).  I don't want to risk exacerbating an autoimmune problem.

Wow, this just keeps getting more complicated.  None of these decisions are straightforward and easy, are they?

Susan

[nurse12hr]

I would have to say you need to weigh the risks of not getting the vaccine, vs the risks of getting it.

In my opinion, it is worth the (slight, ?unproven?) risks of getting the hepB vaccine, because if you don't get the vaccine and contract hepB, you are at high risk of developing severe liver problems which could even result in death.

This vaccine is given to virtually every newborn infant born in the US, and many, many thousands of adults have had the vaccine over the past 25 years, with few, if any, problems.  

[GI.PA]

Again from the American Medical Assosication web site:

"A recent study demonstrated that persons who developed rheumatoid arthritis following hepatitis B vaccination were actually genetically susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis, making it difficult to correlate the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis with hepatitis B vaccination".

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1809.html


I would argue that risk from a still unproved RA assocition greatly outweights the risk associated with a Hep C patient getting infected with acute/chronic Hep B.

GI.PA

[Revenire]

I would guess that millions of people have been given Hep A & B vaccinations with a very minute percentage having any sort of complications. However, getting A or B with C already is a bad thing.

[katch20]

check into fiorcet.  It works really well for headaches-- but I was taking that on occassion pre-dx.  Don't know if it is okay for the liver or for heppers on or off tx.  good luck

[Indiana]

I got the hep a & b shots. So did all my family. I have given lectures at schools and several factories on the subject and some schools and work places even sponsored some "vaccination days" because of my speeches on Hcv and how important those A & B vaccinations are for the population in general. That makes probably several hundreds of people who I know who have gotten those shots. I have not heard of even a single one of those people who had any kind of a bad reaction to them. Sure, it can happen. But I think the incidence of problems is pretty rare.
Daniel...I would look elsewhere for the source of your problems. I think if you were gonna have a real reaction to the vaccine it would have happened right away. Not after many months.
To the rest of you with Hcv.....GET THOSE SHOTS!!

[jonihs]

I have a good friend w/ severe R?A and I would alot rather deal w/ what she does everyday than die from getting Hep B on top of Hep C. Joni

[berlynn]

I asked my GI if I should get the A&B vaccines since I had not had them before starting tx. He said that he usually has patients who have not had these shots to get them before tx starts. He somehow overlooked that I had not had mine and did not let me know that I needed them before tx. When I asked if I should get them now......he said thathe didn't think that it would be a good idea while I'm on tx and would prefer that I waited until after. I'm a little confused about this.  I could be wrong but, I thought that he told me that I did not need to have these viruses working in my body at the same time.......but I thought that A&B vaccines were dead virus??? Although I have also heard that all vaccines have a chane of causing you to get that which you have been vaccinated for.....thus the confusion?/
take care, berlynn

[berlynn]

My GI called last night and said that my WBC counts have dropped (WBC from 2.5 to 1.6 and Neutros from 1.3 to .8). He ordered Neupogen for me and I have to start taking one shot a week, 2days before my pegasys.

I'm debating on using a thread to ask questions and get comments from those who are taking it now, but I hate to start a new thread sooo if anyone can respond as to their experiences with Neupogen, it's sides or suggestions on giving the injections, please do...   Thanks, berlynn

[britgirl]

I was also told not to have any vaccinations while on tx or for 6 months afterwards. I was also told not to have the HepB vaccine, only the HepA as this is much easier to catch unless you are in a"high risk" group, which I no longer am, i guess.

[berlynn]

Thanks,  sometimes, especially when you hear sooooo many things on this forum... it's hard to know if your doc is giving you the right advice. I know that I don't really want to add any other complications to what I am already going through.....so I'll probably hold off for now since my doc is recommending me to. By the way,  what time is it where you are now?? I couldn't sleep, woke up wanting something sweet...i'ts 4:22 Am in AZ.  Take care, berlynn

[GI.PA]

I do not hesitate to vaccinate (A, B and flu) during treatment.  The risk is that you might not develop adaquate antibodies, but some protection is better than none.  After the vaccination series I check the antibody level to see if a booster is needed.

GI.PA

[simpleman]

I did Neupogen from week 10 to 48. No side effects(good or bad),but it always kept my WBC up so I stayed on full dose. Let it warm up a little. orked well for me. Good luck.

[Revenire]

I also had my WBC tank about 21 into tx and reduced my Pegasys dose to .75 for 3 weeks while I waited for Neupogen. I then started it: at first weekly, then every other week, and finally every 3 weeks -- per the doctor. It kept my counts up, way up. My side effects were some slight bone aching, that's it. I let it sit for about a half an hour, so it warms up and then inject it. You may not need it weekly, depending on your bloodwork.

[tikerberi]

Had hep B vaccination series in 1999.

The B vaccine series gave me no side effects whatsover.  I would never have known it was introduced into my system had I not been told and injected.

[mrideout]

6 hours after receiving a double booster of hep b vaccine from Glaxo Smith Kline I became quite ill, nausea, gastro pain issues etc. The next day this reaction faded and was replaced by generalized Pruritis (Itching). I received a double booster because my immunity titer level always would fall off with one shot. I was assured that the double shot was safe.

I had the shot in late October and have just started heavy duty anti histamines (Adarax) and prednisone a week ago (Dec4) to supress what my doctors classify as an over immune response. Glaxco has been unhelpful in providing info on a possible cure/treatment and how long it may take to go away. This company admits that in 0.03 to 0.05 % of shots that this reaction can happen, but it is "very rare". They say my case sounds uncomfortable but they have reports of worst itching accompanied by severe body rashes/Hives that usually clear with 3 months or so with prednisone intervention. I do not have rashes but my skin does turn red easily when pressure is applied and it take 15-30 minutes or so to fade.

My doctors feel that with prednisone/adarax my immune system should but settle down in the next month and the itching should subside.

I would appreciate anyone who has had a similar reaction to share what meds brought relief/cure and how long it took this reaction to fade. For me it has been approximately 7 weeks with no end in site. One week on prednisone has helped a bit but no huge improvement.

[cuteus]

My take on the hep b vaccine is I won't take it and won't give it to my child either.  Transmission risk is to health care providers, drug users, blood products users and unprotected sexual encounters.  Why would I expose my small child to a potentially harmful substance? A toddler is not iv user, promiscous, etc.  Teachers are not mandated to vaccinate,but the children are.  Adults can decline the shot, but children are forced to. Crazy.
As for  me, I am not engaging in risky behavior that will increase my chances of getting hep b or hiv. UNIVERSAL precautions is the best option for me.  Hep a is another story, since is not blood to blood only, I have not decided on that.
No to Hep b, until everyone is mandated, not only the kids.

I read the reason behind this mandate is to find out if in the long term, liver ca. rates will decrease in the population.

I don't see how a trial to find out if symptons are related, can be conducted since you can not remove the substance (vaccine) to see if the symptons clear, would someone have gotten RA with or without the shot? You can never know.
  Children and some adults are the large scale guinea pigs test on the safety of this vaccine.  My opinion.

[mrideout]

Update:

Well the good news I guess is that I am now immune to hep B Titer level is 150.

The pruritis started 7 weeks ago, 24 hrs after after the shot and is still with me, although since I started antihistamines and prednisone a week ago it has started to feel a bit better in the last 24 hours.

My doc just had me start increasing the prednisone dosage to 40mg per day for the next week. Then start reducing the dosage for the last 2 weeks. Prednisone has many side effects too including as I am finding out hunger and weight gain, although to try and ditch the itch it i guess it is worh it

If my titer levels ever fall off to non immune status again I will never have this shot again.

This vaccine sounds controversial. From the limited reasearch I have done it sounds like it is usually well tolerated but I dont think enough in depth LONG TERM studies by drug companies/gov't f/u have been done. This is a multi billion $ industry and one can easily see why drug companies don't want to connect and then properly investigate and f/u on adverse reactions. I was very disappointed in Glaxo Smith Klines response regarding the Pruritis issue which they ackonowledged can happen but then cant say what meds will relieve it or how much time is required for it to go away? The only thing they said was it should self resolve with time, once the immune response cools down.

[jessicrat]

Eight after the first hep B jab I experienced itching over my face and chest area, had a headache and slight nausea. I then had a seizure with spasms and vomitted afterwards. Ten days after the second jab I had an attack of shaking and the room went sort of foggy. A friend I was with said that I turned very grey and vacant. Six hours after the shaking attack, I had what I can only describe as a stroke. I experienced that sensation you get before you pass out accompanied by a cacophony of noises that seemed to merge into each other. I had chest pains and my left arm seemed to want to curl or clench into my side. I managed to lay down and get myself into the recovery position; I don't know if I fell asleep or passed out. Since then my speech has been slightly slurred and I had both numbness and pains in my left side with swelling in the upper arm and armpit for two weeks after. I'm getting nowhere with my GP, who thinks there is nothing wrong with me. I am now terrified of having the third jab. Does anyone have any thoughts?

[twitch_23]

I realise that you posted this almost 6 years ago now (!!) but i've just come across it as I have been having palpitations for 3 days, after i just had my final hep B jab..

I typed palpitations and immunisiations into google and found this!
The nurse said that there shouldn't be any side effects, but i've never had palpitations like this ever! I think i may have had them once for a few seconds when I was alot younger.

I'm a bit concerned, they seem much worse when I lie down or sit down, and its quite a disconcerting feeling!
Have yours stopped? Or was anything advised about them?
Vic

[coralm]

I receive the vaccine in Nov.1998 and 2nd in Dec.1998 and since then I have muscle pain,arthritis symtoms , CFS , RLS. I feel awful. This was done in Nova Scotia ,Canada .Anybody else that feels this way? Please contact me ***@****